I would like you to take a moment to think about a few of your all-time favourite songs. Have you ever wondered why you have a few titles that you never grow tired of? Why do they invoke feelings of endless happiness or relaxation? How can simple sound waves make us feel indescribable and complex emotions that are beyond our knowledge?
Even if you’ve never picked up an instrument, it is nearly impossible to find someone who isn’t fond of music - this is due to the enjoyable personal experiences we associate with a particular song, causing us to feel happy when these emotions are triggered. For this very reason, music therapy is flourishing as a unique approach to improving mental health, pain tolerance, and neurodegenerative diseases around the world [1].
MENTAL HEALTH
First, music effectively reduces stress, anxiety, and creates feelings of calmness and relaxation. By triggering the hormones that induce such emotions, music therapy is proven to lower blood pressure, slow heart rate, and ultimately cause the listener to feel more relaxed [2].
When listening to your favourite music, dopamine is one of the main hormones that are released. Known as the “happy hormone,” dopamine plays a role in pleasure sensation, as well as learning, memory, and more [3].
Furthermore, another hormone called oxytocin is released. Oxytocin is also known as the “love hormone,” which is responsible for forming relationships with others and developing empathy. That is why playing music with others is much more enjoyable than performing alone, as playing in groups forms special emotional bonds and quality social interaction [4]. Scientists use the stress-relieving properties of music to calm patients in anxiety-inducing environments, such as a hospital environment.
Delisio, E. (2015, March 20). The Brain on Music [Digital image]. Retrieved from https://nordiclifescience.org/playing-music-good-brain/
PHYSICAL PAIN
Secondly, music can also be played to reduce physical pain in patients. For example, patients in labour experienced significantly less pain and anxiety during the latent phase or start of the labour process when listening to their preferred music genre. This can be explained by the reduced cortisol levels triggered by enjoyable music [5].
Cortisol is a hormone that is essential to the body’s stress and fight-or-flight response and is released when a stressor is identified. However, when listening to music while undergoing painful procedures, cortisol levels don’t raise as much, resulting in less pain [6].
SickKids Hospital. (2020). Music Therapy [Digital image]. Retrieved from https://www.sickkids.ca/en/care-services/support-services/creative-arts-therapy/
NEURODEGENERATIVE DISEASES
Finally, one of the most incredible music therapy uses is to improve cognitive function in patients with neurodegenerative diseases, such as dementia. Neurodegenerative diseases are essentially the death of nerve cells over time, causing the individual to eventually lose cognitive function.
However, do you remember when I mentioned the association of memories with music? Interestingly, those very memories are rather unimpacted by neurodegenerative diseases and continue to exercise many parts of the brain, including the parts responsible for memory, attention, speech, movement, and many more [7]. As a result, some patients have been recorded to sing or dance to their favourite music despite the severity of their illness.
Furthermore, music therapy has been used in Parkinson’s rehabilitation program to improve motor function by using rhythm and preferred movement to address bradykinesia, which is the slowness of movement commonly experienced by individuals with Parkinson’s disease. By using music therapy to practice rhythm, attention and focus is improved, resulting in better movement coordination and attention spans [8].
MHA Charity. (2020). Our Dementia Choir with Vicky McClure [Digital image]. Retrieved from https://www.mha.org.uk/about/what-makes-us-special/music-therapy/
In closing, music is a compelling medium that has done wonders in advancing the world of science and the performing arts. Next time you hear your favourite song on the radio, be sure to truly embrace the happiness and memories that come with it.
CITATIONS
Wassenberg, A. (2019, May 31). Why We Like Certain Music: The Brain And Musical Preference. Ludwig Van Toronto. https://www.ludwig-van.com/toronto/2019/05/31/report-why-we-like-certain-music-the-brain-and-musical-preference/
Sutoo, D., & Akiyama, K. (2004). Music improves dopaminergic neurotransmission: demonstration based on the effect of music on blood pressure regulation. Brain Research, 1016(2), 255–262. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.brainres.2004.05.018
Moraes, M. M., Rabelo, P. C. R., Pinto, V. A., Pires, W., Wanner, S. P., Szawka, R. E., & Soares, D. D. (2018). Auditory stimulation by exposure to melodic music increases dopamine and serotonin activities in rat forebrain areas linked to reward and motor control. Neuroscience Letters, 673, 73–78. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neulet.2018.02.058
Olff, M., Frijling, J. L., Kubzansky, L. D., Bradley, B., Ellenbogen, M. A., Cardoso, C., … van Zuiden, M. (2013). The role of oxytocin in social bonding, stress regulation and mental health: An update on the moderating effects of context and interindividual differences. Psychoneuroendocrinology, 38(9), 1883–1894. doi:10.1016/j.psyneuen.2013.06.019
Thau, L., Gandhi, J., & Sharma, S. (2020). Physiology, Cortisol. In StatPearls. StatPearls Publishing.
Lee, D. Y., Kim, E., & Choi, M. H. (2015). Technical and clinical aspects of cortisol as a biochemical marker of chronic stress. BMB reports, 48(4), 209–216. https://doi.org/10.5483/bmbrep.2015.48.4.275
Guétin, S., Portet, F., Picot, M. C., Pommié, C., Messaoudi, M., Djabelkir, L., … Touchon, J. (2009). Effect of Music Therapy on Anxiety and Depression in Patients with Alzheimer’s Type Dementia: Randomised, Controlled Study. Dementia and Geriatric Cognitive Disorders, 28(1), 36–46. doi:10.1159/000229024
Pacchetti, C., Mancini, F., Aglieri, R., Fundarò, C., Martignoni, E., & Nappi, G. (2000). Active Music Therapy in Parkinson’s Disease: An Integrative Method for Motor and Emotional Rehabilitation. Psychosomatic Medicine, 62(3), 386–393. doi:10.1097/00006842-200005000-00012
About the Author
Lainey Dinh, a high school student with a deep interest in music and neuroscience, aspires to conduct scientific research in music therapy and hopes to inspire youth to pursue the STEM field.