NeuroSky Mindwave Mobile Headset 2 as an Intervention for Reduction of Stress and Anxiety Measured With Pulse Rate Variability

Abstract

NeuroSky Mindwave Mobile headset 2 (MMH2) is an EEG-based biofeedback device that can be used to assist in relaxation by providing users feedback on their level of relaxation. In this study, we aimed to assess the effect of using MMH2 on pulse rate variability (PRV) as a measure of relaxation in addition to the in-App real-time data. Six participants were recruited and provided information about the study once they contacted the university. Participants were required to use the Brainwave Visualizer application as part of the NeuroSky suite for relaxation for 10 minutes. PRV of each participant was determined before and after use of the MMH2. Biosignals were initially preprocessed to remove artifacts and resampled at 8Hz for time and frequency domain analysis using purpose written Matlab software. We obtained multiple parameters including the average value of the inter-pulse intervals, standard deviation, root mean square of the successive differences, and stress index. The stress score from the MMH2 screen indicated a decrease in overall stress by the participants. RMSSD decreased from pre-MMH2 to Post-MMH2 (4.6±5.9; 2.9±0.9; p=) whilst the Kubios Stress Index decreased as well (0.74±1.5; 0.44±1.1, p =) MMH2 can be used to help reduce stress and anxiety levels, making it a potentially useful tool for home use.