Experts reveal how music can heal the brain

When country music legend Glen Campbell took the stage during his final tour, his memory was fading fast due to Alzheimer’s disease.

Yet somehow, despite not recognizing his closest loved ones or remembering what day it was, he could still play his guitar and sing every lyric of his greatest hits thanks to the science behind the connection of music and the brain.

The power of music

Rhonda Winegar is a nurse practitioner in neurology and assistant professor at the University of Texas at Arlington. She found Campbell’s uncanny ability to be more than just touching – it sparked her scientific curiosity.

“He kept wandering off, and they’d have to push him back on stage,” noted Winegar. “Yet he could still play all those difficult chords and remember the lyrics to his songs.”

This striking example of music’s resilience in the face of neurodegeneration became the foundation for Winegar’s research into the profound therapeutic power of music.

Her findings, recently published with co-author Dustin Hixenbaugh in The Journal for Nurse Practitioners, reinforce what many have intuitively known for centuries: music isn’t just entertainment – it’s medicine.

Chemistry of the musical experience

“Music delays neurodegeneration in conditions such as Alzheimer’s,” Winegar explained. “Sometimes, patients with memory issues get anxious and upset, which can start affecting their speech and ability to communicate. But if they’re able to sing, they can express their feelings, which helps reduce anxiety, stress, and depression.”

While Winegar’s work highlights music’s ability to soothe and strengthen neurological function, a recent imaging study from the Turku PET Center in Finland delves even deeper. The study dives into the molecular chemistry of the musical experience.

Published in the European Journal of Nuclear Medicine, the research has found that listening to favorite music activates the brain’s opioid system, the same reward system that governs pleasure from food, social bonding, and even pain relief.

Pleasure pathways in the brain

“These results show for the first time directly that listening to music activates the brain’s opioid system,” said Vesa Putkinen from the University of Turku.

“The release of opioids explains why music can produce such strong feelings of pleasure, even though it is not a primary reward necessary for survival or reproduction, like food or sexual pleasure.”

Using positron emission tomography (PET) and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), the Finnish research team measured the release of natural opioids in the brain as participants listened to music that gave them chills.

The more opioid receptors a person had, the stronger their brain responded to the music – suggesting a biological basis for why some people are deeply moved by a favorite song while others remain unmoved.

“The brain’s opioid system is also involved in pain relief. Based on our findings, the previously observed pain-relieving effects of music may be due to music-induced opioid responses in the brain,” noted Lauri Nummenmaa, a professor at the University of Turku.

Music therapy heals the brain

Back in Texas, Winegar describes the ways in which this pleasurable response to music can be practically applied in medicine and caregiving. Active music therapy – where patients sing or play instruments – can help stroke survivors regain language skills.

Music therapy can also be beneficial for people with Parkinson’s, as it may improve walking rhythm and motor control. Passive listening also shows benefits, such as reducing heart rate, blood pressure, and seizure activity.

“In neurology, music has been shown to decrease seizure activity by calming abnormal electrical impulses in the brain,” she said. “Research also shows that music can regulate heart rate and blood pressure by reducing over excitation in the nervous system.”

Right song, right person

The power of music therapy isn’t restricted to one genre, either. Winegar’s own research was presented through the lens of country music, which she describes as “a support group in song.”

However, the emotional and physiological effects vary widely depending on personal preference. Whether someone finds peace in heavy metal or motivation in gospel, the brain’s response is most powerful when the music resonates personally.

“We focused on how country music can be used in a clinical setting,” Winegar said. “It often tells the stories of struggle – my wife left me, I’m an alcoholic, my truck won’t start. We framed our presentation around the idea that music can serve as a support group, helping people connect with others facing similar struggles.”

Using music to heal the brain

With neuroscience revealing the biological underpinnings of music’s effects and clinicians harnessing its healing potential, the implications for health care are enormous.

From managing chronic pain and regulating mood to enhancing mobility and preserving memory, music offers an accessible way to heal the brain and treat mental health conditions.

“The most important takeaway from this research is that music has always been there for us. It doesn’t cost anything to turn on the radio, and it can be there for you during rough patches – whether you’re feeling anxious, depressed or in pain. It can motivate you, help you exercise or provide comfort,” said Winegar.

As science continues to explore the symphony between mind and music, it’s becoming increasingly clear that this universal human experience is more than just background noise. It’s a form of therapy written into our biology – a healing harmony available to all.

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