10 High Notes in Music as Medicine

1. Clinical Concertos:

In clinical settings, music is used to promote physical and psychological health and well-being. Although the neurochemistry of music is a young science, the positive effects are thought to result from engagement of systems for reward, motivation, and pleasure; stress and arousal; immunity; and social affiliation.

Trends in Cognitive Science

2. This Is Your Brain on Music:

Intense pleasure in response to music can lead to dopamine release in the striatal system, making it a possible depression treatment. Anticipating an abstract reward can result in dopamine release in an anatomical pathway distinct from that associated with the peak pleasure itself.

Nature Neuroscience

3. He Says Tomato, She Says Tomahto:

Psychophysiological responses to music listening vary by gender. Listening reduced stress, anxiety, and depression and enhanced life satisfaction, optimism, and hope in both sexes, but the effects were more intense in females. There were significant decreases in blood pressure and heart rate in females, but not in males.

Music and Medicine

4. I Can Name That Tune:

Taking part in an active singing program improved cognition and life satisfaction in persons with dementia. Singers had significantly higher mini-mental state examination scores than listeners, scored significantly higher in clock-drawing ability after treatment, and had significantly higher Satisfaction with Life Scale scores.

Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.

5. Music Keys Older Adults’ QOL:

Participation in a music therapy choir intervention significantly reduced depressive symptoms, improved quality of life, and increased cognitive functioning in older adults-67% and 40% reported improved mood and physical gains, respectively. There was also increased social interaction and memory improvement.

Music and Medicine

6. Taking Music to Heart:

Listening to music influences cardiovascular parameters, but how music affects the heart comes down to a matter of style. In a prospective controlled trial, classical music (“Bach”) led to decreased values of systolic and diastolic blood pressure and heart rate. Heavy metal did not.

Music and Medicine

7. Songs are in the Air:

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease may be managed more effectively with a combination of pulmonary rehabilitation and music therapy. Treatment with music-including music visualization, wind playing, and singing-improved depression, dyspnea, disease mastery, and fatigue.

Respiratory Medicine

8. Tuning Out Pain:

Patients who listened to music after undergoing surgery felt reduced pain and anxiety. Analgesia use also was reduced, and patient satisfaction increased. Choice of music and timing of delivery made little difference. Music was effective even when patients were under general anesthetic.

The Lancet

9. Indian Classical Music Hushes Migraine:

Young female patients with migraine headache who listened to Indian classical music showed significant decline in pain intensity during an attack, the duration of an attack, and the frequency of attacks. They also showed considerable improvement in alertness after an attack.

Music and Medicine

10. Lullabies Spawn Child Development:

Babies exposed to classical music during pregnancy were more advanced in linguistic, intellectual, and motor development at 6 months than those who received no musical stimulus. Now a Spanish gynecology clinic has developed Babypod, a small device expecting mothers can insert into their vaginas so that fetuses can hear the music more clearly. Stay tuned!