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The article focuses on integrating movement into choral performance, examining its historical development and advocating for a departure from traditional Western European aesthetics. Topics include the psychological and pedagogical aspects of movement in choral singing, the importance of cultural relevance in music education, and the potential physiological effects of movement on performers and audiences.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of fast- and slow-tempo music on 500-m rowing sprint performances. Twenty-two rowers performed 500-m sprints 3 times: rowing without music, rowing to slow music, and rowing to fast tempo music. Strokes per minute (SPM), time to completion, (TTC), and rated perceived exertion (RPE) were recorded. Although RPE did not differ between the rowing conditions, TTC was shortest in the fast music condition. Further, shorter TTC was observed in the slow music condition in contrast to the control condition, indicating that slow music also enhanced performance. The strongest treatment effects emerged, however, in the examination of the SPM that were significantly higher during rowing to fast music in comparison with rowing to slow music or no music. These results suggest that fast music acts as an external psyching-up stimulus in brief and strenuous muscle work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the potential of music-based interventions (MBIs) as a treatment strategy for neurologic and psychiatric symptoms following traumatic brain injury (TBI). Topics include the pathophysiology of persistent cognitive dysfunction after TBI, some of the techniques used in music therapy, and the effectiveness of MBIs in rehabilitating cognitive impairments across various levels of TBI severity based on studies conducted.

While the effect of music on the physical performance of athletes has been investigated at a large scale, there is noticeable lack of information about its effect on their cognitive performance. The purpose of this investigation was to assess the effects of listening to music and the time-of-day on cognitive abilities of Tunisian tennis players in terms of reaction time (RT), attention, executive functions and spatial memory skills. Fourteen Tunisian tennis players (17 ± 1.2 years, 172 ± 6.23 cm, 70.15 ± 5.31 kg, level of experience: 9.2 ± 1.3 years) participated in the study. Four test sessions were performed at the following times of day: two in the morning (7:00 am–9:00 am) and two in the evening (5:00 pm–7:00 pm). During each session, subjects performed RT test, the barrage test, the trail-making test and the paper-folding test, either without music or immediately after 10 min of listening. The oral temperature was taken at the beginning of each session. The main finding was that cognitive performances of Tunisian tennis players are time-of-day dependent with an improvement from the morning to the evening. Furthermore, listening to music before performing cognitive tasks enhances cognitive performances if it is compared with no music condition. Thus, Tunisian tennis players are advised to train in the evening with music on primarily during warm-up and/or during recovery time to boost cognitive parameters which in turn positively influence motor response. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Objectives: To assess the effect of 3 musical interventions, as compared to no music, on the physiological response of healthy newborns undergoing painful medical procedures (Guthrie test and/or intramuscular antibiotic injections).Methods: Prospective study of 80 full-term newborns, aged 1 to 3 days, randomly allocated to exposure to Mozart's Sonata for two pianos K.448, Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata, heartbeat sound recordings (70 bpm) or no music. Pain perception (evaluated using the Neonatal Infant Pain Scale), heart rate and oxygen saturation were measured 10 min before (T0), during (T1), 10 (T2) and 20 (T3) minutes after the interventions.Results: Infants who were exposed to the three music interventions displayed a significant reduction in heart rate and in pain perception and an increase in oxygen saturation, as compared to the control group, which showed less modifications on stress measurements after painful medical procedures (F(3,76) = 6.40, p = .001, partial η2 = 0.20).Conclusions: Exposure to music and heartbeat sound recordings changes short-term physiological parameters in healthy newborns undergoing potentially painful procedures. The similar effect shown by the 3 interventions might be explained by the common characteristics of the sound shared by the various tracks. Further research is needed to investigate the impact of different types of music used in intervention, in order to develop guidelines and include music as a part of evidence-based strategies to promote the outcome for neonates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Traditionally, electrodermal research measurements were taken from the non-dominant hand. This was considered a valid measurement of arousal for the whole body. Some, however argue for a complex and asynchronous electrodermal system in terms of lateral and dermatome differences in emotional responding. The present study measured skin conductance responses to emotionally laden musical stimuli from the left and right index and middle fingers, as well as the left and right plantar surface of right handed participants (N = 39). The 7-s musical segments conveyed four emotional categories: fear, sadness, happiness and peacefulness. Our results suggest, that the electrodermal system responds to emotional musical stimuli in a lateralized manner on the palmar surfaces. Fear, sadness and peacefulness prompted right hand dominance while happiness elicited left hand dominant response. Lateralization of the palmar and plantar surfaces differed significantly. Moreover, an association between lateralization of the electrodermal system in response to fear and state anxiety was found. Results of the present study suggest that the electrodermal system displays lateral preferences, reacting with varying degree of intensity to different emotions. Apart from lateral differences, music induced emotions show dermatome differences as well. These findings fit well with Multiple Arousal Theory, and prompt for revaluating the notion of uniform electrodermal arousal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The influence of background music on cognitive functions is still a matter of debate. In this study, we investigated the influence of background music on executive functions (particularly on inhibitory functions). Participants completed a standardized cued Go/NoGo task during three different conditions while an EEG was recorded (1: with no background music, 2: with relaxing, or 3: with exciting background music). In addition, we collected reaction times, omissions, and commissions in response to the Go and NoGo stimuli. From the EEG data, event-related potentials (ERPs) were calculated for the Go and NoGo trials. From these ERPs, the N2 and P3 components were specifically analyzed since previous studies have shown that these components (and particularly the Go-NoGo difference waves) are strongly associated with inhibitory functions. The N2 and P3 components of the difference waves (N2d and P3d) were used for statistical analyses. The statistical analyses revealed no