Studies show that our brain releases dopamine As we listen to music, whether it is Bach or Lady Gaga. This dopamine discharge is stronger when a song reaches its emotional climax and the listener warns the “chills.
But what happens in the brain during those moments of musical pleasure?
A recent research conducted by scientists from the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) has revealed a small but deep secret on how something solely human like music moves us.
By enlarged the auditory cortex, the researchers discovered Three unique groups of neurons that light up while listening to music. Two series of neurons codify the absolute height (the individual musical notes) and the change of height (the intervals between those known).
The really interesting part is the third group of neurons: these neurons light up only when we listen to music.
The study
The team discovered Three groups of neurons who work in harmony. Two groups, already known to develop the height of the speech, follow the musical notes as they get up and lower. But the third group, a specialized set of neurons, foresees which note will come later. These neurons responded only when a subject was listening to music.
These neurons explain what music attracts. If we isolated the individual sounds of a song, there would be no emotional impact. But when we listen to a song from start to finish, we are exposed to the context. While listening to a sentence, the brain codes the statistical structure of music and tries to anticipate which notes will be performed later. The best composers may not be neuroscientists, but they are masters in creating the right amount of tension and resolution to make these neurons work.
The results suggest that while music and speech share some neural mechanisms for the development of the entry and sequences, each has their own dedicated paths. THE specific language neuronsfor example, codify the statistical structure of the phonemes, while i specific neurons of music manage the melodies.
The implications of this research go far beyond understanding the foundations of musical perception. Decoding the way the melodies interact with the predictive and reward of the brain, the scientists hope to exploit the therapeutic potential of music. From the treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder and of theanxiety al Improvement of cognitive functionmusic can prove to be an invaluable tool for healing.
Source: Sciencevanced
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