Audio-visual entrainment (AVE) for ADD/ADHD

How Dual-Frequency AVE Transformed Learning and Attention in Primary School Students

In 1997, school psychologist Michael Joyce conducted a pioneering study in a Minnesota primary school, exploring whether Audio-Visual Entrainment (AVE) could meaningfully improve attention, impulsiveness, and reading ability in children. Using Tru-Vu™ eyesets, he tested a unique dual-frequency approach in students with attention deficit disorder (ADD) and severe reading challenges — two groups who often struggle despite traditional interventions.

A Structured AVE Program Designed to Improve Attention

The study began with two weeks of sessions focused primarily on the alpha band (8–12 Hz), helping calm and stabilize the students' baseline brain activity. After this phase, Joyce introduced dual-frequency AVE:

• high alpha stimulation to the right hemisphere
• low beta stimulation at 18 Hz to the left hemisphere

This design targeted the hemispheres differently: alpha to reduce hyperarousal and promote calm engagement, and beta to support focus, task execution, and cognitive control.

The control group did not receive AVE — instead, they participated in self-esteem classes during the same periods. All students, including the AVE group, were instructed to drink water before sessions to help clear neurological byproducts created by the increased metabolic activity AVE induces.

Measuring the Impact: Objective Improvements on TOVA Scores

Joyce evaluated the ADD students using the standardized TOVA test, which measures:

• inattention
• impulsiveness
• reaction time
• response variability

After 10 weeks, the results were clear: children receiving AVE showed notable reductions in impulsiveness and inattention, along with faster, more consistent reaction times. A score of 100 is considered normal; 85 represents one standard deviation below the mean. The improvements across categories indicate that their cognitive control and attention stability significantly increased.

Figure 1: Improvements in TOVA scores after 10 weeks of AVE therapy.

Reading-Challenged Students Showed Gains in Academic Performance

Joyce extended the study to include students with the lowest scores in the SPALDING reading program. These children were assessed using the STAR standardized reading test, which measures both grade-equivalent reading ability and national percentile ranking.

• Grade Equivalent (GE) ranges from 0.0 to 13.0 and represents actual reading level. A GE of 4.7 means the child reads at a 4th-grade, 7th-month level.
• Percentile Rank (PR) compares a student to peers nationwide. A PR of 78 means the student performs as well as or better than 78% of same-grade students.

After the AVE intervention, reading-challenged students demonstrated substantial academic gains — both in grade-equivalent performance and in national percentile ranking.

Figure 2: Improvements in reading grade level (GE) after AVE.

Figure 3: Improvements in percentile rank (PR) after AVE.

Teachers and Parents Noticed Behavioral Improvements Too

The impact of AVE wasn’t limited to test scores. Parents and teachers observed noticeable, real-world behavioral changes as well.

This combination of cognitive, academic, and behavioral improvements suggests that AVE helped the children not only process information better but also show up differently in the classroom — more regulated, more attentive, and more engaged.

What This Means for Modern Attention and Learning Support

Decades before brainwave entrainment became widely discussed, Joyce’s work demonstrated how structured AVE could meaningfully support:

• attention regulation
• impulse control
• reading development
• classroom engagement
• overall cognitive stability

These early findings paved the way for the modern use of AVE in homes, clinics, and schools — showing that targeted brainwave stimulation can measurably support the neural foundations of learning.