One particular piece by Mozart, the Sonata for Two Pianos in D Major, relieves epileptic seizures. A new study shows what these therapeutic properties are due to, writes the journal Nature.
During their study, the researchers played the piece of music to 16 epilepsy patients. They are fitted with brain implants that measure their neural activity. In this way, the specialists were able to observe a particular type of electrical impulse, known as an IED, which is associated with epilepsy and can provoke seizures.
“We noted significant differences in the brain activity of patients listening to Mozart’s Sonata for Two Pianos and Haydn’s 94th Symphony. If the former reduced epileptiform activity by 32%, the latter increased it by 45%,” explains Prof. Ivan Rector from Masarikova University of Brno, Czech Republic.
Experts have called the therapeutic effect of music on this disease the “Mozart effect of K448”. According to them, only 30 seconds of this classical piece can be listened to in order to reduce the levels of IED impulses.
Another study claims that a favorite tune can not only soothe mental suffering, but also relieve physical pain. Data shows that four out of ten people who suffer from chronic pain (such as low back pain) find relief from their symptoms while listening to songs by Robbie Williams or Elton John.
It turns out that young people are perfectly influenced by the so-called “music therapy” because they have a success rate of 66. The study involved 1,500 people between the ages of 16 and 24. Almost 21% of the volunteers found relief when listening to popular music.
According to David Bradshaw of the University of Utah, “People with chronic pain need to find some activity that keeps them engaged.” He believes that listening to favorite music is a great tool because it activates both thoughts and feelings. According to the researchers, if a person can immerse himself in music, it will undoubtedly help him to distance both his mental and physical sufferings.