Effects of Algorithmic Music on the Cardiovascular Neural Control

Abstract

Music influences many physiological parameters, including some cardiovascular (CV) control indices. The complexity and heterogeneity of musical stimuli, the integrated response within the brain and the limited availability of quantitative methods for non-invasive assessment of the autonomic function are the main reasons for the scarcity of studies about the impact of music on CV control. This study aims to investigate the effects of listening to algorithmic music on the CV regulation of healthy subjects by means of the spectral analysis of heart period, approximated as the time distance between two consecutive R-wave peaks (RR), and systolic arterial pressure (SAP) variability. We studied 10 healthy volunteers (age 39 ± 6 years, 5 females) both while supine (REST) and during passive orthostatism (TILT). Activating and relaxing algorithmic music tracks were used to produce possible contrasting effects. At baseline, the group featured normal indices of CV sympathovagal modulation both at REST and during TILT. Compared to baseline, at REST, listening to both musical stimuli did not affect time and frequency domain markers of both SAP and RR, except for a significant increase in mean RR. A physiological TILT response was maintained while listening to both musical tracks in terms of time and frequency domain markers, compared to baseline, an increase in mean RR was again observed. In healthy subjects featuring a normal CV neural profile at baseline, algorithmic music reduced the heart rate, a potentially favorable effect. The innovative music approach of this study encourages further research, as in the presence of several diseases, such as ischemic heart disease, hypertension, and heart failure, a standardized musical stimulation could play a therapeutic role.

Conventional and Algorithmic Music Listening before Radiotherapy Treatment: A Randomized Controlled Pilot Study

“…The Melomics-Health algorithm should be considered as a work in progress: in fact, the effectiveness of this approach requires further confirmation. For this reason, the development of this technology includes studies concerning clinical aspects [ 25 , 26 , 27 ] but also studies aimed at understanding the physiological effects of this type of music [ 32 ]. The goal of these experiments is to understand more deeply the effects of musical structures and features by finalizing their use for therapeutic purposes.…”

A novel music-based therapeutic approach: the Therapeutic Music Listening

“…Therefore, it appears, that there is a correspondence between the responses coming from the autonomic nervous system and music, which could, precisely through these changes in parameters, modulate physiological responses in the music listener. Other effects were observed at the cardiovascular autonomic level (Raglio et al, 2010(Raglio et al, , 2021a(Raglio et al, , 2022Loomba et al, 2012;Koelsch and Jäncke, 2015) modulating cardiac activity with obvious possible implications in various clinical settings (Kulinski et al, 2022). Studies performed with neuroimaging (Koelsch, 2014;Chan and Han, 2022) have also emphasized the fundamental role that the limbic system plays in music information processing.…”

Effect of Algorithmic Music Listening on Cardiac Autonomic Nervous System Activity: An Exploratory, Randomized Crossover Study

“…Neurophysiological and neurochemical effects of active and receptive music approaches are well supported by several studies [ 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 ], including the effects on cardiorespiratory parameters like heart rate (HR), respiratory rate (RR) and heart rate variability (HRV) [ 6 , 7 , 8 , 9 , 10 , 11 ]. However, the results are frequently inconsistent [ 8 ] and the relationship between music stimuli and their effects is still unknown.…”