Binaural Beats Stimulation on the ANS, Kinesiophobia and Fitness Levels in Professional Athletes With MSK Injuries

University of West Attica

Status: Not yet enrolling

Conditions: Kinesiophobia (Fear of Movement); Musculoskeletal Injuries

Treatments: Device: Auditory stimulation without binaural beats; Device: Auditory stimulation with binaural beats and guide instructions; Other: Auditory stimulation general characteristics; Device: Auditory stimulation with background music

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT07370636

62664/07-07-2025

Details and patient eligibility

About

The purpose of the current study is to investigate the effectiveness of binaural beat stimulation on the autonomic nervous system (ANS), taking into account kinesiophobia related to reinjury and fitness levels in professional athletes with musculoskeletal injuries. The study hypothesis is that binaural beats will have beneficial effects by reducing ANS activity, primarily through modulation of parasympathetic nervous system (PNS) activity, as well as by reducing kinesiophobia related to reinjury and enhancing fitness levels in this population.

Researchers will compare binaural beat stimulation with a placebo condition and without binaural beats to evaluate their effects on psychological and physiological parameters in professional athletes with musculoskeletal injuries.

Participants will:

• Receive binaural beat stimulation or placebo or music without binaural beats before to training sessions and competitions for a period of four weeks.
• Maintain a diary to document each session of the music-based intervention.

Enrollment: 66 estimated patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18 to 25 years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Professional athletes in open-skill activities.
• Age 18-25 years old
• Participation in national and/or international professional championships for ≥ 5 years
• Athletes with previous lower limb musculoskeletal injuries within the past three months or longer
• Athletes with previous lower limb musculoskeletal injuries who have been fully rehabilitated.
• Injuries sustained during any training period or competitive event.
• Provoke injuries during any training period or competitive event.
• Athletes with Kinesiophobia who have been presented TSK questionnaire scores ranging from 17 to 37.
• Athletes with Anxiety who have been presented SCAT questionnaire scores more than to 17.
• Frequency of engaging in sports 3-5 times per week (training, competitions)
• Duration of each training session not exceeding 90 minutes.
• Athletes with adequate proficiency in the English language

Exclusion criteria

• Amateur and recreational athletes in open-skill activities.
• Athletes ≤ 17 and ≥ 26 years old
• Athletes in close-skill activities.
• Athletes with current musculoskeletal injuries (< 3 months)
• Athletes with poor rehabilitation of sports injuries
• Athletes with musculoskeletal injuries of upper limbs and trunk
• Athletes with musculoskeletal injuries during off-season periods
• Athletes with recent surgery
• Athletes with a concussion that occurred during training or competition
• Athletes with psychological and neurological problems
• Athletes with hearing impairment
• Athletes with inadequate proficiency in the English language

Trial design

Primary purpose: Treatment

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: Triple Blind

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66 participants in 3 patient groups, including a placebo group

Intervention

Experimental group

Description:

The experimental group will participate in a music-based program designed to improve attention, mental alertness, readiness for action, and to reduce kinesiophobia. Participants will receive the music program for 4 weeks / 5 sessions per week, for a total 20 sessions of 15 minutes each

Treatment:

Other: Auditory stimulation general characteristics

Device: Auditory stimulation with binaural beats and guide instructions

Placebo intervention

Placebo Comparator group

Description:

The Placebo group will participate in a music-based program designed to improve attention, mental alertness, readiness for action, and to reduce kinesiophobia. Participants will receive the music program for 4 weeks / 5 sessions per week, for a total 20 sessions of 15 minutes each

Treatment:

Other: Auditory stimulation general characteristics

Device: Auditory stimulation without binaural beats

Control

Other group

Description:

Participants allocated to the control group will undergo a structured music-based intervention designed to enhance attentional focus, mental alertness, and action readiness, while concurrently aiming to reduce kinesiophobia. The intervention will be administered for 4 weeks / 5 sessions per week, for a total 20 sessions of 15 minutes each.

Treatment:

Device: Auditory stimulation with background music

Other: Auditory stimulation general characteristics