How Accenture Creativity Helped Transform Cognitive Care

Gamma wave modulation technology is at the forefront of a transformative approach to cognitive care for dementia patients and broader society.

Showcasing the innovative use of music as a medium for delivering gamma wave-modulated is a recent campaign from Accenture Song, which uses sound to highlight the effectiveness of the technology in real-world applications.

With multiple partners, including Pixie Dust and Droga5, the campaign emphasises the broader goals of the Dementia Care Project by Gamma Wave Sound and its potential to transform healthcare.

Speaking to LBB’s Tom Loudon, Masaya Asai, chief creative officer of Droga5 Tokyo, Taiichiro Murakami, COO of Pixie Dust Technologies, and Yosuke Miharu, senior VP of Shionogi & Co., Ltd, share insights into the science behind this technology and its potential to enhance cognitive function.

LBB> Can you provide more details about the science behind gamma wave modulation technology and how it's believed to impact cognitive care for dementia patients or people in society?

Taiichiro and Yosuke> Research has shown that exposure to 40Hz sound with 40 stimulations per second improved cognitive function in mice, and in human clinical trials, 40Hz sound and light were used to improve cognitive function. Research results suggest that 40Hz gamma waves can slow down deterioration and brain atrophy – implying that such sounds can be applied to dementia prevention and general care for cognitive function, hence making it a focus of attention globally. 

However, it can be extremely challenging to provide continuous daily care even if such sound and light stimulation is beneficial. Hence, to integrate such innovation into everyday life, we turned gamma waves technology into a readily available audio experience, which presents new possibilities in providing cognitive stimulation for dementia patients and is also open to the general public looking for ways to care for their cognitive function or are concerned about their cognitive decline. 

LBB> What was the inspiration behind using music as a medium for delivering gamma wave-modulated sounds? How do you believe music enhances the effectiveness of this technology?

Taiichiro>  Ongoing studies demonstrate that repeated exposure to 40Hz gamma waves can promote brain function by reducing white matter atrophy and myelin loss, which contribute to Alzheimer’s disease progression. 

Music is a universal language, and it’s something that can be integrated easily into our daily lives. We believe that where sound can be heard is a place where cognitive function can be cared for. Infusing gamma wave sound technology can help people, especially dementia patients, extend the care of their cognitive functions as they go about their daily activities.

LBB> Could you share some insights into the creative process behind crafting the "Memory" and "Tomorrow" audio experiences? How did you ensure these sounds would be enjoyable and soothing for listeners?

Masaya> Our goal was to create music that would fit in with everyday life and be pleasant enough to listen to repeatedly. Musicality is integral to the audio experience. We looked to identify fitting instruments and worked closely with writers and music producers to ensure that amplitude-modulated music at 40Hz is pleasing and exciting. “Memory" is a low-fi hip-hop type of music that can be played anywhere and by any generation. “Tomorrow" was composed for active situations such as shopping or gym. Both tracks are designed to be played on a loop, and the gamma wave sound has been carefully prepared not to be uncomfortable too much.

LBB> Can you tell us more about the Dementia Care Project by Gamma Wave Sound and its broader goals in enhancing cognitive stimulation for dementia patients or people in society?

Yosuke> Dementia has a significant impact on society, as it impairs cognitive function and reduces the quality of life of the patient while also placing a physical, mental and economic burden on caregivers. On the other hand, patient satisfaction with existing treatments is low, and new solutions are needed. In addition, although people of all ages recognise the importance of preventing dementia, only a tiny percentage take preventive measures. There is a need for measures to control the progression of dementia that can be carried out quickly and continuously in daily life, so we jointly developed the Dementia Care Project by Gamma Wave Sound, which focuses on stimulating our five senses, mainly through sound. 

Taiichiro> The Dementia Care Project by Gamma Wave Sound is an initiative to help people care for their cognitive function. Turning gamma waves technology into a readily available audio experience presents new possibilities in providing mental stimulation for dementia and anyone seeking to improve their cognitive function. The broader goal is to transform every place where sound can be heard (both in Japan and outside Japan) into a place where cognitive function can be cared for, including providing alternative interventions for dementia patients beyond just sound. 

