Spinal anesthesia is preferred for cesarean section in many institutions due to concerns regarding the potential effects of general anesthetic agents on the fetus. However, during cesarean section under spinal anesthesia, parturients remain fully conscious and may experience significant anxiety, tension, or fear intraoperatively. For this reason, sedative agents such as midazolam are commonly administered after delivery, once the risk of neonatal exposure is considered minimal, to facilitate maternal sedation. Nevertheless, administration of midazolam at higher doses may be associated with adverse maternal effects, including respiratory depression, apnea, and hemodynamic instability.
Binaural beats are a brainwave entrainment technique in which two auditory stimuli of slightly different frequencies are presented separately to each ear, resulting in the perception of an interference frequency that may induce synchronization of brain activity. Previous studies have reported that exposure to binaural beats designed to generate low-frequency brainwaves associated with relaxation or sleep may reduce pain, anxiety, and promote sedation in both adult and pediatric populations.
The investigators hypothesize that the use of binaural beats during cesarean section under spinal anesthesia may reduce the required dose of midazolam for sedation, thereby decreasing the risk of drug-related adverse effects. The primary objective of this study is to evaluate whether exposure to binaural beats reduces the total dose of midazolam required for sedation in parturients undergoing cesarean section under spinal anesthesia. Secondary objectives include comparison of perioperative anxiety levels, maternal satisfaction, and other perioperative outcomes between the binaural beats group and the control group.
