“‘Music is therapy. Music moves people. It connects people in ways that no other medium can. It pulls heart strings. It acts as medicine’. – Macklemore” (Feist). In a time where fifty-five percent of Americans are diagnosed with at least one mental illness, whether it may be anxiety, depression, or Alzheimer’s, the world is in dire need of an efficient treatment. This number only gets more staggering when analyzing individuals with two and three mental illnesses at twenty-two percent and twenty-three percent respectively (Kessler). The brain is an extremely intricate machine that contains tiny intricate parts that must all function together. The complexity of the brain is what makes it so mysterious, thus making it extremely difficult to make any viable treatment options for mental illnesses. However, researchers believe that music may be the holy grail, and could prove to be used as a treatment option for hundreds of various mental illnesses around the world. Music can benefit those who do not suffer from mental illnesses as well. Children that learn how to play an instrument generally have differences in grey matter volume in the auditory, motor, and visual cortex, which attributes to various mental health benefits (Gaser). In general, incorporating music into one’s lifestyle can result in great benefits for overall mental wellness without the harmful side effects from drugs. Music has proven to have a considerable impact on the brain by improving mental wellness, treating chronic mental illnesses, and increasing intellectual capacity.
Mental wellness is the topic of various discussions amongst scientists and doctors. The brain is a machine that must be oiled in order for it to function properly. One small issue, and the homeostasis is completely thrown off. Millions of Americans struggle with issues such as anxiety and depression that can infect the brain like a virus and completely take over one’s thought process. Scientists have attempted to find treatment options for those who suffer from such illnesses, but have only came up with drugs that in reality, cause more harm to the body than good. However, one possible option that scientists have discovered is using the one of the available resources in the world, music. It can trigger a range of emotional responses from joy to sadness to even fear. However, scientists can select specific types of music to help the brain cope with various illnesses (Chanda). Anxiety and stress are one of the biggest issues for almost every American. Dealing with family responsibilities as well as work responsibilities can drastically impact an individual’s ability to stay calm and live a healthy life. The most commonly administered anxiety medication is alprazolam, which is also known as Xanax. However, Xanax is known for being an extremely abused drug for recreational purposes due to its addictive properties, and can lead to death in some cases. Instead of using more harmful substances to treat an illness, music with a slow tempo, low pitch, and no lyrics could be used as a treatment option. Listening to relaxing music results in lower cortisol levels, which is the hormone associated with stress management. In some cases, patients had lower cortisol levels simply listening to music as opposed to taking Xanax (Landau). Utilizing a treatment method that is proven to result in similar if not better effects than taking standard medications, while still having no possible side effects, seems like the only logical option for a treatment to an illness that has plagued the United States population for centuries. Furthermore, music is also used by nurses as a way to supplement traditional medication. At Royal Victoria Hospital in Montreal, terminally ill cancer patients reported that classical music drastically reduced the amount of pain medications needed for a sedative effect. Another study conducted in Poland stated that “symphonic music reduced patients’ painful neurological symptoms”. Interestingly, doctors at the University of Kansas Medical Center were able to reduce anesthetic requirements when pairing it with music (Cook). Music is already being utilized alongside traditional medications, and receiving positive outcomes. This is due to the brain’s ability to relax its mental state by processing music, thus making medications more effective. Both nurses and doctors agree that mental wellness is a crucial part of any patient recovery process. Playing music in a patient room allows the patients to relax and stay positive. Scientifically, music is interpreted by the brain as sound of nature. Stimulating music is perceived in the same way as an alarm call of many species, which would signify a potentially important event. Surprisingly, this same sound also triggers rewards centers in the brain, which in turn “heightens sympathetic arousal (breathing, heart rate, and pulse)” (Chanda). The sense of thrill that some individuals feel from stimulating music is due to this phenomenon. Inversely, relaxing music simulates calm natural sounds such as a mother’s voice, purring, or cooing, which would decrease sympathetic arousal (Chanda). Utilizing the body’s natural ability to perceive music as nature to calm the body can have exponential effects on research regarding new ways to treat and prevent more severe mental illnesses.