LBB> What kind of impact or results have you observed with this technology in real-world settings or clinical applications?

Taiichiro> When listening to TV sound sources (news and music programs) where background parts were amplitude modulated, it was confirmed that gamma waves in the brains of elderly people were synchronised in the same way as in younger people. It was also revealed that the volume of the modulated sound did not strongly affect the degree of the brain wave synchronisation, which implies that listeners can set the book at their comfortable levels. Additionally, no serious adverse events were reported from the one-month safety verification that followed. These results strongly suggest that such sounds can be applied to care for cognitive function non-invasively and with a degree of control in an individual’s life.   

LBB> How do you plan to make these gamma wave-modulated soundtracks readily available to dementia patients and their caregivers or the general public?

Masaya> Under the current initiative, six major companies across industries in Japan have come together to ally to boost dementia care. The soundtracks are available for download globally on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts and the internet radio station Radicro. Through consolidated marketing efforts and strong industry expertise across Accenture teams, we aim to grow the number of participating companies to bring integrated daily care of cognitive function through public touchpoints such as shopping malls, supermarkets and onsen resting spots. In the longer term, we hope to expand public touch points, including collaborating with government-owned facilities and services such as public transportation to reach out to the general public, including dementia patients and their caregivers. 

LBB> Could you share any anecdotes or stories of individuals who have benefited from using this technology for cognitive care?

Taiichiro> We’re currently extending the audio experience to individuals beyond dementia patients, especially individuals who want to maintain and enhance their cognitive function. Below is a quote from a dementia patient, Atsushi Shimosaka. 

Dementia patient Atsushi Shimosaka said, “I’m 50 years old now and was diagnosed with juvenile Alzheimer's disease at the age of 46. After my diagnosis, I tried various cognitive care programs but did not enjoy them and could not continue. Approaching dementia with gamma wave-modulated sounds is very innovative.

Listening to the audio tracks makes me cheerful and happy, and importantly, it can be heard to daily by myself or with my friends. I hope the audio experience can be brought to more public touchpoints, including on TV, radio, various establishments around town, and places with audible sound.”

LBB> Collaboration is a significant aspect of this project. Can you explain the role of each partner involved and how their expertise contributed to the campaign's success?

Taiichiro> Pixie Dust Technologies has collaborated with Shionogi and Shionogi Healthcare to further our digital innovation ambitions. Since 2021, we’ve been pursuing research with Shionogi on approaching cognitive functions through sound, light and other sensory stimuli to develop products that integrate beneficial care into daily life, including tackling issues related to dementia that Japan is currently facing. 

Yosuke> Shionogi is focused on helping more people perform self-care. We have been working closely with Pixie Dust technologies, supporting them as a knowledge partner and jointly developing more services that integrate dementia care into daily life through sensory stimulation that goes beyond sound, providing new solutions to the problems faced by patients and society.

Masaya> Accenture delivered business transformation advice, working together with Pixie Dust Technologies and Shionogi to drive market research and recommendations for alliance partners in Japan and the formation of Dementia Care Project by Gamma Wave Sound. Through Droga5 Tokyo, part of Accenture Song, we creatively turned the gamma wave technology jointly developed by Pixie Dust Technologies and Shionogi & Co Ltd into music that can be listened to every day, providing dementia patients with an additional tool that they can consider in improving their cognitive function.

LBB> What are your plans and aspirations for this initiative, and how do you see it evolving in the context of dementia care and cognitive stimulation?

Yosuke> Our goal is to create a world where everyone can receive healthcare as they continue their daily activities. As we continue to build evidence for brain activation and cognitive function improvement through sound stimulation, and as gamma wave sound becomes more widespread in society, we hope to be able to spearhead more possibilities in using it to address critical issues. The potential of gamma-wave sound to transform healthcare will continue to expand.