differences between the three conditions in terms of amplitudes and latencies of the N2d and P3d components. In addition, reaction times, omissions, and commissions were comparable across all conditions. Our results suggest that in the context of this paradigm, music as background acoustic stimulation has no detrimental effects on the performance of a Go/NoGo task and neural underpinnings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This essay proposes a somatic archaeology of German Lutheran music making around 1700. Focusing on a single cantata by Johann Sebastian Bach, it sets out to reconstruct the capacities of early modern body-souls for musical reverberation, affective contagion, and spiritual transformation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, I will focus upon a case narrative described as 'Trine', and her participation in a community group called Come Closer. I relate the discussion within a broader context of Community work and Community music therapy. The article combines vignettes taken from music therapy practice and various theoretical views. I argue that music has a potential as a force for social change and spans an unlimited number of combinations. Music can function as a practice that involves the activity of personal reflection processes and music can function as a sociopolitical force, able to change social realities and alter power relations. In sum, the article concludes that three strategies which might be appropriate for further investigation and implementation regarding music as resource in child welfare work. First, there is the need for an individual strategy. The individual strategy includes person-oriented activities such as conversation, song writing, and the use of music technology. Second, there is the need for a community-oriented strategy wherein activities such as playing in a band or song writing comes into focus. Third, there is a need for a strategy which implies working with networks, social environments, and power relations. The third strategy is very closed related to ideals taken from a traditional community work perspective, whereas ideas such as Arnsteins ladder of participation is prominent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present experiment was performed to evaluate the effect of exposure of musical sound signals of 100 and 150 beats per minute (BPM) and intensity below 85 dB, on plasma concentration of cortisol and testosterone hormones of Hariana bulls maintained at semen biology lab within the premises of Instructional Livestock Farm Complex (ILFC).The present experiment was carried out for a time period of three and half months (within autumn season) and was accomplished in three phases/conditions. To avoid individual effect of bulls, the same three Hariana bulls were used as experimental animals in all the three phases / conditions. During the first (control) phase of experiment, the bulls were not exposed to any additional source of sound except the normal environmental sound of semen collection site. In second and third phase, bulls were exposed to a musical instrumental sound signal of 100 and 150 BPM with intensity below 85 dB. All the three phases last for a period of one month (four weeks) one after other in continuation, but the third phase was started after a gap of three weeks from the second in order to nullify the persistent effect of sound exposure to bulls during second phase of investigation. The mean values of cortisol and testosterone of Hariana bulls at no exposure, sound signal of 100 and 150 BPM were 35.30±1.82, 37.71±1.82 and 34.87±1.82; and 2.54±0.09, 2.49±0.09 and 2.72±0.09, respectively. In the present study it was observed that the trend of a non significant increase in plasma concentration of testosterone and a non significant decrease in plasma concentration of cortisol as a consequence of this exposure indicated that exposure of a sound signal of 150 BPM with intensity below 85 dB, caused a favorable change in plasma concentration of sex (testosterone) and stress (cortisol) hormones, which might have been associated with better reproductive efficiency of Hariana bulls. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study first presents the role of music and movement in the education of ancient Greece, based on Plato and Aristotle's philosophic views. These views had a major impact on most of the representatives of music education in the twentieth century: Émile Jaques-Dalcroze, Zoltán Kodály and Carl Orff. We summarized their pedagogical contribution concerning general music education, stressing especially the importance they attach to the relationship between music and movement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Music listening is wide-spread in amateur sports. Ergometer exercise is one such activity which is often performed with loud music. Aim and Hypotheses: We investigated the effects of electronic music at different intensity levels on ergometer performance (physical performance, force on the pedal, pedaling frequency), perceived fatigue and heart rate in healthy adults. We assumed that higher sound intensity levels are associated with greater ergometer performance and less perceived effort, particularly for untrained individuals. Methods: Groups of high trained and low trained healthy males (N = 40; age = 25.25 years; SD = 3.89 years) were tested individually on an ergometer while electronic dance music was played at 0, 65, 75, and 85 dB. Participants assessed their music experience during the experiment. Results: Majorities of participants rated the music as not too loud (65%), motivating (77.50%), appropriate for this sports exercise (90%), and having the right tempo (67.50%). Participants noticed changes in the acoustical environment with increasing intensity levels, but no further effects on any of the physical or other subjective measures were found for neither of the groups. Therefore, the main hypothesis must be rejected. Discussion: These findings suggest that high loudness levels do not positively influence ergometer performance. The high acceptance of loud music and perceived appropriateness could be based on erroneous beliefs or stereotypes. Reasons for the widespread use of loud music in fitness sports needs further investigation. Reducing loudness during fitness exercise may not compromise physical performance or perceived effort. