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music

·April 27, 2025·4 min read

Why Music Offers an Emotional Lifeline During Crises

A new study reveals that people worldwide turn to song lyrics as emotional anchors during crises, such as the COVID-19 lockdowns. Researchers found that lyrical themes—like loss, belonging, and reflection—played a far greater role in emotional coping than the music’s tempo or harmony.

This shows a woman in headphones and a brain.

Featured Neurology Neuroscience

·April 16, 2025·4 min read

Music-Induced “Chills” Trigger Natural Opioids in the Brain

Listening to favorite music activates the brain’s opioid system, which is involved in feelings of pleasure and pain relief, according to a new PET imaging study. Researchers found that music-induced “chills” are linked to the release of natural opioids in key brain areas.

Featured Neurology Neuroscience Psychology

·April 16, 2025·4 min read

From Anxiety to Alzheimer’s, Music Makes a Difference

Music therapy is proving to be a powerful adjunct treatment for a range of conditions, including Alzheimer’s disease, chronic pain, movement disorders, and mental health issues. Research highlights how music can regulate heart rate, reduce anxiety, and even improve communication in patients with memory loss.

Featured Neurology Neuroscience

·April 15, 2025·4 min read

Why Nostalgic Songs Spark the Brain’s Memory and Reward System

Listening to nostalgic music activates key brain regions tied to memory and emotion, according to a new brain imaging study. Researchers found that songs linked to personal memories engage both the default mode network and the brain's reward circuitry.

This shows people listening to music at an office.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·April 7, 2025·6 min read

Music Choice Can Harm Productivity

A new study shows that background music in workplaces can harm employee mood, energy, and job performance when it doesn’t match individual needs. This "music misfit" effect leads to mental fatigue, decreased focus, and even counterproductive behaviors. The negative impact is especially pronounced for workers who struggle to ignore background stimuli, known as non-screeners.

This shows a teen boy working on a laptop while listening to music.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·April 7, 2025·6 min read

ADHD and Music: Why Background Beats May Boost Study Focus

A new study explored whether young adults with ADHD are more likely to listen to background music during daily tasks. The survey, involving over 400 participants, found that individuals with ADHD prefer listening to music—especially stimulating music—while studying or playing sports.

Featured Genetics Neuroscience

·March 31, 2025·4 min read

Genes Play a Role in Why We Love Music

A new genetic study reveals that our capacity to enjoy music is partly inherited, with 54% of music enjoyment variability linked to DNA differences. Researchers analyzed data from over 9,000 twins to explore whether genetics influence how much pleasure people derive from music.

Auditory Neuroscience Featured Neuroscience

·February 12, 2025·4 min read

Perfect Pitch Can Be Learned: Study Challenges Long-Held Beliefs

Absolute pitch, once thought to be an innate ability or only attainable through early childhood training, may be learnable in adulthood. Researchers trained 12 adult musicians in an eight-week online program, focusing on recognizing pitch class rather than specific pitch heights.

Featured Neuroscience

·February 11, 2025·5 min read

The Urge to Move to Music Is Hardwired

A new study finds that the urge to move to music—known as groove—is a distinct physiological response, separate from musical enjoyment. Researchers examined individuals with musical anhedonia, who feel little or no pleasure from music, and found they still had a strong urge to move when listening to rhythmic beats. Participants rated how much pleasure they experienced and how much the music made them want to move, revealing that movement itself may generate pleasure for those with anhedonia.

This shows a brain and a person listening to music.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·December 8, 2024·6 min read

Music Can Change the Emotional Tone of Your Memories

New research reveals that music can do more than trigger memories—it can alter their emotional tone. When participants recalled neutral stories while listening to emotionally charged music, they later remembered the stories as matching the music’s mood. Brain scans showed increased communication between emotion, memory, and sensory processing areas, suggesting music infuses new emotional details into memories. These findings hint at music’s potential for therapeutic interventions, like reframing negative memories in depression or PTSD.

This shows a collage of people, like a music album cover.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·December 4, 2024·4 min read

Musicians’ Sophomore Slump: Real for Critics, But Fans Disagree

A new study challenges the notion of the musicians' "sophomore slump," finding it exists only in professional critics' reviews, not fan ratings. Critics tend to harshly critique bands’ second albums compared to their first and third, likely influenced by social conformity within their group.

Featured Genetics Neuroscience

·November 29, 2024·5 min read

Shared Genetics Link Musical Rhythm and Language Skills

A new study reveals shared genetic underpinnings between musical rhythm abilities and language-related traits, including dyslexia. Using data from over 1 million individuals, researchers identified 16 overlapping genome regions tied to rhythm and language, with key roles in brain connectivity.