In the early large-scale examine of 400 research documents in the neurochemistry of music, a group led by Prof. Daniel J. Levitin of McGill University's Psychology Dept. Has been manage to prove that playing and listening to music offers clear benefits for both mental as well as physical health. Especially, music was noticed both to boost the body's immune system function and to reduce levels of stress. Listening to music was also discovered to be more effective than prescription drugs in reducing anxiety before surgery.
Listening to a song can have a significant effect on many areas of the brain, with scientific tests showing that areas responsible for aspects, such as memory and vision, can 'light up' in line with music. 'There's a really lots of reactions inside the body and mind to music, and brain imaging research shows that many areas of the brain are activated by a piece of music,' says Dr Victoria Williamson, lecturer in psychology at Goldsmith's College, London.
Based on 2011 figures from the mental health charity Mind, almost a third of people plugged into their music players to produce a mood boost about work, and nearly one in four said that they find listening to music on the way to the office can help them refresh. ' Which music? As there are several trends - fast upbeat music for exercising and slower-paced music to relax - finding music that have the desired effect is usually related to personal preference.
Scientists believe any kind of classical music like Mozart or Beethoven will help reduce muscle pain. On the days that the men exercised listening to music, they travelled 11 per cent further - when compared with the times they didn't listen to music. Which type of music is best ? The ideal kind of music for exercise is thought to be high energy, high tempo music like hip hop and dance music. Which type of music is best? Study reveals that individuals with memory loss respond best to music of their choice.
Reported by Concetta Tomaino, executive director and co-founder of the Institute for Music and Neurologic Function and senior vice president for Music Therapy at CenterLight Health Systems, "We finally learn from clinical case research that music can affect - in very specific ways - human neurological, psychological and physical functioning in parts like learning, processing language, showing emotion, memory and physiological and motor responses." Latest research, furthermore reveals that the brain processes music in multiple areas.
Another great information about the power of music therapy is the Music & Memory video of Henry, an senior nursing home resident who seems in the beginning to be withdrawn, but upon hearing his favorite music on an iPod breaks out in song. You don't need to be a physician, scientist, memory care expert or music specialist to make meaningful connections through music.