Finnish scientists for the first time recorded that music affects chemical processes in the brain. This is not a figurative comparison, but an actual biological mechanism that activates the opioid system, which normally responds to food, sexual activity, or pain. About this informs Neuroscience News.
Researchers from the University of Turku used positron emission tomography (PET) to record the brain’s response to favorite music in real time. In parallel, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was performed to assess the density of opioid receptors in the participants’ brains.
The results of the study showed that music that causes so-called “tingles” or a pleasant chill, stimulates the release of natural opioids in those areas of the brain responsible for the feeling of pleasure. Moreover, the more such receptors a person has, the more intense his reaction to music was.
“We have directly demonstrated for the first time that listening to music activates the brain’s opioid system. The release of opioids explains why music can produce such strong feelings of pleasure, even when it is not a primary reward necessary for survival or reproduction, like food or sexual pleasure.”, — says Turku research leader Vesa Putkinen.
Scientists also suggest that the previously recorded pain-relieving properties of music can be explained precisely by the activation of the opioid system. These results open new perspectives for the use of music for medical purposes, in particular for the relief of pain and the treatment of mental disorders.