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Multisensory stimulation and individualized music have shown to be good in handling the psychological and behavioral symptoms in people with severe dementia.Objective: Explore the effects of two nonpharmacological interventions, multisensory stimulation environment (MSSE) in a Snoezelen room and individualized music sessions, on mood, behavior, and biomedical parameters of institutionalized elderly patients with severe dementia.Methods: Randomized trial of 21 patients aged ≥65 years randomly assigned to two groups (MSSE and individualized music). Interventions administered in two-weekly sessions lasted 30 minutes for a period of 12 weeks. Main outcomes were recorded before, during, and at the end of the intervention.Results: Both groups had immediate positive effects on mood and behavior. Participants were more happy/more content (p < 0.001), talked more spontaneously (p = 0.009), related to people better (p = 0.002), were more attentive to/focused on their environment (p < 0.001), enjoyed themselves (p = 0.003), were less bored/inactive (p = 0.004), and more relaxed/content (p = 0.003). The MSSE group performed a better visual follow-up of the stimuli (p = 0.044), and the music group were more relaxed and happy (p = 0.003). A decrease in heart rate (p = 0.013) and an increase in oxygen saturation (p = 0.011) were observed from before to after interventions in both groups, with no significant differences between them.Conclusions: Both interventions seem to be effective at managing mood and behavioral disturbances in the short term and at improving physiological rates, highlighting the efficacy of nonpharmacological treatments in patients with severe dementia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: In people with COPD, dyspnea is the primary symptom limiting exercise tolerance. One approach to reducing dyspnea during exercise is through music listening. A constant speed endurance test reflects a high-intensity aerobic exercise training session, but whether listening to music affects endurance time is unknown. This study aimed to determine the effects of listening to music during a constant speed endurance test in COPD.Methods: Participants with COPD completed two endurance walk tests, one with and one without listening to self-selected music throughout the test. The primary outcome was the difference in endurance time between the two conditions. Heart rate, percutaneous oxygen saturation, dyspnea, and rate of perceived exertion were measured before and after each test.Results: Nineteen participants (mean [SD]: age, 71 [8] years; FEV1, 47 [19] % predicted) completed the study. Endurance time was greater (1.10 [95% CI, 0.41-1.78] min) while listening to music (7.0 [3.1] min) than without (5.9 [2.6] min), and reduced end-test dyspnea (1.0 [95% CI, -2.80 to -1.80] units) (with music, 4.6 [1.7] units; vs without music, 5.6 [1.4] units, respectively). There was not a significant difference in heart rate, percutaneous oxygen saturation, or leg fatigue. There were no adverse events under either condition.Conclusions: In COPD, dyspnea was less while listening to music and was accompanied by an increased tolerance of high-intensity exercise demonstrated by greater endurance time. Practically, the effect was modest but may represent an aid for exercise training of these patients.Trial Registry: Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry; No. ACTRN12617001217392. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Group musical improvisation is thought to be akin to conversation, and therapeutically has been shown to be effective at improving communicativeness, sociability, creative expression, and overall psychological health. To understand these therapeutic effects, clarifying the nature of brain activity during improvisational cognition is important. Some insight regarding brain activity during improvisational music cognition has been gained via functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and electroencephalography (EEG). However, we have found no reports based on magnetoencephalography (MEG). With the present study, we aimed to demonstrate the feasibility of improvisational music performance experimentation in MEG. We designed a novel MEG-compatible keyboard, and used it with experienced musicians (N = 13) in a music performance paradigm to spectral-spatially differentiate spontaneous brain activity during mental imagery of improvisational music performance. Analyses of source activity revealed that mental imagery of improvisational music performance induced greater theta (5-7 Hz) activity in left temporal areas associated with rhythm production and communication, greater alpha (8-12 Hz) activity in left premotor and parietal areas associated with sensorimotor integration, and less beta (15-29 Hz) activity in right frontal areas associated with inhibition control. These findings support the notion that musical improvisation is conversational, and suggest that creation of novel auditory content is facilitated by a more internally-directed, disinhibited cognitive state. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is well established that musical training induces sensorimotor plasticity. However, there are remarkable differences in how musicians train for proficient stage performance. The present EEG study outlines for the first time clear-cut neurobiological differences between classical and jazz musicians at high and low levels of action planning, revealing genre-specific cognitive strategies adopted in production. Pianists imitated chord progressions without sound that were manipulated in terms of harmony and context length to assess high-level planning of sequence-structure, and in terms of the manner of playing to assess low-level parameter specification of single acts. Jazz pianists revised incongruent harmonies faster as revealed by an earlier reprogramming negativity and beta power decrease, hence neutralising response costs, albeit at the expense of a higher number of manner errors. Classical pianists in turn experienced more conflict during incongruent harmony, as shown by theta power increase, but were more ready to implement the required manner of playing, as indicated by higher accuracy and beta power decrease. These findings demonstrate that specific demands and action focus of training lead to differential weighting of hierarchical action planning. This suggests different enduring markers impressed in the brain when a musician practices one or the other style. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: To determine the effect of music on sleep-wake cycle (SWC) patterns in late preterm neonates.Methods: In a masked crossover study, infants between 32 and 36 6/7 weeks gestation were randomised to music exposure either during the first six or last six hours of a 12-hour observation period. SWC characteristics were determined by continuous amplitude-integrated electroencephalography (aEEG) read by two coders masked to exposure sequence. Analysis was performed in paired comparisons. ANOVA was used to assess the effects of music exposure, period and crossover on SWC outcomes: (i) Burdjalov Scores (BS) during active sleep (AS) (ii) per cent and duration of quiet sleep (QS).Results: Thirty infants were studied. A total of 222 QS cycles (median seven per patient; range five to 12) were analysed. Music exposure was associated with higher BS (F = 10.60, p = 0.0019) in AS and decreased interruptions during QS. The advanced postconceptual age (PCA) SWC pattern during AS was equivalent to a one-week mean. Number, duration and ratio of QS cycles did not change with music exposure.Conclusion: Music exposure elicits an increasing PCA pattern in AS and fewer interruptions in QS. Music may benefit sleep in late preterm infants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While rhythmic expectancies are thought to be at the base of beat perception in music, the extent to which stress patterns in speech are similarly represented and predicted during on-line language comprehension is debated. The temporal prediction of stress may be advantageous to speech processing, as stress patterns aid segmentation and mark new information in utterances. However, while linguistic stress patterns may be organized into hierarchical metrical structures similarly to musical meter, they do not typically present the same degree of periodicity. We review the theoretical background for the idea that stress patterns are predicted and address the following questions: First, what is the evidence that listeners can predict the temporal location of stress based on preceding rhythm? If they can, is it thanks to neural entrainment mechanisms similar to those utilized for musical beat perception? And lastly, what linguistic factors other than rhythm may account for the prediction of stress in natural speech? We conclude that while expectancies based on the periodic presentation of stresses are at play in some of the current literature, other processes are likely to affect the prediction of stress in more naturalistic, less isochronous speech. Specifically, aspects of prosody other than amplitude changes (e.g., intonation) as well as lexical, syntactic and information structural constraints on the realization of stress may all contribute to the probabilistic expectation of stress in speech. