Over 400 scientific studies, research papers, and reports have confirmed that the old saying that music is medicine is correct. The neurochemical advantages of music can boost the immune system, lower anxiety levels, and support the regulation of mood in such ways that conventional drugs have trouble challenging.
According to professor Levitin from the Psychology Department at McGill University, their team of scientists has found solid evidence that music can be used as an excellent remedy in healthcare facilities such as family clinics and operating rooms. However, what makes music even better is the fact that music uses neuromechanical mechanisms that have an impact on four domains – support for social bonding and management of stress, mood, and immunity.
The review published in the reputable Trends in Cognitive Science magazine was a result of the increased number of scientific studies focused on music interventions based on evidence. This means that the review has nothing to do with music or sound therapy which represents a different method. Before this review was published, people didn’t have a chance to take a close look at the new evidence regarding this matter.
If we think about it, we can confirm that music has always been used in the process of self-medication. Most people listen to music in order to relax and calm and even to experience an energy boost. We listen to music just as we drink coffee or alcohol.
Opioids are one of the reasons why music has such diverse effects on pain, mood, and well-being. They can help us understand how to use the health benefits of music and how this practice affects the aging process.
There are actually two elements of enjoying music. The first one is the moment of anticipation of hearing your favorite tune and the other is the moment when you enjoy that song. Dopamine, the chemical compound that is closely related to our mood is activated in both stages. However, scientists were looking for the true connection between music and the feeling of euphoria and enthusiasm.
It seems that the natural opioids found in our brain hold the answer to all these questions and dilemmas. The team led by Dr. Levitin has shown that blocking or jamming opioid signals in the brain by making people use naltrexone (a type of drug) lowers the quantity of pleasure they feel when they listen to their favorite song.
What is more interesting is that they enjoy the moment of anticipation like before which means that despite the fact that dopamine is still present and active, opioids are the components that truly affect our mind.
A sudden flow of opioids can explain the effect of music on our body too. Listening to music can increase the level of pain we can withstand. In some cases, music was used as a replacement for painkillers like morphine.
The team of professor Levitin has conducted research and analysis of more than 400 scientific papers in order to find patterns that can confirm the claim that music has an influence on the chemistry inside our brain.
As previously mentioned, they have separated four domains in which music can be helpful:
- Social bonding – to aid in building trust,
- Immunity – to slow down the aging process and improve the immune system,
- Stress and arousal – to assist in the reduction of anxiety,
- Motivation, reward, and pleasure – to help with eating problems, for instance.
The team of scientists has linked these four areas with four basic neurochemical systems:
- Oxytocin,
- Serotonin and hormones linked to serotonin,
- Cortisol and hormones related to cortisol,
- Dopamine and opioids.
Dr. Francis Chandra who has analyzed the study says that now scientists know that music supports neurochemical processes with the help of opioids and it looks like the pharmaceutical industry still cannot find a drug that is able to do that.
Music can help the healthcare system by reducing the need for psychotropic drugs in patients and by increasing the healthcare workers’ morale and activity.
Another study has confirmed that patients who listened to music just before surgery had significantly lower levels of anxiety compared to people who have taken anti-anxiety drugs (Valium for example). Of course, music doesn’t come with any side effects and it is completely free. Many scientists believe that music has the ability to stimulate the production and release of opioid peptides in the brain.
According to the reviewers, the evidence found in more than 400 papers provides initial support for the claim that music has a positive effect on health. Listening to music should be part of our lifestyle because it can protect us from various diseases, help us manage pain, and reduce stress levels.
Daniel Bowling working at the University of Vienna in Austria and Tom Fritz from the Max Planck Institute, are working on a project that involves the so-called Jammin machine. This is an exercise device that combines weight training with music. The sounds change with the user’s efforts. In other words, the rhythm of music matches the rhythm of the workout. This is an excellent way to enjoy music while exercising.
These researchers have confirmed that even after 6-minute use of this machine, the users feel like they are not putting much effort into the physical activity although they are. In addition, they claim that working with machines that are linked to music is much more effective when it comes to raising the pain threshold compared to regular exercises accompanied by music.
The experiments that they have supported the claim that opioids are part of this process. According to Bowling, the influence of music on the brain is so obvious that we don’t even need neuroscientists to confirm that. People feel a change in their emotions whenever they hear music.
On the other hand, Fritz is focused on creating a special software that has the ability to provide musical feedback to the final users which he believes might ease pain and help people with heart disease or even drug addicts. There are hospitals that use music before surgery and during MRI scans. Most experts, like Sven Bringman, Swedish scientists from the Karolinska Institute believe that music should be used much more in healthcare facilities.
While it is true that music is not yet fully tested in clinical terms, it is also true that people are already using the power of music in order to help their brains. A huge number of people use music to get in the mood that they want. People use music to ease their work, ease their pain and get the necessary motivation.
Sources: Medical News Today | SMH | PNAS | io9 | NIH | New Scientist
