Alpha binaural beats and memory recall: a pilot study (Mujib 2021)

Memory score rose significantly only in the 10 Hz alpha group (p = 0.0000235, Cohen's d = 1.15). The study had no control group, so practice effects cannot be separated from any effect of the beats.

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

The question: Do alpha, beta or gamma binaural beats improve digit-span memory, and what EEG changes accompany them?

What it found

• A significant increase in memory score appeared only in the alpha 10 Hz group (p = 0.0000235, t = 5.23, Cohen's d = 1.15).
• Reaction time fell significantly in the alpha and gamma groups; the beta group showed no significant behavioural change.
• Alpha beats decreased theta power and increased alpha power; gamma beats increased theta and gamma power.
• The authors propose increased theta interhemispheric coherence in frontal networks as the mechanism for improved recall.

Limits

• Explicitly a pilot with no control group: the before/after design cannot separate any effect of the beats from practice or test-retest gains on the digit-span task.
• Frequencies were compared between groups, not within the same people.
• Consumer-grade 14-channel wireless EEG limits spatial precision.
• Young healthy sample and a short single session; a controlled replication with a sham arm is needed.

Where this sits

More in the library on attention, memory and thinking. For the wider picture, read Binaural beats for focus and studying.

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