Music and Health

Listening is built into our nervous systems, based on a biological imperative to socially engage with others and respond to cues in our environment (Porges, 2001).

We know music has a transformative impact on brain. Music-induced neuroplastic changes can lead to functional improvements in emotions, behavior, sensation and cognition. Music-based interventions have been found to promote the forming of new neurons and dendritic spine growth (Stegemoller et al., 2014: Papadakakis et al., 2019).  Music-induced changes can improve communication between neurons and adapt brain region responses to sensory input, such as motor, speech or auditory processing changes (Chatterjee et al., 2021). Music can also promote neurochemical changes (dopamine and serotonin), which lead to better mood regulation, emotional processing, learning, memory and motivation (Mavridis, 2015).

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Further, music has a direct influence on autonomic state. Music listening helps modulate the stress response by balancing the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, resulting in lower cortisol and blood glucose levels (Finn & Fancourt, 2018). Several studies show reduced physiological markers of stress (e.g. heart rate, blood pressure, respiratory rate, hormone regulation) (de Witte et al., 2020; Pant et al., 2022) and improved heart rate variability (HRV) (Mojtabavi et al., 2020) following music-based interventions.

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There is overwhelming clinical evidence behind therapeutic applications in music. Music
based interventions improve quality of life, social functioning, mental health, sleep, stress, communication and memory (Gassner et al., 2022). In PTSD, music-based interventions have been found to reduce trauma-related symptoms, anxiety, depression and dissociation (Rudstam et al., 2022; Pourmovahed et al., 2021), in addition to improving emotional regulation, communication and connection (Story and Beck; 2017). Listening therapies are an evidence-based approach to supporting individuals with autism (Shahrudin et al., 2022), with demonstrated benefits that include improved listening, autonomic regulation, motor, speech and executive functions, memory and attention, mental health, and well-being.

 

Compared to traditional talk therapies (considered “top-down”), music is a universal language that can increase accessibility in mental health care across cultures. Patients with PTSD who were previously unresponsive to other therapeutic interventions show improvements following music-based interventions (Macfarlane et al., 2019; Carr, et al., 2012). Further, refugees who incorporated music into their therapeutic treatment had higher participation in therapy and better outcomes compared to standard therapeutic care (Beck et al., 2021).