Chronic mental illnesses have unexplainable effects on the brain, and still have no viable treatment options. Diseases like Alzheimer’s slowly vegetates the brain, and little can be done to stop it. However, music can be used as a means to slow down dementia in anticipation for a potential permanent treatment. Alzheimer’s disease mainly impacts the part of the brain known as the hippocampus, which is responsible for memories. This is why in many cases, Alzheimer’s patients forget loved ones, and in some cases who they are. At later stages, patients usually reach a catatonic state with minimal speech. However, the dementia associated with Alzheimer’s has minimal effect on emotional processing. Scientists hypothesize this is due to the brain processing music using both hemispheres, while memories and language require only one hemisphere (Aldridge). When a patient hears a song that they once used to love, an emotional response is triggered and in many cases, they begin to sing along. The brain's temporal lobe remains unaffected in Alzheimer’s patients, which houses the auditory cortex and amygdala. When the brain hears a song it likes, it sends an emotional response, which is usually associated with a memory. When an Alzheimer’s patient hears the song again, those memories are triggered. Music therapy is used as a means to help patients expand socialization and communication skills. As patients begin to sing more frequently, they begin to use words to represent emotions, and slowly regain their ability to speak (Aldridge). Furthermore, many mental illnesses cause thalamocortical dysrhythmia, which is described as “a disorientation of rhythmic brain activity involving the thalamus and the outer cortex”, which appears in disorders like Parkinson’s, fibromyalgia, and Alzheimer’s (Novotney). Scientists have found a way to utilize musical notes to create vibrations that can stabilize this disorientation. A study was done on a patient who had just been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. Lee Bartel, a music professor at the University of Toronto, stated that “After stimulating her with 40-hertz sound for 30 minutes three times a week for four weeks, she could recall the names of her grandchildren more easily, and her husband reported good improvements in her condition” (Novotney). The study verifies the legitimacy of the claim in which vibrational sound could be used as a tool to reverse the effects of thalamocortical dysrhythmia. While music therapy is by no means a permanent treatment, it serves as a way to provide both loved ones and patients with hope that the illness can one day be cured.
Music has various benefits for those who are fortunate enough not to be ridden with mental illnesses as well. As a matter of fact, researchers believe that playing music for an infant considerably improves their ability to learn quicker. Christina Zhao, a postdoctoral researcher at I-Labs, explains that early exposure to music allows infants to understand rhythmic patterns, thus improving their ability to process language quicker. After completing a twelve-session study on a nine-month-old infant, researchers found that there were elevated temporal structure processing levels. Throughout the sessions, the infant’s job was to recognize patterns of activity and determine what would happen next (Zhao). Identifying patterns is an extremely important cognitive skill, and being able to improve it at an early age has positive long-term effects on learning. Researchers also believe that individuals that learn an instrument at an early age also produces various intellectual benefits. Several studies of musicians shed light on how their brains are different than that of a non-musician. One study conducted by Dr. Gottfried Schlaug found that “professional musicians have an unusually thick bundle of nerves connecting the left and right sides of the brain” (Wein). Playing music requires the brain to make connections that would usually never be made, thus increasing creativity and concentration. When musicians create music, it enables various areas of the brain, including visual, auditory, and motor areas. Over time, the brain adapts to perform multiple tasks simultaneously, thus resulting in improved memory. When played in a group, the brain works to extract intricate pieces of information from a wide array of sound, which improves long-term learning skills (Govender). Not only does musical skills improve mental processing speeds, but also problem solving as well. Music targets a specific area of the brain to trigger spatial-temporal reasoning (Zhan). As one’s musical ability is developed, their ability to problem solve increases as well. By having plentiful stronger neurological connections in the brain, musicians benefit from making connections at speeds that provide a huge advantage versus non-musicians. This makes subjects like mathematics and science especially easy for those individuals. When practicing a highly mentally stimulating activity daily, it provides an array of long lasting effects on the brain that last throughout their lives.
While some might believe that the concept of utilizing music as a means of improving the brain is simply outrageous, more scientific studies are arising that prove such statement otherwise. Scientists are find new ways to incorporate music into treatment options for the mentally ill. While music cannot be used as a treatment plan by itself, it can be incorporated with other treatment plans to create a more effective option. Music therapy is not meant to be a permanent fix for chronic mental illnesses, but rather as a means to slow down the rate of deterioration until a viable permanent treatment option is available. Music has been proven to have an impact on emotions, and can play a big role in helping those with poor mental health, whether that be depression or anxiety. Some may also argue that musicians having higher intellectual capacities is strictly coincidental. However, studies have proven that learning an instrument activates multiple regions of the brain that would never have been used otherwise. When comparing the brain activity of a musician versus a non-musician when performing simple problem-solving activities, more areas of the brain light up in the musician’s brain, thus identifying stronger neurological connections. Music was never viewed as a means to give the brain superpowers, but rather to allow it to more efficiently use all parts of the brain.
Music is a valuable asset that’s available to almost everyone around the world. Most individuals don’t entirely understand the expansive benefits music has on the brain. When utilized properly, music can greatly benefit the brain by improving mental wellness, treating chronic mental illnesses, and increasing intellectual capacity. Music has been a part of the world for centuries, and scientists are finally being able to understand the true power of music. Music can be integrated to benefit many parts of society ranging from child development to treatment options for Alzheimer’s. Understanding how music affects the brain is the first step to realizing the possible impact music could have on the world. Music is extremely unique as it is one of the only activities that truly uses both hemispheres of the brain. As technology develops, scientists will find new ways to incorporate music into improving mental wellness. Being able to understand how music impacts chemical balances in the brain to atomic level is the one of the first steps to unlock the mysteries the brain. Once achieved, the possibilities are endless.
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