Mozart, Music and Medicine

Abstract

According to the first publication in 1993 by Rauscher et al. [Nature 1993;365:611], the Mozart effect implies the enhancement of reasoning skills solving spatial problems in normal subjects after listening to Mozart's piano sonata K 448. A further evaluation of this effect has raised the question whether there is a link between music-generated emotions and a higher level of cognitive abilities by mere listening. Positron emission tomography and functional magnetic resonance imaging have revealed that listening to pleasurable music activates cortical and subcortical cerebral areas where emotions are processed. These neurobiological effects of music suggest that auditory stimulation evokes emotions linked to heightened arousal and result in temporarily enhanced performance in many cognitive domains. Music therapy applies this arousal in a clinical setting as it may offer benefits to patients by diverting their attention from unpleasant experiences and future interventions. It has been applied in the context of various important clinical conditions such as cardiovascular disorders, cancer pain, epilepsy, depression and dementia. Furthermore, music may modulate the immune response, among other things, evidenced by increasing the activity of natural killer cells, lymphocytes and interferon-γ, which is an interesting feature as many diseases are related to a misbalanced immune system. Many of these clinical studies, however, suffer from methodological inadequacies. Nevertheless, at present, there is moderate but not altogether convincing evidence that listening to known and liked music helps to decrease the burden of a disease and enhances the immune system by modifying stress.

Does Listening to Music during Tonsillectomy Affect Sevoflurane Consumption?

“…Apart from the effect of pleasurable music on cognition, the esthetic value as experienced by the patient adds to the management of pain and anxiety, e.g., in cardiovascular and surgical patients. Indeed, a growing body of evidence suggests that making music and listening to preferred music is a valuable adjunct to medical practice [32]. …”

Biological Effects of Music in Cancer Patients: Contributing to an Evidence-Based Practice

“…8 A Chinese study pointed other two systematic reviews in which the intervention with music could be associated to pain easing, although moderate. 15 A case-control study reported that patients with cancer facing stem-cells transplant affirmed reduction of pain after relaxation sessions with music. 11 A Hawaiian integrative review and a American systematic review described reduction of pain during venous and lumbar puncture, respectively, in children with cancer.…”

“…26 In the meantime, although referring improvement of fatigue in various studies analyzed, a Chinese overview of systematic reviews points that there are not sufficient results to provide strong recommendations in favor of music therapy. 15 A North-American study relates a small to moderate effect of treatment with music therapy on fatigue, without strong evidences of physical functioning improvement in general. The use of more accurate oncological fatigue evaluation tools and the treatment of its reversible organic causes might facilitate a more proper analysis of music effects on this symptom.…”

Music in healthy and diseased brain

“…Furthermore, musical aptitude and the unique effects of musical training are fascinating when studying brain plasticity, documented in extensive research in the last decades. Positron emission tomography (PET) and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) studies proved the activation of large cortical and subcortical cerebral areas while listening to pleasurable music [2] . There is evidence that in healthy subjects preferable music evokes emotions linked to heightened arousal, resulting in temporarily enhanced performance in many cognitive domains, with improvement in declarative memory, processing speed and reasoning skills in spatial problem solving [2] .…”

“…Positron emission tomography (PET) and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) studies proved the activation of large cortical and subcortical cerebral areas while listening to pleasurable music [2] . There is evidence that in healthy subjects preferable music evokes emotions linked to heightened arousal, resulting in temporarily enhanced performance in many cognitive domains, with improvement in declarative memory, processing speed and reasoning skills in spatial problem solving [2] . Music therapy may offer benefits to patients with various clinical conditions including cardiovascular diseases, cancer pain, psychiatric disorders, traumatic or ischemic brain injury and dementia, although still not fully elucidated mechanisms [3] .…”