PubHawk
J Child Psychol Psychiatry August 2007 PMID 17683456

Listen to the noise: noise is beneficial for cognitive performance in ADHD.

Göran Söderlund, Sverker Sikström, Andrew Smart

Full text PDF Download social card

Mentions

37
Peak: 4 in Jan 2021
across 5 sources since Sep 2020

Extended reach

209,305
potential audience

Total likes

594

Video views

26,661

Mentions per month

Sep 2020 – Nov 2025

Where it's discussed

  • X / Twitter14 posts
  • News12 articles
  • Blogs8 articles
  • YouTube2 videos
  • Bluesky1 posts

AI synopsis

What people are saying

Social discussions reveal a generally positive and curious attitude towards the research, such as mentions of using background noise in work settings and questions about stochastic resonance, reflecting both individual experiences and scientific interest. The tone varies from casual remarks to more intrigued responses, demonstrating an appreciation for the research's potential implications without deep critical analysis.

AgreementModerate agreement

Most discussions show support or curiosity about the idea that noise can benefit cognitive performance, with some users referencing research or personal experiences.

InterestHigh interest

The posts exhibit high interest, with inquiries about the research and sharing personal anecdotes of using noise to focus better.

EngagementModerate engagement

While not highly detailed, participants are engaging by referencing specific concepts like stochastic resonance and psychological benefits, indicating moderate engagement.

ImpactModerate impact

These discussions hint at a potential shift in how people view environmental noise, though their influence on broader perceptions remains moderate.

Abstract in brief

  • It uses the concept of stochastic resonance (SR), where a certain level of noise helps the brain process information more effectively, especially in individuals with lower dopamine levels like those with ADHD.
  • Experimental results show that ADHD children perform better under noisy conditions, while control children perform worse, suggesting that ADHD individuals need more environmental noise for optimal focus and cognition.
  • This is explained by the Moderate Brain Arousal (MBA) model, which proposes that dopamine levels influence how much noise is beneficial, with ADHD children having lower dopamine levels requiring higher noise for peak performance.
  • The model indicates that environmental noise enters the neural system and creates internal noise that enhances neural processing via SR, especially in neurotransmitter systems; Dopamine levels determine the amount of noise needed, helping explain why ADHD kids benefit from noise more than their peers.]
Read the full abstract

Top posts

Most liked on X and Bluesky
izzy
@vngnc · X

@sihksihk https://t.co/Hea37omKY2 https://t.co/ACiSV47juY

Sep 6, 2024 · 8 likes · 101,918 followers View post →
Brandon Luu, MD
@BrandonLuuMD · X

https://t.co/es9m2uIdxS

Nov 6, 2025 · 5 likes · 24,314 followers View post →
P.M
@p_misirov · X

Why more and more people play TV (or other) noise in the background to focus better?

Mar 6, 2023 · 5 likes · 3,069 followers View post →
Toshiyuki Horie｜堀江 俊之
@ToshiyukiHorie · X

@science_md It was about the enigma that a particular amount of noise is beneficial to cognitive performance. https://t.co/XE0bcPw8IH

Jan 16, 2021 · 4 likes · 3 shares · 25,037 followers View post →
Where the Tweets have no name
@andrewthesmart · X

@sashaperigo @samdylanfinch @get_inflow ooo i'm interested: i've done some research: https://t.co/PLgVhposJq

Sep 2, 2021 · 3 likes · 1 share · 2,794 followers View post →
Mabeobja, sole survivor
@mabeobja.bsky.social · Bluesky

*sigh* Yeah. I just did my entire secondary research in a Starbucks because I had trouble focusing at home. Also, I don't have time for this sh*t.

Jun 13, 2025 · 3 likes · 1 share View post →

All mentions

Brandon Luu, MD
@BrandonLuuMD · X

https://t.co/es9m2uIdxS

Nov 6, 2025 · 5 likes · 24,314 followers View post →
Mabeobja, sole survivor
@mabeobja.bsky.social · Bluesky

*sigh* Yeah. I just did my entire secondary research in a Starbucks because I had trouble focusing at home. Also, I don't have time for this sh*t.

Jun 13, 2025 · 3 likes · 1 share View post →
izzy
@vngnc · X

@sihksihk https://t.co/Hea37omKY2 https://t.co/ACiSV47juY

Sep 6, 2024 · 8 likes · 101,918 followers View post →
شِعرای ‌یمانی
@Rose__winee · X

هر چی فضا ساکت تر باشه لزوما تمرکز آدم بیشتر نیس ! من خونه هم میخوام درس بخونم background noise میذارم پخش شه. https://t.co/6vLGIxVHnZ https://t.co/SuR7mtLQhQ

Mar 16, 2023 · 1 like · 1,062 followers View post →
P.M
@p_misirov · X

Why more and more people play TV (or other) noise in the background to focus better?

Mar 6, 2023 · 5 likes · 3,069 followers View post →
Dani (Lysa)
@DWVHare · X

@Saint_sibling7 @AskADHD https://t.co/eioKelsRHu

Jun 26, 2022 · 2 likes · 429 followers View post →
whatsluckystwt
@whatsluckystwt · X

I listened to white noise for 60 seconds and holy shit this is the quietest and calmest my mind has ever fucking been while im not in meditation apparently it's research-backed??? https://t.co/NMYyHurutb https://t.co/Amiq55jlVG

Jun 9, 2022 · 2 likes · 1,595 followers View post →
Noelle
@noellevivante · X

RT @andrewthesmart: @sashaperigo @samdylanfinch @get_inflow ooo i'm interested: i've done some research: https://t.co/PLgVhposJq

Oct 5, 2021 · 1 share · 280 followers View post →
Where the Tweets have no name
@andrewthesmart · X

@sashaperigo @samdylanfinch @get_inflow ooo i'm interested: i've done some research: https://t.co/PLgVhposJq

Sep 2, 2021 · 3 likes · 1 share · 2,794 followers View post →
Where the Tweets have no name
@andrewthesmart · X

@emollick Did you include stochastic resonance? https://t.co/PLgVhposJq

May 3, 2021 · 2,794 followers View post →
LAN FITNESS
@LAN_FITNESS · X

RT @ToshiyukiHorie: @science_md It was about the enigma that a particular amount of noise is beneficial to cognitive performance. https://t…

Jan 16, 2021 · 3 shares · 58 followers View post →
TEAM LAN
@TEAM_LAN · X

RT @ToshiyukiHorie: @science_md It was about the enigma that a particular amount of noise is beneficial to cognitive performance. https://t…

Jan 16, 2021 · 3 shares · 15,622 followers View post →
PICO
@msmiminta · X

RT @ToshiyukiHorie: @science_md It was about the enigma that a particular amount of noise is beneficial to cognitive performance. https://t…

Jan 16, 2021 · 3 shares · 848 followers View post →
Toshiyuki Horie｜堀江 俊之
@ToshiyukiHorie · X

@science_md It was about the enigma that a particular amount of noise is beneficial to cognitive performance. https://t.co/XE0bcPw8IH

Jan 16, 2021 · 4 likes · 3 shares · 25,037 followers View post →
Where the Tweets have no name
@andrewthesmart · X

@KLdivergence I used to do research on the psychological benefits of white noise https://t.co/PLgVhposJq Each individual probably has an optimal level of dB of background noise.

Sep 16, 2020 · 2 likes · 2,794 followers View post →