http://myjms.moe.gov.my/index.php/ptm
Preliminary Study of Memory Enhancement of USIM Students with Internet Addiction Disorder by the Effect of Quran Therapy in
Terms of EEG Power Spectra
Saleh, N. N. aNd *Tamam, S.
ABSTRACT
The advancement of internet nowadays have drives the university students place great reliance on the internet for almost all matter. However, if the internet is heavily used, it may have a detrimental effect which could contribute to an Internet Addiction Disorders (IAD) among university students. IAD could create problem in developing relationships like normal people and appear to have low quality of memory. Thus, this is definitely not good to students. Knowing that by listening to Quran verse has a potential to improve the memory, hence this study is carried out. The study utilized a brain-computer interface Emotiv EPOC+, multichannel electroencephalography (EEG) detection during dual N-back tasks (spatial and verbal) where subjects were given with load level from 2-back to 3-back. Five (5) out of two hundred (200) participants of USIM’s students (20-23 years old) were recruited to continue with the brain scan experiment after getting a high score which indicated their severe level of addiction in a screening addiction test, Young’s Internet Addiction Test. Subjects were administered with a pre- and post- tests to analyze and evaluate the effects of implementing Quran listening in their dailies for two months. The behavioral assessment exhibited accuracy increment between pre- and post- tests by 13.4% from 9.4%. While the EEG power value showed there were significant differences (p=0.002) in brainwaves between the pre- and the post- tests for 2 back; as the dominant brainwave found at the frontal and prefrontal cortex for delta and theta bands. The research revealed that the theta power band presented as the most dominant brain wave associated with N-back task for the enhancement of working memory which influence by the listening to Surah in Al-Quran.
Keywords: IAD; EEG; cognitive functions; working memory; quranic treatment
Department of Applied Physics, Faculty of Science and Technology, Islamic Science University of Malaysia, 71800, Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia
*Corresponding author: S. Tamam Email: [email protected] Tel: +6067986365
Fax: +6067986516 Received: 19 May 2020
Accepted for publication: 29 June 2020
Publisher: Malaysian Association of Medical Physics (MAMP) http://mamp.org.my
https://www.facebook.com/MedicalPhysicsMalaysia
INTRODUCTION
The internet is a worldwide system of innovations that provides individuals with access to data, social networks and communication facilities that make it great convenience to human. With the advancement of internet, many people particularly university students place great reliance on the internet for almost all matter, as the internet provides a tremendous amount of facilities for information, communication and entertainment.
There are various benefits as well as inconveniences that the internet can bring to everyone. If anyone uses the internet correctly, the benefits would overweight the drawbacks. However, if the internet is heavily used, it may have a detrimental effect.
Internet Addiction Disorder (IAD) is an uncontrolled web used that could harm genuine life causing problems such as neurological issues, mental disturbances, and social problems (Shao et al. 2018). With such issues, the IAD definitely can influence to a problematic of someone’s life. Studies have also found that many people with internet addiction are unable to develop relationships like normal people and appear to have low quality of memory (Shao et al. 2018; Samaha et al. 2018). Memory is the information which has been
stored over time. It is important to humans because memory will store, maintain and recall information including past experiences in one’s life (Adams et al.
2018).
Memory helps us become who we are. It is a chain that unites the past with the present. Studies discovered that people with IAD prone to have poor quality of memory. This is because of unnecessary brain activity during the internet addiction phase, someone’s brain function can be impaired in memory processing (Park et al. 2017). It has become a hot public health issue, due to the evidence reported that most of university students in China are diagnosed to suffer for the internet addiction (Shao et al. 2018).
The university students are well known of having plenty of assignments, quizzes, exams, and other things that are necessary to be completed as part of their role.
Each activity usually requires memory. However, by having poor memory will only be a weakness in order to perform excellently. It is not just a matter of a good grade, but it could also show the quality of the students performing in the tasks. Students are the country’s future, who should be confident and excited about doing well in all fields they endevours. Thus, having a good working memory is really matter.
Memory usually involved recall, recognition and relearning in three different ways (Nie et al. 2016).
If students are unable to well recall, recognize, and relearn present and past knowledge, they will not perform as well as they want. This would only create more issues as they are unsatisfied with their grades of study. Hence, students may have low self-esteem, anxiety, and even depression for the aftereffect. A problem could lead to another problem. The low quality of memory will just increase the risk of cognitive problems. As for the solution, it has been found that the Holy Qur’an will trigger the secretion of endorphins in the brain, which are known to have beneficial effects on the state of mind and memory (Nayef & Wahab 2018). Al Quran has been found to have a significant impact on brain functions, to be easy to implement and to be cost-effective in supporting those with weak memory (Saged et al.
2018). However, is that enough by just listening to Holy Qur’an will help to improve the memory?
By that consideration, this work is carried out. The purpose of this research was to investigate the impact and effectiveness of implementing Quran therapy specifically by listening to Surahs in Al-Qur’an for 2 months to enhance brain activation associated with working memory of people with IAD. This study analyzed the working memory performance of students with IAD via
EXPERIMENTAL METHODS
SUBJECTS
The 200 subjects involving 41 males and 159 females which were recruited among Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia students. They were all undergraduate students from Faculty of Science and Technology, aged range of 20 to 23 years old, coming from different academic years.