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Cast room procedures generally cause anxiety in patients. Anxiety complicates the procedure as well as increases the risk of a complication. Listening to music was found to be the safest and most common non-drug treatment method. The aim of this study is to evaluate the effect of listening to music on adult patients in cast room procedures. This study points out the relation between anxiety and anxiety relevant cardiac arrhythmia.Materials and Methods: The study was performed on 199 patients with stable general condition, aged above 18. The patients were divided into two groups. Randomization method used in the study was coin flip. The first group (Group 1) listened to music during cast room procedures whereby the second group (Group 2) did not listen to music. Length of the procedure, complication, blood pressure and heart rate evaluations before and after the procedure, Visual Analogue Scale (VAS scores for pain), State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) anxiety score, patient satisfaction, willingness of the patient to repeat the procedure, P wave dispersion (Pd) and corrected QT interval dispersion (QTcd) as electrocardiographic arrhythmia predictors were evaluated. The Clinical Research Ethics Committee approval was obtained for this study.Results: Significant difference was shown between the two groups for the following criteria: VAS scores (p = 0.005), anxiety scores (p = 0.032), processing time (p = 0.027), and QTcd values (p = 0.031). Patient satisfaction (p < 0.001) and willingness to repeat the procedure (p < 0.001) were higher for the group who listened to music. No significant difference in Pd values, blood pressure and heart rate was reported within the groups.Conclusion: Music therapy is a non-invasive, safe, nonpharmacologic, anxiolytic, and analgesic treatment. Music therapy should become standard protocol in cast room procedures. One of the most important achievements of this study was the fact that music decreases anxiety and anxiety-related cardiac arrhythmia. Therefore, conducting further prospective studies including high cardiac risk patients especially with arrhythmia is crucial. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: The neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) provides life-saving medical care for an increasing number of newborn infants each year. NICU care, while lifesaving, does have attendant consequences which can include repeated activation of the stress response and reduced maternal interaction, with possible negative long-term impacts on brain development. Here we present a neuroscientific framework for considering the impact of music on neurodevelopment in the NICU of infants born preterm and evaluate current literature on the use of music with this population to determine what is most reliably known of the physiological effects of music interventions.Method: Using online academic databases we collected relevant, experimental studies aimed at determining effects of music listening in infants in the NICU. These articles were evaluated for methodological rigor, ranking the 10 most experimentally stringent as a representative sample.Results: The selected literature seems to indicate that effects are present on the cardio-pulmonary system and behavior of neonates, although the relative effect size remains unclear.Interpretation: These findings indicate a need for more standardized longitudinal studies aimed at determining not only whether NICU music exposure has beneficial effects on the cardio-pulmonary system, but also on the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, brain structures, and cognitive behavioral status of these children as well.What This Paper Adds: Provides a neuroscience framework for considering how music might attenuate stress in neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) infants. Considers how repeated stress may cause negative neurodevelopmental impacts in infants born preterm. Posits epigenetics can serve as a mechanistic pathway for music moderating the stress response. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Human beings experience and feel the music for joy and happiness. Even animals also feel the sound. Recently, the concept of musical vibrations of various ragas of Indian Hindustani and Carnatic music have been evaluated for its impact on the growth of the microorganisms and its metabolite production. In this context, the present study was framed out to screen the effect of tollywood music (Top lesi poddi from the film Iddarammayilatho, with a sound frequency of 600-1000 Hz, and Priyathama Neevachata Kushalama from the film Guna with a sound frequency ranging from 100-600 Hz) ranging from 60-90 decibels on marine Brevibacterium sp. that produce yellow pigment. The present study showed that the sound frequency ranging from 600-1000Hz has significant effect on growth and pigment production of Brevibacterium sp. The biomass was found to be increased three times and pigment produced greater when compared to untreated sample. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Exercise has many health benefits. Despite this, motivating people to start exercising is difficult. Maintaining a regular exercise regimen seems even more difficult as dropout-rates within the first 3-6 months commonly reaches 50%. Music during exercise has, however, been found to make it more enjoyable, significantly reducing perceived exertion and positively affecting mood and state motivation. Most research has focused on fast to medium tempo music. Slow tempo music has largely remained unexplored, which is why it is the focus in this study. Material and Method. Participants (n=24) were exposed on two occasions in randomized order to slow tempo music versus a silent control condition while performing exercise on a treadmill for 20 minutes at 70% of age predicted maximal heart rate. Results. A significant interaction was revealed between ratings of perceived exertion (RPE) and music preference (p<.05). Although there was a small difference between RPE for people who liked the music, people who disliked the music reported significantly higher RPE when listening to the music (M = 13.5, SD = 1.8) compared to when not (M = 11.7, SD = 1.6). No significant difference between estimated exercise-time was observed between the two conditions; competitiveness was also unrelated to the dependent variables. Discussion. Our results suggest that avoiding nonenjoyable music is important while exercising as both perceived exertion and exercise adherence otherwise can be negatively affected. It is noteworthy that choosing the "wrong music" may be more detrimental than selecting the "right music" is beneficial. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We experience what are called emotions in our heart. The heart is nothing but our brain reacting to emotional stimuli. The exploration of new frontiers in the way music affects the brain and elicits physiological and emotional responses has opened up exciting new possibilities for utilizing music. In this paper, we explore the variegated tapestry of emotions that are brought about by music in humans and how this subtle power of music can be used to alter how we feel, react, cope and behave in various circumstances. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The idea that musical training improves speech perception in challenging listening environments is appealing and of clinical importance, yet the mechanisms of any such musician advantage are not well specified. Here, using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), we found that musicians outperformed nonmusicians in identifying syllables at varying signal-to-noise ratios (SNRs), which was associated with stronger activation of the left inferior frontal and right auditory regions in musicians compared with nonmusicians. Moreover, musicians showed greater specificity of phoneme representations in bilateral auditory and speech motor regions (e.g., premotor cortex) at higher SNRs and in the left speech motor regions at lower SNRs, as determined by multivoxel pattern analysis. Musical training also enhanced the intrahemispheric and interhemispheric functional connectivity between auditory and speech motor regions. Our findings suggest that improved speech in noise perception in musicians relies on stronger recruitment of, finer phonological representations in and stronger functional connectivity between auditory and frontal speech motor cortices in both hemispheres, regions involved in bottom-up spectrotemporal analyses and top-down articulatory prediction and sensorimotor integration, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Relaxation and excitation are components of the effects of music listening. The tempo of music is often considered a critical factor when determining these effects: listening to slow-tempo and fast-tempo music elicits relaxation and excitation, respectively. However, the chemical bases that underlie these relaxation and excitation effects remain unclear. Since parasympathetic and sympathetic nerve activities are facilitated by oxytocin and glucocorticoid, respectively, we hypothesized that listening to relaxing slow-tempo and exciting fast-tempo music is accompanied by increases in the oxytocin and cortisol levels, respectively. We evaluated the change in the salivary oxytocin and cortisol levels of participants listening to slow-tempo and fast-tempo music sequences. We measured the heart rate (HR) and calculated the heart rate variability (HRV) to evaluate the strength of autonomic nerve activity. After listening to a music sequence, the participants rated their arousal and valence levels. We found that both the salivary oxytocin concentration and the high frequency component of the HRV (HF) increased and the HR decreased when a slow-tempo music sequence was presented. The salivary cortisol level decreased and the low frequency of the HRV (LF) to HF ratio (LF/HF) increased when a fast-tempo music sequence was presented. The ratio of the change in the oxytocin level was correlated with the change in HF, LF/HF and HR, whereas that in the cortisol level did not show any correlation with indices of autonomic nerve activity. There was no correlation between the change in oxytocin level and self-reported emotions, while the change in cortisol level correlated with the arousal level. These findings suggest that listening to slow-tempo and fast-tempo music is accompanied by an increase in the oxytocin level and a decrease in the cortisol level, respectively, and imply that such music listening-related changes in oxytocin and cortisol are involved in physiological relaxation and emotional excitation, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We investigated the role of culture in processing hierarchical syntactic structures in music. We examined whether violation of non-local dependencies manifest in event related potentials (ERP) for Western and Iranian excerpts by recording EEG while participants passively listened to sequences of modified/original excerpts. We also investigated oscillatory and synchronization properties of brain responses during processing of hierarchical structures. For the Western excerpt, subjective ratings of conclusiveness were marginally significant and the difference in the ERP components fell short of significance. However, ERP and behavioral results showed that while listening to culturally familiar music, subjects comprehended whether or not the hierarchical syntactic structure was fulfilled. Irregularities in the hierarchical structures of the Iranian excerpt elicited an early negativity in the central regions bilaterally, followed by two later negativities from 450-700 to 750-950ms. The latter manifested throughout the scalp. Moreover, violations of hierarchical structure in the Iranian excerpt were associated with (i) an early decrease in the long range alpha phase synchronization, (ii) an early increase in the oscillatory activity in the beta band over the central areas, and (iii) a late decrease in the theta band phase synchrony between left anterior and right posterior regions. Results suggest that rhythmic structures and melodic fragments, representative of Iranian music, created a familiar context in which recognition of complex non-local syntactic structures was feasible for Iranian listeners. Processing of neural responses to the Iranian excerpt indicated neural mechanisms for processing of hierarchical syntactic structures in music at different levels of cortical integration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on the current condition, we tend to investigate natural sounds, classical music and hard rock music effect on driving performance and physiological during simulated driving on highways. This paper was the first study that utilized natural sounds as a stimulus for driving behavior research. Participants (N = 98) were completed driving in the simulator without sounds, with natural sounds, classical music, and hard rock music. Furthermore, during 35-min each of driving conditions, we studied driving performance and physiological of participants. A mixed-ANOVA analysis showed that auditory stimulus has a significant multivariate effect on driving performance and physiological. This study shows driving performance was most efficient in listening natural sounds and most inaccurate in listening hard rock music. The result of perceived experiences shows that driving with natural sounds reported highest levels of control, concentration, enjoyment and lowest level of distraction. In contrast, driving with hard rock music reported lowest levels of control, concentration, enjoyment and highest level of distraction. In addition, the result of meditation analysis also indicated that relationship between auditory stimulus and driving performance was mediated by heart rate. Accordingly, the result of perceived experiences and physiological measures corroborates the driving performance