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Classical music can lift your mood and help with depression, new study shows
Chinese scientists at Shanghai Jiao Tong University have drawn an interesting link between mental health and classical music in a move that will hopefully inspire technologies to address issues with depression.
In 2024 we are finally dedicating huge amounts of research and funding into the many complexities of mental health. Already, scientists have found that your choice of high school friends unknowingly influences your future mental health. But it’s not all drab and dreary as aids and treatments can be as simple as walking your dog.
Classical music might be boring, but it’s classic for a reason
Though antidepressants are still proven to be the most effective weapon in your anti-depression arsenal, researchers at Shanghai’s Jiao Tong University have been looking into a more holistic approach. Their findings were published in the Cell Reports journal on Friday.
“Our research integrates the fields of neuroscience, psychiatry, and neurosurgery, providing a foundation for any research targeting the interaction between music and emotion,” said senior author Bomin Sun, director and professor of the Center for Functional Neurosurgery. “Ultimately, we hope to translate our research findings into clinical practice, developing convenient and effective music therapy tools and applications.”
To further expand on initial theories, Bomin Sun and their team focused on 13 patients with treatment-resistant depression. Each of the participants already had electrodes implanted in their brains for the purpose of deep-brain stimulation.
The electrodes connected two portions of the brain bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST) and the nucleus accumbens (NAc). They soon found that music can generate its antidepressant-like effect by synchronizing the neural oscillations between the portions of the brain responsible for processing both emotional and sensory information.
To better test their understanding of the connection, the scientists sorted participants into either low-music appreciation or high-music appreciation groups in a bid to create individualized therapy plans.
For instance, those with low music appreciation reported higher music enjoyment when their sounds were infused with theta frequency noise.
The study has formed a good base for further research
Much like the earlier piece of research that suggested resistance training is a good therapeutic depression technique, the Shanghai study requires further study.
The applications for such therapies are limitless and could provide healthcare professionals with other avenues to explore when treating mental health issues.
“By collaborating with clinicians, music therapists, computer scientists, and engineers, we plan to develop a series of digital health products based on music therapy, such as smartphone applications and wearable devices,” Sun said. “These products will integrate personalized music recommendations, real-time emotional monitoring and feedback, and virtual-reality multi-sensory experiences to provide convenient and effective self-help tools for managing emotions and improving symptoms in daily life.”
In the meantime, it’s time to crack on Mozart, even if only 28% of Americans enjoy classical music.