They have been undergone the screening questionnaires, determining their level of internet addiction. Young’s Internet Addiction Test has been used as an instrument for internet addiction level estimation (Samaha et al.
2018). However, among the 200, only 5 subjects (one male and 4 females) were eligible for the EEG scan data recording. The selection was based on their high score in a screening addiction test indicated the severe level of addiction. Subjects were free from any chronic disease or blindness. Each of them has signed written formal consent. The Human Ethical for this research has been approved by the Human Ethical Research Committee of Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia (USIM/JKEP/2020-78).
INTERNET ADDICTION LEVEL
Young’s Internet Addiction Test was utilized to determine the addiction level and its severity upon 200 subjects.
The questionnaire consisted of 20 randomized questions that took only 5 – 10 minutes to be completed. Each statement is weighted along a Likert-scale continuum that ranges from “0” = “not at all likely” to “5” =
“extremely likely”. The sum of scores for the 20 item responded is the overall score and the maximum score is 100 points. All data were analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) to choose subjects who will undergo for the EEG brain scan. The study is interested to select only those who scored for a severe level of internet addiction.
LISTENING OF SURAH IN AL-QURAN Quran therapy was arranged by listening to selected Surah in Al-Quran. It was a self – therapy session where each subject had to listen to the suggested surah in the Quran every day for two months. Ten (10) random surah were suggested for 10 days and the loop of suggestions continued until day 60. The time and number of sessions per day was depended on the subjects. However, subjects were given a checklist of activity and were under researcher observation through phone calls reminder or sometimes a video calls as a justification to ensure the
TABLE 1 The loop of suggestions of Surah to listen from Al-Quran
Days Surah
1 Ar-Rahman
2 Al-Waqiah
3 Al-Mulk
4 Al-Insyirah
5 Ad-Dukhan
6 Al-Qalam
7 Al-Mutaffifin
8 Luqman
9 Al-Anbiya
10 An-Nisa
EXPERIMENTAL SET-UP AND RECORDING The brain signal was recorded using the 14 multichannel wireless EEG sensor information, Emotiv EPOC+
headset as shown in Fig. 1. This EEG was set onto the subject’s head to record the brain signal during the task given. The setting was followed a standard procedure of EEG installation. Before scan, the subject was instructed not to move and stay focus upon the task given. In this experiment, subjects were not required to wash their head with shampoo since there are only 14 electrodes to be placed onto the scalp. However, upon the installation, the subject’s head has already ensured that there were no left hair care products such as gel, wax, or hairspray. The electrode solution was applied to hydrate the EEG electrodes and to give better contact for signal transmission.
FIGURE 1 A 14 channel wireless EEG Emotiv EPOC+
wireless headset
EEG recordings were arranged for pre- and post- Quran therapy. The electrodes of EEG were aligned on the right point on the subject’s scalp. Raw data of 14 – channel EEG (AF3, F7, F3, FC5, T7, P7, O1, O2, P8, T8, FC6, F4, F8, and AF4) as shown in Fig. 2, with 2000 Hz sampling rate from subject’s brain activity were acquired and recorded using EmotivPRO software.
The impedance of each electrode was being monitored graphically from the indicators on the software. The green colors signify low impedances and good quality of the recording, while red colors signify great impedances with poor quality of the recording. As soon as the impedance was minimally displayed, the experiment started. As all electrode placement has been done, the subject then was presented with a computerized dual N-back task.
The brain electrical activity was recorded at the moment the tasks begun. 2-back task was the degree of load that every subject was challenged to perform as illustrated in Fig. 3. During the task, visual and audio were displayed simultaneously, and the subject had to identify matches item for the two sorts of data presented N items before. 2-back level required subject to match the current target with the data from 2-back before. The tasks were done across 10 sessions with 2500 ms interstimulus interval for 500 ms each stimulus.
For items that identical in terms of two sorts of data to the one that had been displayed, the subject had to press letter K or L denoting matches data of the audio or visual. The test was arranged in pseudorandom order hence subjects were not able to expect for further planned response. Each of the subjects was getting monitored individually. Fig. 4 demonstrates the subject during the task performing.
FIGURE 2 The electrode locations of the 14 channel Emotiv EEG headset (Adams et al. 2018).
FIGURE 3 Experimental stimuli of dual 2-back task
FIGURE 4 Subject performing task while wearing EEG
PRE-PROCESSING AND FAST FOURIER TRANSFORM ANALYSIS
The neuropsychological data during the 2-back tasks then was analyzed applying a process of filtering to correct artifacts in the data. A method of Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) algorithm (1-second interval) was used concerning for delta, alpha, beta and gamma at frequencies of 0.1 to 3.0 Hz, 3.0 to 7.0 Hz, 8.0 to 12.0 Hz, 13.0 to 30.0 Hz, and 31.0 to 60.0 Hz respectively.
This analysis done by a frequency analysis software, BrainVision Analyzer 2.1. FFT changes the EEG signal from a time-space signal into a frequency area, focusing on the frequencies from the signal.
