Kookmin University research team releases 2 papers in SCIE-indexed journals

Professor Namgung Gi-chan at the Techno Design Research Institute of Kookmin University / Courtesy of Kookmin University

A research team led by professor Namgung Gi-chan at the Techno Design Research Institute of Kookmin University published two papers on cognitive wellness research in Science Citation Index Expanded (SCIE)-indexed international journals.

The papers appeared in Healthcare and Applied Sciences, which are ranked in Journal Citation Reports (JCR) Q2 in the fields of health care systems and engineering and applied sciences, respectively.

A JCR Q2 journal is considered as an academic journal ranked in the top 25 percent to 50 percent of its specific field based on its Journal Impact Factor. These are considered high-quality, reputable and influential journals with moderate to high impact.

The research proposes a method to implement 40Hz auditory stimulation — known for potential benefits in cognitive health, including Alzheimer’s disease prevention — in a form suitable for sustained listening.

While 40Hz stimulation has drawn attention in cognitive health research, the team noted that pure-tone stimuli can cause auditory fatigue during prolonged exposure, a Kookmin University official said.

To address this, researchers collected natural environmental sounds on-site in locations including Chuncheon in Gangwon Province and Uljin in North Gyeongsang Province, and constructed soundscapes integrating 40Hz components into the recordings.

The team then developed a stimulus production protocol designed to preserve the acoustic characteristics of the 40Hz frequency band while maintaining a natural listening experience. Mixing levels and playback structures were systematically designed from a user experience perspective to sustained daily use.

The two studies examined both user acceptance and physiological responses. User research assessed acceptability, listening burden and real-world application scenarios, outlining implementation and dissemination considerations.

The official added that the project originated from the graduate course “Soundscape Design” offered in the second semester of the 2025 academic year by the Department of Smart Experience Design at Kookmin University’s Graduate School of Techno Design.

Master’s and doctoral students from the Interaction Design Lab participated as co-authors, contributing to field sound collection, soundscape production, experimental design and manuscript preparation.

“The key achievement was designing a 40Hz auditory experience suitable for everyday, sustained use by embedding the stimulus within locally collected Korean soundscapes, rather than presenting it as a standalone tone,” Namgung said.

“The outcome represents a meaningful case of education-research integration in which a course-based project developed into internationally published scholarship.”