measures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The impact of music and its psychological and physiological changes during exercise is issue that has always been focused on sport science experts. The aim of this study was to compare the effects of musical exercise on aerobic capacity and quality of life in elderly men. This study was conducted on 45 elderly men. The participants were randomly allocated into three groups: aerobic musical exercise, non-musical, and control groups. The exercise group performed a program for 8 weeks, 3 times per week. The quality of life was measured using quality of life scale and the level of aerobic capacity was measured using Bruce test. The results showed that eight weeks of musical and nonmusical aerobic exercise can result in significant improvement in anaerobic capacity and quality of life of elderly men. The result showed a significant difference among the three groups considering anaerobic capacity and quality of life of elderly men. Tukey post hoc test indicated no significant differences between the aerobic exercise with and without-music; whereas, there was a significant different among these groups and the control group. It can be concluded that participating in exercise program can enhance the aerobic capacity and quality of life elderly men and such programs can be recommended for this aged population to facilitate their aging process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In light of theories postulating a role for music in forming emotional and social bonds, here we investigated whether endogenous rhythms synchronize between multiple individuals when listening to music. Cardiovascular and respiratory recordings were taken from multiple individuals (musically trained or music-naïve) simultaneously, at rest and during a live concert comprisingmusic excerpts with varying degrees of complexity of the acoustic envelope. Inter-individual synchronization of cardiorespiratory rhythms showed a subtle but reliable increase during passively listening to music compared to baseline. The low-level auditory features of the music were largely responsible for creating or disrupting such synchronism, explaining ~80% of its variance, over and beyond subjective musical preferences and previous musical training. Listening to simple rhythms and melodies, which largely dominate the choice of music during rituals and mass events, brings individuals together in terms of their physiological rhythms, which could explain why music is widely used to favor social bonds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although there is much research looking at music’s effects on sport and exercise performance, little is known about exercisers’ own application of music during workouts. An online questionnaire exploring its relationship with gender, formal music training, personality and 5K performance was completed by 282 regularly exercising participants (159 women, 116 men, 6 undisclosed, Mage=37.68, SD= 10.16). Women were more likely to use music during exercise than men (p= .011), and to synchronize to the beat (p= .002), and women’s preferences were spread over a range of pop, rock, and dance music, whereas men’s were focused on rock-related styles. Being open to new experiences was associated with preferring rock, metal, and indie music (p= .042) and those who intentionally synchronised their movements were more open to new experiences than non-synchronizers (p= .003), although a minority of participants synchronised intentionally. Most gym users listened to their own music in the gym rather than music played by the facility. These findings provide new insights into exercise music use, challenging assumptions that formal music training affects how music is applied in exercise, and that synchronization to the beat is the “norm” for exercisers listening to music. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Perception of music in relation to the aspect of differentiation of polyphonic tissue is not a merely musicological issue. Its investigation must be carried out as part of a complex project that is at the intersection of music studies, physiology, psychology and pedagogy. The link between the proposed issue and the field of physiology is obvious, since musical perception is closely linked to certain cerebral pattern activities. Psychological aspect of this paper focuses on the perception of volume. Experiments in which the perception of volume was investigated using sounds, melodies and especially several voices heard simultaneously have not been conducted. This paper provides empirical evidence, which is part of a larger project that have been invested in for many years. An investigation of musical perception of polyphony and the peculiarities of its physical properties has pedagogical implications too, as it will promote the development polyphonic hearing and will encourage the understanding of polysemic tissue. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To study the aspects of the quality of life (QoL) on which music has an impact in adult cochlear implant (CI) users.Methods: Thirty adult CI users aged between 18 and 81 years old with a wide range of patient characteristics and musical backgrounds participated in the study. Six focus group discussions about music in everyday life were conducted and data were analysed using template analysis based on the QoL model of the World Health Organisation Quality of Life BREF questionnaire.Results and Discussion: A theoretical framework of the impact of music on the QoL was developed. Music was reported to contribute to many aspects of physical, psychological, and social well-being in adult CI users. These positive effects of music on QoL were similar to what has been reported in the literature for normal-hearing adults. However, difficulties in music perception and enjoyment were found to have a negative impact on CI users' QoL, especially by causing unpleasant feelings and limited participation in music-related or routine daily activities.Conclusions: These findings suggest that an improvement in music experiences of CI users may lead to improvements in QoL and therefore support the need for music rehabilitation. However, the relative importance of music overall and of specific aspects of music for each individual should be measured for an accurate assessment of the impact of music on the QoL of CI users. