Entrainment of rhythmic tonal sequences on neural oscillations and the impact on subjective emotion

Abstract Music possesses a remarkable capacity to evoke a broad spectrum of subjective responses and promote healing in humans, with rhythm playing a crucial role among its various elements. Rhythmic entrainment is considered as one of the fundamental mechanisms, yet its subsequent behavioral responses and quantitative relationship remain unclear. In the study presented here, we combined behavioral and electroencephalography experiments to explore the relationship between neural entrainment and emotional responses to rhythmic auditory stimuli, focusing on the emotional dimensions of valence, arousal, and dominance. Our findings reveal that while all sequences across 12 different presenting rates significantly entrain neural oscillations, sequences at different rates elicit distinct impacts on subjective emotional experience. The intensity of neural entrainment is associated with changes in emotional valence and dominance under specific frequency conditions. This insight addresses a gap in the existing literature regarding the dominance dimension and provides potential for developing more targeted and precise clinical interventions to enhance emotional well-being in the future.