STATISTICAL ANALYSIS
was to dictate any statistically significant differences between the two means of the two tests. Not only that the reason for inferential statistic was to compare each type of accuracy and power spectra for both tests where the default alpha was set at 0.05.
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION BEHAVIORAL DATA
The effect of the Quran therapy was analyzed from the behavioral accuracy data of all subjects for 5 sessions of dual N-back tasks. A t-test analysis was done to indicate any significant improvement between the pre- and post- tests. During the t-test analysis, the significance level was set at p < 0.05. Fig. 4 condenses a statistical result of the performance accuracy of N-back tasks. There was found a significant transfer effect between the pre- and the post- tests for the behavioral dual 2-back task performances (p = 0.007) indicating that there was a trend of improvement.
This result showed that subjects behaviorally improved their performance accuracy during the dual 2-back tasks since there was a significant difference between the pre- and the post- tests. The result supplied the evidence that the implementation of listening to Quran dailies is expected to improve the performance in N-back tasks as the mean accuracy reached 13.4%
from 9.4% (Fig. 5). The increase of the correct responses specifically revealed the effect of implementing Quran therapy (Daud & Sharif 2018), synchronized with research that also showed positive results that listen to the Quran has a significant effect in reducing nervous tension thus improving short term memory (Cash et al.
2012).
BRAIN ELECTRICAL ACTIVITY TRANSFER EFFECTS
Dominant Brainwave
Brain electrical activity transfer effects of the frontal part of the brain were specifically summarized in the power band percentage of frequency band in Fig. 6. There were significant differences found in brainwaves between the pre- and the post- tests for 2-back. Dominant brainwave found at the frontal cortex and prefrontal cortex was theta with p=0.002. Followed by the delta power value where the significant difference similar to theta, p=0.002;
between pre- and post- tests. On the other hand, alpha and beta were not significant to have any impact since the significant differences for both alpha and beta powers were p=0.294 and p=0.583.
This data exhibited the increase in power values of delta and theta band after subjects were having Quran therapy. The delta and theta band have been correlated with relaxation and memory functions (Perdana et al.
2018). Delta frequencies play a core role in the formation and internal arrangement of biographic memory as well as acquired skills and learned information (Posada- Quintero et al. 2019). Meanwhile the theta frequency is linked to mental load and working memory (Perdana et al. 2018; Posada-Quintero et al. 2019). The increases in values of these bands make sense as some research demonstrated a similar related to the working memory especially in theta value (Dong et al. 2015; Dai et al.
FIGURE 6 Dominant brainwave found at channel F3, F4, AF3, AF4, F7, F8 of the frontal cortex
2017; Pahor & Jaušovec 2018). Up to this, as the brain activity of delta increases, it may lead to attention to inner processing increases indicating that subjects gave better attention during the cognitive tasks after two months of implementing the Quran therapy.
The result displayed that the power spectra for theta frequency was one of the dominant brainwaves found in the experiment. The increases of theta frequency from pre- to post- tests in this study manifesting that the results support that subjects were generally in a high state of memory load. Theta frequency correlates in arranging multi-thing working memory and usually is the regular EEG highlight that increments with levels of task difficulty.
Brainwaves of Each Electrodes
Fig. 7 showed the power band percentage of delta frequencies for each electrode at channel F3, F4, F7, F8, AF3 and AF4. The highest increase in percentage for delta was found at channel F4 with 0.23%, AF3 with 0.07%, channel F7, F8 and F3 all with 0.04%. These electrodes were located at the frontal region of the brain.
F3 is a left frontal electrode while F4 is a right frontal electrode. Meanwhile F7 and F8 represent the areas of prefrontal and dorsolateral cortex.
FIGURE 7 Powerband percentage of delta frequencies of electrodes
Fig. 8 showed the power band percentage of theta frequencies for each electrode at channel F3, F4, F7, F8, AF3, and AF4. Theta was found to have the highest increase in percentage at channel AF4 with 3.74%, AF3 with 3.06%, F8 with 2.94%, and F3 with 2.04%.
FIGURE 8 Powerband percentage of theta frequencies of electrodes at different channels
The electrical signal exuded by the brain may readily be shown in the form of brainwaves like delta, theta, alpha and beta which could affect the state of mind. Based on the EEG results, there were significant differences between the pre- and the post- tests, showing a trend of improvement after the implementation of the therapy. The results support the observation that the power spectra increase after the therapy with a significant value in delta and theta bands. While according to the behavioural result, a significant difference between the pre- and the post- tests for the N-back task performances could be the evidence that the implementation of listening to Quran dailies is significantly improved the working memory performance.
CONCLUSION
Working memory is mainly processed in frontal part of the brain. The research revealed that the theta power band presented as the dominant brain wave associated with the enhancement of working memory which influence by the listening to Surah in Al-Quran. Relevant improvement could be seen as there is a significant difference between pre- and post- test of the experiment. The study concluded by listening to Surah in Al-Quran, individual with IAD could enhance memory efficiency and at the same time could be a treatment to bring a positive influence on the brain and the psychological stresses.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
The authors would like to acknowledge the
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