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Music can be used as a therapeutic tool and has several effects in cognitive and physiological functions. The aim of this work was to evaluate the effect of different musical pieces in spatial memory in adult male rats. A T maze was used to investigate spatial memory, with 2h and 6h inter trial interval between training and testing phases. Before training, animals were exposed to an active or relaxing musical stimulus corresponding to rock and classical pieces. It was found that in the experiment with 2h interval, animals explore more the novel arm in comparison with the other arm, which indicated that animals still had a good spatial memory. This was not observed in rats that were exposed to the relaxing rock piece, which could indicate that this stimulus diminished memory. With the 6h interval the rats explored both arms equally, except animals that were exposed to the activating rock piece of music which indicated a slightly enhance in memory. Thus, there were found different effects of music corresponding to the time of interval and the stimulus characteristics. This data provides information to use music as a possible treatment to modulate memory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we examined brain activation in subjects during two music listening conditions: listening while simultaneously rating the musical piece being played [Listening and Rating (LR)] and listening to the musical pieces unconstrained [Listening (L)]. Using these two conditions, we tested whether the sequence in which the two conditions were fulfilled influenced the brain activation observable during the L condition (LR → L or L → LR). We recorded high-density EEG during the playing of four wellknown positively experienced soundtracks in two subject groups. One group started with the L condition and continued with the LR condition (L → LR); the second group performed this experiment in reversed order (LR→L). We computed from the recorded EEG the power for different frequency bands (theta, lower alpha, upper alpha, lower beta, and upper beta). Statistical analysis revealed that the power in all examined frequency bands increased during the L condition but only when the subjects had not had previous experience with the LR condition (i.e., L → LR). For the subjects who began with the LR condition, there were no power increases during the L condition. Thus, the previous experience with the LR condition prevented subjects from developing the particular mental state associated with the typical power increase in all frequency bands. The subjects without previous experience of the LR condition listened to the musical pieces in an unconstrained and undisturbed manner and showed a general power increase in all frequency bands. We interpret the fact that unconstrained music listening was associated with increased power in all examined frequency bands as a neural indicator of a mental state that can best be described as a mind-wandering state during which the subjects are "drawn into" the music. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To evaluate the effect of listening to music on pain, anxiety, and success of procedure during office-based percutaneous nephrostomy tube placement (PNTP). Materials and Methods: One hundred consecutive patients (age >18 years) with hydronephrosis were prospectively enrolled in this study. All patients were prospectively randomized to undergo office-based PNTP with (Group I, n = 50) or without music (Group II, n = 50). Anxiety levels were evaluated with State Trait Anxiety Inventory. A visual analog scale was used to evaluate pain levels, patient's satisfaction, and willingness to undergo the procedure. We also compared success rates of procedures. Results: The mean age, duration of procedure, and gender distribution were statistically similar between the two groups. The mean postprocedural heart rates and systolic blood pressures in Group I patients were significantly lower than Group II patients ( p = 0.01 and p = 0.028, respectively), whereas preprocedural pulse rate and systolic blood pressure were similar. The mean anxiety level and mean pain score of Group I were significantly lower than those of Group II ( p = 0.008 and p < 0.001, respectively). Group I also carried a significant greater mean satisfaction score and willingness to undergo repeat procedure compared with Group II ( p < 0.001 for both). Success rate of nephrostomy tube placement in Group I was significantly higher compared with Group II (92% vs 66%, p = 0.04). Conclusions: The present randomized prospective study demonstrates that listening to music during office-based PNTP decreases anxiety or pain and increases success rate of procedure. As an alternative to sedation or general anesthesia, music is easily accessible without side effect and cost. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: In the past few decades, several studies have reported the physiological effects of listening to music. The physiological effects of different music types on different people are different. In the present study, we aimed to examine the effects of listening to traditional Persian music on electrocardiogram (ECG) signals in young women. Methods: Twenty-two healthy females participated in this study. ECG signals were recorded under two conditions: rest and music. For each ECG signal, 20 morphological and wavelet-based features were selected. Artificial neural network (ANN) and probabilistic neural network (PNN) classifiers were used for the classification of ECG signals during and before listening to music. Results: Collected data were separated into two data sets: train and test. Classification accuracies of 88% and 97% were achieved in train data sets using ANN and PNN, respectively. In addition, the test data set was employed for evaluating the classifiers, and classification rates of 84% and 93% were obtained using ANN and PNN, respectively. Conclusion: The present study investigated the effect of music on ECG signals based on wavelet transform and morphological features. The results obtained here can provide a good understanding on the effects of music on ECG signals to researchers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

People robustly associate various sound attributes with specific smells/tastes, and soundtracks that are associated with specific tastes can influence people's evaluation of the taste of food and drink. However, it is currently unknown whether such soundtracks directly impact the eating experience via physiological changes (an embodiment account), or whether they act at a higher cognitive level, or both. The present research assessed a version of the embodiment account, where a soundtrack associated with sourness is hypothesized to induce a physiological response in the listener by increasing salivary flow. Salivation was measured while participants were exposed to three different experimental conditions - a sour soundtrack, a muted lemon video showing a man eating a lemon, and a silent baseline condition. The results revealed that salivation during the lemon video condition was significantly greater than in the sour soundtrack and baseline conditions. However, contrary to our hypothesis, there was no significant difference between salivation levels in the sour soundtrack compared to the baseline condition. These results are discussed in terms of potential mechanisms underlying the auditory modulation of taste perception/evaluation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Recent studies suggest that combined non-pharmacological interventions are more beneficial than single interventions for primary and secondary prevention of dementia. We previously reported enhanced effects of physical exercise with music (ExM) on cognitive function in normal elderly people compared to exercise alone.Objective: To identify if ExM improves cognitive function and activities of daily livings (ADLs) in dementia patients over cognitive stimulation (CS).Methods: We enrolled 85 patients with mild to moderate dementia. Forty-three subjects performed ExM developed by the Yamaha Music Foundation, and 42 subjects performed cognitive stimulation using portable game consoles and drills involving easy calculations, mazes, and mistake-searching in pictures. Interventions were performed once a week for 40 minutes. Before and after the six-month intervention, patients were assessed using neuropsychological batteries, and ADLs