White, red or green: which flicker the brain follows best (Duart 2020)

Yes. The middle rate (12 Hz) gave the clearest response, then 5 Hz, then 30 Hz. At 12 Hz white did as well as red.

A plain-language summary from binaural's reading notes, edited by Jude Mc. Last updated 10 November 2026. Not medical advice.

The question: Do the colour and rate of a flickering light change how strongly the brain follows it?

What it found

• Best signal-to-noise at 12 Hz, followed by 5 Hz, and weakest at 30 Hz.
• White gave as good a signal as red at 12 Hz.
• The authors note red is sometimes avoided because it may be more likely to provoke seizures in susceptible people.

Limits

• A brain-computer-interface study: it measures signal quality, not any effect on how people feel.
• Eyes open, small flickering targets.

Where this sits

More in the library on light, flicker and 40 hz. For the wider picture, read 40 Hz, gamma and the brain.

This is our plain-language reading of the paper. It is not medical advice, and one study rarely settles a question.