Music is one of few things that all
cultures share. Each culture has it’s own unique style but it is
something that all of humanity has in common. If that isn’t
impressive enough on it’s own, there are remarkable effects that
music can have on the us.
We all have that one song we put on
repeat when we are miserable, the song you have to get up and dance
to and the one that you swear was written just for you. Some people
are so moved by music that they cry just listening to their favorite
singer. But this only scratches the surface of the wonders of music.
One study showed that music can help
those who have damage to the left side of their brain that causes
impaired speech. Because the “music center” of the brain is in
the right hemisphere, patients are able to sing words; often with no
impairment. Overtime, patients are able to improve their speech. The
music with the greatest benefit in the trial was written and performed by Kenny Roger’s. There is no definite reason but there are a couple theories.
One is that music increases dopamine levels in the brain (this is the
neurotransmitter that makes us feel good) and the increased levels
allow damaged areas to be exposed to more neural resources. Another
possibility is that the brain is rewiring itself. The language
centers can be re-routed to the music centers of the brain giving a
patient their speech back.
The increase of dopamine can also help
with curbing additions. Drugs have the same effect on the brain, they
increase various neurotransmitters. So, music is kind of a natural high; admittedly
it’s probably not as good but it can help take the edge off when going through detox.
Everyone has a seizure threshold. This
is the minimum amount of stimulation needed to cause a seizure. Those
who suffer from seizure disorders, such as epilepsy are believed to have lower seizure thresholds. The stimuli that can cause
seizures in a person vary. Most people have heard about how flashing
lights, such as strobe lights or some video game images, can cause
seizures. But most don’t know that music can also cause seizures. Sufferers usually only have to avoid one type of music, or even
one song. MRIs have shown people who suffer from musicogenic
epilepsy have complex partial seizures in the right temporal lobe. On
the flip side, some studies have shown that seizure activity can be
decreased in the brain when listening to Mozart in coma patients. Why music causes or
prevents seizures is unknown.
Listening to music can also help with
memory. When you hear the song on the radio that was playing in the
bar where you met your significant other, the memory of that night
comes flooding back full force. The good news is that this effect also can
help those who suffer from dementia. If you play a patient’s wedding
song, they can recall more of the event that they were able to
before. This may be due to the fact that listening to music activates
many different areas of the brain including those involved with
long-term memory.
Certain types of music also have been
found to be able to help Parkinson’s patients. When listening to
music, muscles spasms stopped almost instantly and allowed patients to
walk with ease. While astonishing, it’s not all that surprising; all
of us have found ourselves tapping our foot to the beat or unable to
sit out our favorite song. It’s as if the music gives us no choice; we have to follow the beat.
A more commonly known fact about music
is that it can make us smarter. This is due to the fact that
listening to certain types of music can increase spatial reasoning
and improves focus. It can also boost the immune system by reducing
cortosil levels and increasing the production of antibodies.
We see music as an art form but experts
have begun to look at music as much more than that. It appears that
music is actually a human behavior. Something much more complex than
an expression of emotions. It will be interesting to see as more
studies are conducted what other effects music may have on us.