Background-Reactions to music are considered subjective, but previous studies suggested that cardiorespiratory variables increase with faster tempo independent of individual preference. We tested whether compositions characterized by variable emphasis could produce parallel instantaneous cardiovascular/respiratory responses and whether these changes mirrored music profiles. Methods and Results-Twenty-four young healthy subjects, 12 musicians (choristers) and 12 nonmusician control subjects, listened (in random order) to music with vocal (Puccini's "Turandot") or orchestral (Beethoven's 9th Symphony adagio) progressive crescendos, more uniform emphasis (Bach cantata), 10-second period (ie, similar to Mayer waves) rhythmic phrases (Giuseppe Verdi's arias "Va pensiero" and "Libiam nei lieti calici"), or silence while heart rate, respiration, blood pressures, middle cerebral artery flow velocity, and skin vasomotion were recorded. Common responses were recognized by averaging instantaneous cardiorespiratory responses regressed against changes in music profiles and by coherence analysis during rhythmic phrases. Vocal and orchestral crescendos produced significant (Pϭ0.05 or better) correlations between cardiovascular or respiratory signals and music profile, particularly skin vasoconstriction and blood pressures, proportional to crescendo, in contrast to uniform emphasis, which induced skin vasodilation and reduction in blood pressures. Correlations were significant both in individual and group-averaged signals. Phrases at 10-second periods by Verdi entrained the cardiovascular autonomic variables. No qualitative differences in recorded measurements were seen between musicians and nonmusicians. Key Words: blood pressure Ⅲ heart rate Ⅲ ultrasonography, Doppler, transcranial Ⅲ arousal Ⅲ therapy, music T here has been considerable recent interest in the cardiovascular, respiratory, and neurophysiological effects of listening to music, including the brain areas involved, which appear to be similar to those involved in arousal. 1,2 Responses to music appear to be personal, particularly when skin tingling or "chills" occur, 3-5 which suggests individual reactions to music that are dependent on individual preferences, mood, or emotion. However, our previous study 6 showed consistent cardiovascular and respiratory responses to music with different styles (raga/techno/classical) in most subjects, in whom arousal was related to tempo and was associated with faster breathing. The responses were qualitatively similar in musicians and nonmusicians and apparently were not influenced by music preferences, although musicians responded more. That original study concerned average responses to music rather than to dynamic changes during a track, because we used artificial tracks with 2 or 4 minutes of consistent style and tempo. Changes in tempo and emphasis were less evident, which is important for originating "chills."
Conclusions-Music
Clinical Perspective on p 3180We did not then study the entrainment of spontaneous cardiovascular ...