RP157 Music and Mood

 RP157 Music and Mood

“Music has charms to soothe the savage breast.” Even centuries ago, people knew music could change their moods. Generally, loud music makes us feel powerful, soft melodies are calming, and happy beats make our feet move and our faces smile. Now, we' re figuring out why.

Scientists have found that music affects how the brain produces the chemical dopamine. Dopamine is associated with pleasure. When we listen to music we like, our brains make more dopamine. The chemical makes us feel good. Even just thinking about listening to a song we love can get the dopamine flowing. In a strange way, this suggests that music can be slightly addictive.

Researchers at McGill University studied how music affects us. First, they measured how people's bodies responded to music. They found that when people listen to music they like, their heart, pulse, and breathing rates change. Sometimes, they feel chills. These changes also happen when people feel strong emotions.

Since dopamine is connected with emotions, the McGill team guessed that music would cause the production of dopamine. To test their theory, they asked eight music lovers to bring in some of their favorite songs. After the participants had listened to the music for a while, the team injected them with a substance that would go to the parts of the brain that collect dopamine. If those parts were already full of dopamine, the substance would have nowhere to go. Sure enough, the participants' brains were already flooded with dopamine. To be sure, they tested them again the next day, but with music participants didn't like. That time, the substance did flow to the dopamine collectors, because participants' brains hadn't made dopamine.

Even early humans knew how to play good music for a pick-me-up. Now we know why!