Whether you’re singing along to Taylor Swift’s “Opalite” or vibing to Morgan Wallen’s “I Got Better,” those beats aren’t just helping you let loose — they’re working on a deeper, neural level.
“The entire brain is activated when you're listening to music,” says Kristin Scaplen, Ph.D., an assistant professor of Neuroscience in Bryant’s Psychology department. “That's striking because very few experiences activate the entire brain at once. Because music uniquely engages the entire brain, it has become a powerful tool to support rehabilitation, memory, mood, reduce anxiety, and even help reduce pain.”
Below, Scaplen breaks down the brain regions where engagement and connectivity increase from music, how songs can unlock memories, and the benefits of music for mental health.
From activation to alteration
According to Scaplen, sound is essentially the movement, or vibration, of air molecules. This movement is detected by a spiral-shaped structure in the inner ear called the cochlea. Sound waves of different frequencies activate different regions along the spiral, like a musical map and so, when you hear music, you are really hearing sound waves whose frequency and amplitude determine the pitch and loudness that our brains ultimately perceive.
While music can activate the entire brain, certain regions experience more activity than others. For instance, the motor cortex is activated by music and rhythm, which is typically why you might feel the urge to move to music. It also activates prefrontal cortex, which seems to be involved in recognizing the pattern of the beat. Meanwhile, emotional processing regions like the amygdala can be triggered if you are listening to something you like or don’t like. Reward regions like the nucleus accumbens are also activated by music, and dopamine release in these regions is linked to the pleasurable experience of listening to music.
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When you listen to music you like, the brain releases endorphins, which boosts mood; it can also aid in relieving acute or chronic pain.
“People at the gym may have more endurance listening to music because they're suppressing pain centers and focusing efforts on releasing endorphins,” Scaplen says.
She notes that research has shown that a person who’s about to go into surgery and chooses their own music to listen to beforehand needs less volume of anesthesia during the operation.
Accessing movement and memories
In addition to energizing different brain regions, music can unlock areas of the brain that people may not have access to due to health barriers. For instance, people living with Parkinson’s disease lose the rhythmicity that exists within the brain, which can affect walking. Evidence shows, says Scaplen, that if individuals are given music that has the beat of what they are supposed to walk to, this helps them regulate their walk.
She notes that somebody with Alzheimer's disease may have trouble encoding new memories, but sound can help retrieve old recollections. For instance, singer Tony Bennett suffered from Alzheimer’s disease and even though there were days when he couldn’t remember his name or who he was, if one of his songs were played, he could recite the entire thing with no issue.
“Brains are redundant, especially human brains,” says Scaplen, adding that musicians tend to have strong activation within their visual cortex when listening to songs. “This redundancy is helpful to us because if you have damaged the brain region, you can see a lot of compensation with other brain regions pulling the weight and allowing you to complete the task you’re engaged in.”
Leveraging music for mental health
Music is powerful — so much so that it can change how your neurons move.
“There's something called entrainment, where the firing patterns of your neurons begin to synchronize with or mirror the rhythms of the music you’re listening to. Those kinds of rhythms are remarkable. It can increase your neural activity and your heart rate,” Scaplen says, noting that this is noticeable at concerts where you often feel the music and can't help but get up.
She goes on to explain that there’s a whole body of literature that focuses on how music can support those struggling with mental health. Writing music can be helpful for people with post-traumatic stress disorders and listening to sad music when you're depressed can help you work through that process with your emotions.
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She notes that using music to support mental health initiatives is an opportunity to engage the creative arts and work across disciplines to have a positive impact on a person's overall wellbeing.
“It is a fascinating opportunity to consider how being creative and how listening to music can increase your emotional resilience, recovery from stress, or help recharge you,” Scaplen says.