rewiew in literatures related to binaural beats , digital drugs , i doser

1. THE MYTH
OF DIGITAL DRUGS
AND I-DOSER
Dr. Ahmed Albehairy
Psychiatry Consultant ,AFCP

2. WHY WE ARE TALKING ABOUT
THIS SUBJECT????
المواقع و الجرائد الخببارية تناقلت
اخببار العربية – الن – الراي – سبق
.« المخدرات الرقمية » تناقلت الوساط السعودية خببراً عن تسجيل أول حالة وفاة جراء تعاطي
ورفضت وزارة الصحة الستعجال في تأكيد الخبر من عدمه.
Talks about digital drugs are since 2006
 Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics Warning Parents About I-Dosing , 2010

3. Internet stuff about digital drugs:
 Psst…hey.
Want to have a really mind-blowing experience?
It’s perfect legal way to get high.
And neither the wife nor the boss need know
(though if they find out, they just might ask to
borrow from your stash).
 It’s a binaural beat MP-3.
 Reporting that binaural beats purchased, running
you from about $13 to $17 per package.

4. Internet stuff about digital drugs:
Packages include:
 Recreational doses, including Marijuana, Cocaine, Nitrous,
cocaine , heroin ,and alcohol — even an “Overdose.”
 Recreational oddities (said to be for advanced users), such as
Poppers and Roofie.
 “Prescription” doses with such names as Oxy, Vico, Klono and
DHM.
 Sexual doses: First Love, Pheromone, Climax; hardcore
choices like Asphyxiation and more.
 Quick Hit doses, with sessions that last only 10 minutes.
 Fictional doses based on viewers’ favorite video games and
books.
 Chakra or Sacred doses — pure spiritual ecstasy..
 Sports doses.
 Game Enhancers, to enhance video game players’ experiences.
 Natural doses.
 Sensory doses.

5. A Deeper Scientific Sight:
 The theory of digital drugs to work is through binaural
beats effect .
 Binaural beats were first described in Germany by
H.W.Dove in the 1830s. they were first generated by
the use of tuning forks.
 the human can hear the monaural beats sound that
will cyclically fluctuate in volume but not in pitch. A
characteristic of these monaural beats is that they can
be heard with one ear occluded.

6. A Deeper Scientific Sight:
 Binaural beats are produced in a similar way with two pure
tones being produced, but each is specifically and
separately delivered to a single ear.
 Because the monaural beats are the physical result of
pressure summation in the transmitting medium (air), there
is clearly no possibility of this phenomenon being implicated
in the genesis of binaural beats.
 These are a brain-generated phenomenon described by
Oster (1973) as being synthesized in the auditory
processing pathways inside the brain.

7. A Deeper Scientific Sight:
 It would appear that the brain computes a subjective synthetic sound
from the information that it receives from both ears, which is
characteristically experienced as emanating from the centre of the
subject’s head.
 The frequency of the binaural beats is exactly the difference between
the two frequencies,
for example if the subject is played a pure tone frequency of 500 Hz in
one ear and 520 Hz in the other ear a binaural beat frequency of 20 Hz
will be “heard” by the subject even though there can be no physical
(non-physiological) explanation of the phenomenon.
N.B : or 250-270 or 890- 910 Hz

8. A Deeper Scientific Sight:
 If one receives B Bs with a frequency in the
range of brain waves, the predominant
brainwave frequency is said to be likely to
move towards the frequency of the stimulus
(a process called entrainment).
 This phenomenon is called "frequency
following response". It occurs in the time of
sounds and is not continuous synchronization.

9. A Deeper Scientific Sight:
 Perceived human hearing is limited to the
range of frequencies from 20 Hz to 20,000 Hz.
 The working envelope is that the sound should
be of an amplitude that is capable of being
heard and that it should be below about
1000Hz.

10. A Deeper Scientific Sight:
 The sensation of binaural beats is believed to
originate in the superior olivary nucleus, a part of
the brain stem. Mainly inferior colliculus.

11. A Deeper Scientific Sight:
Functions of inferior colliculus:
 Integration station of sensory perception ,
mainly for startle response and vestibulo-ocular
reflex.
 responsive to specific amplitude modulation
frequencies and this might be responsible for
detection of pitch.
 spatial localization by binaural hearing.

