Music and the Brain: A neural symphony

What does listening to your favourite tune do to your brain?

 Jazz. Hip Hop. Rock. Country. Pop. Classical. Electronic. Blues. Amapiano...And the list goes on!

There are over 30 primary genres of music and hundreds of subcategories of music genres. No matter what type of music we all listen to, we can agree that music makes life more colourful and livelier. 

But did you know that listening to music gives your brain a workout and can be therapeutic?

Whenever we listen to music a vast number of networks in our brain are activated. Neurotransmitters such as dopamine are released and the temporal lobe, limbic system, cerebellum, hippocampus and amygdala are activated. 

The release of dopamine while listening to music leads to increased feelings of happiness. The temporal lobe assists in processing the pitch and tone we hear, while the cerebellum allows us to process the rhythm and bust out our signature dance moves. The hippocampus and amygdala evoke memories and emotions whenever we listen to music we enjoy. Hence, the emotions we feel while listening to a particular song are rekindled when we hear the same song again. 

Music activates a large part of the brain, preventing our neural connections from weakening and degrading. Remember the term neuroplasticity? By reactivating pathways in our brain, we strengthen them, which is especially important for pathways involved in cognition, learning, and mental well-being. Moreover, listening to music we enjoy triggers the process of neurogenesis in all the activated areas of the brain. Studies have even shown that listening to music improves memory by increasing neurogenesis in the hippocampus.

 Research has even suggested that listening to music you enjoy can be therapeutic. The release of dopamine can reduce our perception of pain, and along with neural activation and neurogenesis listening to music can be beneficial in treating symptoms of anxiety, depression, stress, cerebral palsy, Parkinson's disease, and dementia.

So not only is listening to your favourite tunes important for activating your brain, but it could also be beneficial for treating a variety of illnesses. Nonetheless, there is still a lot of research that needs to be done to further investigate how music influences the brain. 

Let's clarify some terminology...

Neurogenesis: The formation and growth of new neurons

Neuroplasticity: The ability of neural networks in the brain to change, alter and rewire. This allows us to adapt, learn and unlearn skills and information. 

Limbic system: a collection of brain structures involved in emotions and behaviour.

Temporal lobe: one of the four lobes of the cerebrum. This area of the brain usually processes auditory information and is necessary for understanding language.

Amygdala: part of the limbic system. This structure is commonly associated with our emotions and feelings of anxiety, anger and stress.

Hippocampus: the structure in the brain responsible for memories and learning.