Health Benefits of Music

Health Benefits of MusicBy: Danielle Spinella

Overview: How Music Affects The Brainhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JpUVMpX62nw

Makes Exercise EnjoyableUpbeat tempos, integrated harmonies, high dynamicsBody syncs movements to the tempo of the songBoth a distractor and a motivator (Harms and Ryan 2012)Distractor: reduces boredom by entertaining brain with music Motivator: motivates muscles to match tempo of songs (Monitor 2012)

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Affect on Blood Vessels

Image From: (Surface Chemistry of Microvasculature)Direct affect on blood vessel constriction and expansion enjoyable music 26% expansion anxious music 6% constriction Blood-vessel expansion indicates nitric oxide is being released, which can reduce the formation of blood clots and LDL cholesterol (Chung 2008)

Acts as MedicationStress Reduction AntidepressantPain reliever

Image From: (Wilton)

How?Listening to music enjoyed familiar melodies, tempos, harmonies, rhythms, texture and forms all familiar music characteristicsCauses a release of endorphins (Monitor 2012)

Aids in Cognitive RecoveryStroke victims Listening to their favorite music for several hours a dayImproves verbal memory & focused attentionHow? Familiar melodies and rhythms trigger areas of the brain and help them regain function(Chung 2008)

For more information on this phenomenon visit:http://www.thestrokefoundation.com/index.php/music-and-stroke/22-how-can-music-therapy-help-stroke-survivors

Improves Brain FunctionPlaying an instrument:neurophysiological distinction-ability to hear and process sounds that they couldnt otherwise hear (Locker 2014)Improved literacy ability Improved academic achievementNeurons resonate with tempo and rhythm leading to increase in concentration and alert thinking (Monitor 2012)

Image From: (Dominguez 2014)

ReferencesChung J. The science of sound --- How listening to music can improve your physical and mental health.The Wall Street Journal Asia. 2008:W.11Dominguez, Trace. Four-Year-Old Pianist Wows WebDiscovery. DNews, 27 Aug. 2012. Web. 19 June 2015.Harms J, Ryan S. Using Music to Enhance Physical Education.Scholarly Journals. 2012;83(3):11-12,55-56. Locker, Melissa. This Is How Music Can Change Your Brain.Time. Time Inc. Network, 16 Dec. 2014. Web. 19 June 2015.Monitor, Kashmir. "Health Benefits of Listening to Music.ProQuest.Feb 27 2012.Web. 18 June 2015Surface Chemistry of Microvasculature.Wikipedia.24 May 2015. Web. 18 June 2015.Wilton. What Everybody Ought to Know About Active Music Listening.Wilton Elder. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 June 2015.