The Benefits of Music Listening for Induced State Anxiety: Behavioral and Physiological Evidence

Binxin Huang; Xiaoting Hao; Siyu Long; Rui Ding; Junce Wang; Yan Liu; Sijia Guo; Jing Lu; Manxi He; Dezhong Yao

doi:10.3390/brainsci11101332

Brain Sciences (Oct 2021)

The Benefits of Music Listening for Induced State Anxiety: Behavioral and Physiological Evidence

Binxin Huang,
Xiaoting Hao,
Siyu Long,
Rui Ding,
Junce Wang,
Yan Liu,
Sijia Guo,
Jing Lu,
Manxi He,
Dezhong Yao

Affiliations

Binxin Huang: The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Laboratory for Neuroinformation, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 611731, China
Xiaoting Hao: Department of Neurology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China
Siyu Long: School of Life Science and Technology, Center for Information in Medicine, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 611731, China
Rui Ding: School of Life Science and Technology, Center for Information in Medicine, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 611731, China
Junce Wang: School of Life Science and Technology, Center for Information in Medicine, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 611731, China
Yan Liu: School of Life Science and Technology, Center for Information in Medicine, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 611731, China
Sijia Guo: School of Life Science and Technology, Center for Information in Medicine, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 611731, China
Jing Lu: The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Laboratory for Neuroinformation, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 611731, China
Manxi He: The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Laboratory for Neuroinformation, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 611731, China
Dezhong Yao: The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Laboratory for Neuroinformation, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 611731, China

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci11101332
Journal volume & issue: Vol. 11, no. 10
p. 1332

Abstract

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Background: Some clinical studies have indicated that neutral and happy music may relieve state anxiety. However, the brain mechanisms by which these effective interventions in music impact state anxiety remain unknown. Methods: In this study, we selected music with clinical effects for therapy, and 62 subjects were included using the evoked anxiety paradigm. After evoking anxiety with a visual stimulus, all subjects were randomly divided into three groups (listening to happy music, neutral music and a blank stimulus), and EEG signals were acquired. Results: We found that different emotional types of music might have different mechanisms in state anxiety interventions. Neutral music had the effect of alleviating state anxiety. The brain mechanisms supported that neutral music ameliorating state anxiety was associated with decreased power spectral density of the occipital lobe and increased brain functional connectivity between the occipital lobe and frontal lobe. Happy music also had the effect of alleviating state anxiety, and the brain mechanism was associated with enhanced brain functional connectivity between the occipital lobe and right temporal lobe. Conclusions: This study may be important for a deep understanding of the mechanisms associated with state anxiety music interventions and may further contribute to future clinical treatment using nonpharmaceutical interventions.

Published in Brain Sciences

ISSN: 2076-3425 (Online)
Publisher: MDPI AG
Country of publisher: Switzerland
LCC subjects: Medicine: Internal medicine: Neurosciences. Biological psychiatry. Neuropsychiatry
Website: https://www.mdpi.com/journal/brainsci/

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