Classical music can effectively treat depression, breakthrough research finds

18 October 2024, 17:07

Classical music has been proven to effectively treat depression in a breakthrough study.

Scientists have used brainwave measurements and neuroimaging techniques to show that classical music has positive effects on the brain.

Ask any classical music lover and they will tell you that listening to music has a profound effect on the way they feel. Go back in time and you will find that the Ancient Greeks recognised the profound effect music had on the human soul and its ability to influence emotions and behaviour, with musical education essential for the development of every citizen. Music can simultaneously inspire and sadden us, awaken our senses and invoke emotions we didn’t know were possible.

Read more: Stephen Fry on his depression, and how Beethoven’s music ‘brought colour back’

Whilst the powerful effects that music have on us all are abundantly clear, you might be left wondering if it is possible to enhance this in a way that can help people suffering from depression. That’s exactly what researchers at the Centre for Functional Neurosurgery at Shanghai Jiao Tong University have been researching and the results are fascinating.

During a recent study, 13 patients with depression – who already had electrodes implanted in their brains for the purpose of deep-brain stimulation – were played music by Vivaldi, Bach and Mozart, with researchers focusing on brain regions responsible for processing sensory and emotional information.

Using these implants, the team found that music generates its antidepressant effects by synchronising the neural oscillations between the auditory cortex, which is responsible for processing of sensory information, and the rewards circuit, which is responsible for processing emotional information.

“Our research integrates the fields of neuroscience, psychiatry, and neurosurgery, providing a foundation for any research targeting the interaction between music and emotion,” said senior author Bomin Sun, director and professor of the Centre for Functional Neurosurgery at Shanghai Jiao Tong University.

“By collaborating with clinicians, music therapists, computer scientists, and engineers, we plan to develop a series of digital health products based on music therapy, such as smartphone applications and wearable devices,” Sun says.

This encouraging news should open the door to many possibilities for future research into this fascinating subject.