My course of study is Clinical Psychology and I find the human mind and body fascinating. An article in Trends in Cognitive Sciences did research on music’s amazing effects on the mind. Hope you don’t mind if I post a few things in Radio Facts that make you think every now and then (lol)
Music is used to regulate mood and arousal in everyday life and to promote physical and psychological health and well-being in clinical settings. However, scientific inquiry into the neurochemical effects of music is still in its infancy. In this review, we evaluate the evidence that music improves health and well-being through the engagement of neurochemical systems for (i) reward, motivation, and pleasure; (ii) stress and arousal; (iii) immunity; and (iv) social affiliation. We discuss the limitations of these studies and outline novel approaches for integration of conceptual and technological advances from the fields of music cognition and social neuroscience into studies of the neurochemistry of music.
