The Science of Sound and Focus with Brain.fm's Dr. Kevin J.P. Woods

Taking Control: The ADHD Podcast

Music isn’t just background noise—it can be a tool. This week, we’re joined by Dr. Kevin J.P. Woods, cognitive neuroscientist and Director of Science at Brain.fm, to explore the science behind audio designed to do something: improve focus, enhance rest, and support attention regulation, especially for ADHD brains.

Dr. Woods breaks down the neuroscience of “functional music,” explaining how Brain.fm uses phase-locking, neural oscillations, and lab-validated protocols to guide your brain toward desired cognitive states. We dig into why ADHD brains might respond especially well to this kind of auditory support—and how students and adults alike can use it to manage study sessions, reduce overwhelm, and even fall asleep more easily.

If you’ve ever tried to study to lo-fi beats, felt overwhelmed by silence, or needed a reliable way to shift your brain into focus mode, this one’s for you.

Links & Notes

• 🎧 Brain.fm – Get a special 30-day free trial to give it a real spin!
• 🧠 Follow Dr. Kevin J.P. Woods on LinkedIn
• 📝 Learn more about how we support students with ADHD at Take Control ADHD
• Support the Show on Patreon
• Dig into the podcast Shownotes Database

• (00:00) - Welcome to Taking Control: The ADHD Podcast
• (03:48) - Introducing Kevin Woods, Ph.D. and Brain FM
• (04:44) - The Cavalier Setup
• (11:38) - Entrainment
• (16:50) - Audio and the ADHD Brain
• (20:10) - Audio and Emotional Regulation
• (21:58) - Expectation Affect
• (24:06) - Realistic Expectations and Use
• (27:12) - Context Switching and Friction
• (30:00) - Who makes the music?
• (33:35) - One more thing on Context Switching
• (39:40) - How are people using it?
• (43:43) - Yet to come...
• (46:36) - Get Brain.FM

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