What Happens To Our Brain When We Listen To Music

Music has been ubiquitous in human society since ancient times. A binder of interpersonal relationships and an instrument of knowledge and discovery of the nature of the individual, music is probably the truest ambassador of human life, encompassing all aspects of the existence of a relatively young species.

The first speculations about the beneficial effect of music on neural functions are found in the eighteenth century, when Richard Brocklesby published, in 1749, the treatise entitled "Reflections on the power of music".

Starting from therapies mentioned since antiquity in collective writings (eg Asclepius, the god of medicine in Greek mythology) or in the works of some pioneers of medicine (eg Herophilus, considered the father of scientific anatomy), Brocklesby contributed to the fruit of a fascination long present in scientific communities around the world, namely the connection between music and nerve substance.

Nowadays, with the advances in science and the growing interest in the discovery of new alternative therapies in the treatment of neurological deficits, numerous studies have been conducted that have demonstrated the beneficial effects of music on brain development and neuroplasticity.

Thus, in recent decades, through discoveries, the main contributions of music have been outlined in terms of improving neurological and neuropsychic functions:

Music reduces pain

A study published in 2014 highlighted the important role of music in reducing pain and increasing mobility in fibromyalgia, a condition whose main symptom is chronic pain. Another study, recently published in 2019, suggests the influence of music on pain reduction, through the neural connections between regions of the brain responsible for the onset of pain and those associated with relaxation, positive emotions, and cognitive functions.

From a biochemical point of view, the reduction of pain is related to the release, during the hearing, of natural, endogenous opioids, which the human body normally secretes, called endorphins.

The music accelerates the healing of neuronal damage

A 2019 study, conducted on individuals who suffered brain damage, highlighted the favorable impact of music on accelerating neuroplasticity and restoring connections, as well as improving neural functions.

It was also observed that patients who constantly listened to music in the postoperative period, after neurosurgery, had a complete and accelerated recovery, compared to those who did not listen to music in the postoperative period.

Another study highlights the positive effect of music on stroke recovery: it was observed that patients who listened to music daily immediately after stabilizing the injuries caused by the stroke had a much better recovery compared to patients who did not listen to music in the post-accident period.

It is suspected that this effect is based on the neural connections between the circuits between the area of ​​the brain stimulated by music and the motor area.

However, it is considered only the beginning of the inclusion of music in many other therapies that significantly contribute to the treatment or even cure of various neuronal/neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's, hemorrhagic/ischemic strokes, transient ischemic attacks.

Numerous other studies have highlighted the miraculous effects of music therapy in the rehabilitation and recovery of patients with significant neuronal deficiencies.

Music reduces stress, prevents anxiety, and creates effective coping mechanisms

Experts believe that music can be used as a very effective tool for stress management, its effect is considered similar to the action of anxiolytics and other drugs used to treat anxiety.

Moreover, researchers have identified several types of music that are useful in reducing stress (Celtic, ambient, jazz, classical, or flute music). Thus, both stress and its negative consequences on the body (eg on the cardiovascular system or immunity) can be prevented through music.

Regarding the creation of effective coping mechanisms against many types of distress, a longitudinal study conducted on students of a music school showed an increased ability to control their impulses (inhibition control), this ability being correlated with mental health, socio-emotional balance, and academic success.

Increases the ability to concentrate and memorize

The connection between music and memory is evoked primarily by its ability to determine the emergence of specific memories, correlated with certain experiences.

The same neuroanatomical substrate that determines this association is responsible for increasing the memory capacity of people who listen to music constantly compared to those who do not usually listen to music. Some studies have also shown to improve the progression of degenerative diseases, in which there are significant memory losses, such as dementia or Alzheimer's disease, as a result of music therapy.

Increases productivity

Another effect of music is the increase in the body's concentration of hormones and other substances responsible for mental concentration and mental energy, as well as stimulating their receptors, leading to a significant improvement in productivity.

Depending on the type of personality of each, certain styles of music can be effective in increasing productivity, different from individual to individual.

Improves sleep quality

Sleep quality can be improved among people who listen to music regularly, and in the context in which more and more people face acute or chronic sleep disorders, music can be a cheap and healthy remedy to improve their sleep.

A study that had as subjects 94 students with sleep disorders demonstrated the significant influence that classical music has on improving the quality of sleep and even eliminating insomnia. The same study also suggests the beneficial effect of music on reducing depressive episodes among students with sleep disorders.

Music strengthens the immune system and prevents cardiovascular disease

Music can also be beneficial in terms of boosting immunity: in a study conducted by researchers at the Max Planck Institute in Leipzig, Germany, 300 subjects showed high levels of antibodies (immunoglobulin A) and low levels of cortisone after regular music auditions.

Also, by lowering blood pressure and heart rate, people who listen to music regularly are better protected against heart disease.

Music stimulates creativity

One of the most impressive effects of music is its contribution to increasing creativity: it has been shown that music is associated with dissociative thinking and, in general, with a flexible thinking style. It was also found that performing demanding intellectual activities, along with exposure to a musical background, stimulates solving tasks creatively and originally.