were assessed by patients' caregivers using the functional independence measure (FIM). Voxel-based specific regional analysis system for Alzheimer's disease (VSRAD) was used to assess medial temporal lobe atrophy.Results: Twenty-three subjects dropped out during the intervention. Thirty-one patients from each group were analyzed. Post-intervention, both groups showed significantly improved visuospatial function. Significant benefits were observed in psychomotor speed or memory in the ExM or CS groups, respectively. FIM scores, reflecting ADLs, and VSRAD scores were significantly preserved in the ExM group, but significantly worsened in the CS group.Conclusions: ExM produced greater positive effects on cognitive function and ADLs in patients with mild to moderate dementia than CS, excluding memory. Optimal interventions for dementia will likely be achieved by combining ExMand CS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Numerous studies have examined the multifarious effects of music applied during exercise but few have assessed the efficacy of music as an aid to recovery. Music might facilitate physiological recovery via the entrainment of respiratory rhythms with music tempo. High-intensity exercise training is not typically associated with positive affective responses, and thus ways of assuaging negative affect warrant further exploration. This study assessed the psychophysiological effects of music on acute recovery and prevalence of entrainment in between bouts of high-intensity exercise. Thirteen male runners ( M age = 20.2 ± 1.9 years; BMI = 21.7 ± 1.7; V̇O 2 max = 61.6 ± 6.1 mL·kg·min − 1 ) completed three exercise sessions comprising 5 × 5-min bouts of high-intensity intervals interspersed with 3-min periods of passive recovery. During recovery, participants were administered positively-valenced music of a slow-tempo (55–65 bpm), fast-tempo (125–135 bpm), or a no-music control. A range of measures including affective responses, RPE, cardiorespiratory indices (gas exchange and pulmonary ventilation), and music tempo-respiratory entrainment were recorded during exercise and recovery. Fast-tempo, positively-valenced music resulted in higher Feeling Scale scores throughout recovery periods ( p < 0.01, η p 2 = 0.38). There were significant differences in HR during initial recovery periods ( p < 0.05, η p 2 = 0.16), but no other music-moderated differences in cardiorespiratory responses. In conclusion, fast-tempo, positively-valenced music applied during recovery periods engenders a more pleasant experience. However, there is limited evidence that music expedites cardiorespiratory recovery in between bouts of high-intensity exercise. These findings have implications for athletic training strategies and individuals seeking to make high-intensity exercise sessions more pleasant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Moderate physical activity can be experienced by some as pleasurable and by others as discouraging. This may be why many people lack sufficient motivation to participate in the recommended 150 minutes of moderately intense exercise per week. In the present study, we assessed how pleasure and enjoyment were modulated differently by one’s tolerance to self-paced physical activity. Sixty-three healthy individuals were allocated to three independent experimental conditions: a resting condition (watching TV), a cycling in silence condition, and a cycling in music condition. The tolerance threshold was assessed using the PRETIE-Questionnaire. Physical activity consisted in cycling during 30 minutes, at an intensity perceived as “somewhat difficult” on the Ratings of Perceived Exertion Scale. While controlling for self-reported physical activity level, results revealed that for the same perception of exertion and a similar level of enjoyment, the High Tolerance group produced more power output than the Low Tolerance group. There was a positive effect of music for High Tolerant individuals only, with music inducing greater power output and more pleasure. There was an effect of music on heart rate frequency in the Low Tolerant individuals without benefits in power output or pleasure. Our results suggest that for Low Tolerant individuals, energizing environments can interfere with the promised (positive) distracting effects of music. Hence, tolerance to physical effort must be taken into account to conceive training sessions that seek to use distracting methods as means to sustain pleasurable exercising over time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Geretsegger, M., Elefant, C., Mössler, K. A., & Gold, C. (2014). Music therapy for people with autism spectrum disorder.Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews,2014, Issue 6. Art. No.: CD004381. DOI: 10.1002/14651858.CD004381.pub3. Sources of funding and declaration of interests:The authors of this review are clinically trained music therapists. Christian Gold and Karin Mössler’s institute received a grant to support this manuscript from The Research Council of Norway and an additional grant from the Danish Council for Independent Research/Humanities. The commentary authors report no conflicts of interest. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Music makes you smarter: or at least that is what the "experts" are saying. CDs are sold of Mozart's Sonatas for babies, and parents are urged to give their children music lessons in the belief that music does something to our brains which in turn makes us more intelligent. But is this really true? Does music really affect the brain in the powerful way that scientists are suggesting, or is it hearsay? In this paper I investigate the effects of music on our brain's plasticity and cognition by looking at several different experimental studies. Specifically I will address how music affects brain plasticity, emotion, physical health and linguistic processing, and how these effects in turn make music a beneficial tool for therapy, particularly in patients with Traumatic-Brain Injury (TBI) and Autism-Spectrum Disorder. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Emerging evidence has indicated infants’ early sensitivity to acoustic cues in music. Do they interpret these cues in emotional terms to represent others’ affective states? The present study examined infants’ development of emotional understanding of music with a violation-of-expectation paradigm. Twelve- and 20-month-olds were presented with emotionally concordant and discordant music-face displays on alternate trials. The 20-month-olds, but not the 12-month-olds, were surprised by emotional incongruence between musical and facial expressions, suggesting their sensitivity to musical emotion. In a separate non-music task, only the 20-month-olds were able to use an actress’s affective facial displays to predict her subsequent action. Interestingly, for the 20-month-olds, such emotion-action understanding correlated with sensitivity to musical expressions measured in the first task. These two abilities however did not correlate with family income, parental estimation of language and communicative skills, and quality of parent-child interaction. The findings suggest that sensitivity to musical emotion and emotion-action understanding may be supported by a generalised common capacity to represent emotion from social cues, which lays a foundation for later social-communicative development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]