12. A Deeper Scientific Sight:
Brain waves
Frequenc
y range
NAME USUALLY ASSOCIATED WITH
> 40 Hz Gamma
waves
Higher mental activity, including perception, problem
solving, fear, and consciousness
13–39 Hz Beta
waves
Active, busy or anxious thinking and active concentration,
arousal, cognition, and or paranoia
7–13 Hz Alpha
waves
Relaxation (while awake), pre-sleep and pre-wake
drowsiness, REM sleep, Dreams
8–12 Hz Mu
waves Mu rhythm, Sensorimotor rhythm
4–7 Hz
Theta
waves Deep meditation/relaxation, NREM sleep
< 4 Hz
Delta
waves Deep dreamless sleep, loss of body awareness

13. A Deeper Scientific Sight:
 Applications of binaural beats
 There is some evidence to suggest that binaural beats can be used to not only
entrain the brain’s own frequencies, but also to enhance some mentally demanding
cognitive tasks (Hutchinson, 1994).
 Atwater (FH 1991) : Binaural beating, a sensory-information stimulus, provides
potential consciousness-altering information to the reticular-thalamic activating
system which in turn alters arousal states, attentional focus, and level of awareness
(crucial elements of consciousness itself).
 Owens (1984) has reported a decrease in distractibility and increase in academic
performance when binaural beats are used in a classroom setting. While Edrington
(1983)carried out rather more quantitative studies, one of which showed that
students appeared to perform academically better in the presence of binaural beat
augmentation
 There is some evidence to suggest that the Alpha and Theta stages are the most
useful in terms of learning enhancement and increasing learning capacity of
children (Oertel D 2005)
 Kennerly (RC 1992) were able to conclude that:
Beta frequency binaural-beat audio signals are an effective method for
facilitating simple free recall memory, ability to attend, and the ability to
persevere at routine motor tasks.

14. A Deeper Scientific Sight:
 Applications of binaural beats
 Owen (JD et al 1998) his researches demonstrated a causal linkage
between vigilance, performance and mood
 Hiew (1995) produced a (non-randomised) study which links binaural beats
with states of increased relaxation, meditative and creative states (not
published in a peer review journal).
 Waldkoetter & Sanders (1997) examined the possibility of reducing
depressive symptoms in alcoholic patients and found a robust statistically
significant result .
 Susan Kennel,et.al ( 2010) However, there were no significant group
differences on the Color Trails Test or the Test of Variables of Attention
(TOVA), scores post intervention. Parents reported that the study
participants had fewer homework problems post intervention.


15. Review of Literatures’
important points,
with or against the fact of
that if the digital drugs
are addictive or not ??!!

16. Against being addiction:
 Where are the cases????
 What is the specific clinical picture of this
addiction or co morbidities.
 There are no evident researches in
epidemiology , related neurotransmitters
,neuroscience ,reward system , craving , relapse
prevention.
 No relation to dopamine action .
 Evidence that BBs are epileptogenic ,BBs leads
to deficit in GABA mediation , tonic inhibition
,>>>> increased firing of I.C >>> epilepsy
( audiogenic epilepsy )>>> for more investigation .

17. Against being addiction:
 Many of the researches are not properly blinded
or controlled. The researches mostly don’t stand
up to the modern scientific scrutiny that we
expected today.
 Vague claims ……. Unlock potential , help to get
rich and healthy life!!!!!!!
 “brain wave engineer” is not a study or training
any part of the world.
 All music types can be used in relaxation , anxiety
, and depression as preferred by the pt.

18. With being addiction:
 BBs have no permanent effect , affecting the
synchrony of the brain … may be an initiation for
craving , cues…..
 BBs leads to brain wave entrainment with desired
psychological or behavior sequelae.
 Sense of change of conscious level could be a
part of cues in craving and usage of substance
experience.
 BBs induced theta waves increase hypnotizing
susceptibility and decreased attention.
 BBs theta waves decrement would increase
attention.

19. With being addiction:
 BBs ….. relaxation by increased alpha waves
effect.
 BBs …….decreased anxiety in both PTSD
( alpha -theta ), and preoperatively
( considered as good anxiolysis ).
 BBs enhance human performance ( improved
fatigue ) in depressed patients.

20. With being addiction:
 Alpha – theta is useful in interaction for abstinent
for alcohol and decreased craving and relapse
prevention.
 Alpha- theta increased circulating B- endorphin in
alcoholics.
 Naloxon (opiate antagonist ) increases theta
power and activity .
 Opiate in anesthesia slow the delta waves.
 I.C is anatomically related to reward system of
alcohol, hypnotics, and opiates …..not related to
amphetamine or cocaine reward system.

21. Recommendations :
 Focal point for clinical recruitment to the
patients for better care and investigating them.
 Researches are needed in different aspects
for understanding of the problem.
 Avoiding stigma and leading awareness for
the families and the community according to
thepresent scientific facts.

22. THANK YOU