Effects of bio-tuning intervention on stress, depression, and anxiety during the COVID-19 pandemic

ABSTRACT

Biotuning has been proposed as a tool for stress reduction. Its protocol uses sound that has been derived from the patient's nervous system using a heart-rate variability monitor. Developers at the Center for Neuroacoustic Research (CNR) claim that in addition to being effective, Biotuning can help many people as it is non-invasive, and time and cost efficient. This study examined its effectiveness by evaluating data obtained by a certified CNR practitioner. We evaluated Biotuning's treatment effect on adult patients' anxiety, depression, sleep quality, perceived quality of life, and COVID-19 related stress. Thirty-four patients completed assessments at the beginning and end of the Biotuning treatment period. Patients also completed a sleep questionnaire at mid-treatment to track sleep quality changes. Data were collected between September 2021 and February 2022. At the end of the 21-day treatment period, results showed a significant decrease in anxiety (p = 0.02, Cohen's d = 0.36) and depression (p < 0.0001, Cohen's d = 0.66), and significant improvements in sleep quality (p < 0.0001, Cohen's d = 0.89) and quality of life in the physical (p = 0.002, Cohen's d = 0.63) and psychological health (p = 0.02, Cohen's d = 0.32) domains. Repeated measures analysis of sleep quality showed significant improvements between Day 1 and Day 11 (p < 0.001, Cohen's d = 0.83), suggesting an immediate improvement in sleep quality. These results suggest that Biotuning can effectively treat symptoms of depression and anxiety, improve quality of sleep, and improve perceptions of psychological and physical health. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)