Title | Biological principles for music and mental health. |
Publication Type | Journal Article |
Year of Publication | 2023 |
Authors | Bowling DL |
Journal | Transl Psychiatry |
Volume | 13 |
Issue | 1 |
Pagination | 374 |
Date Published | 2023 Dec 04 |
ISSN | 2158-3188 |
Keywords | Humans, Mental Health, Music, Neurosciences, Social Behavior |
Abstract | Efforts to integrate music into healthcare systems and wellness practices are accelerating but the biological foundations supporting these initiatives remain underappreciated. As a result, music-based interventions are often sidelined in medicine. Here, I bring together advances in music research from neuroscience, psychology, and psychiatry to bridge music's specific foundations in human biology with its specific therapeutic applications. The framework I propose organizes the neurophysiological effects of music around four core elements of human musicality: tonality, rhythm, reward, and sociality. For each, I review key concepts, biological bases, and evidence of clinical benefits. Within this framework, I outline a strategy to increase music's impact on health based on standardizing treatments and their alignment with individual differences in responsivity to these musical elements. I propose that an integrated biological understanding of human musicality-describing each element's functional origins, development, phylogeny, and neural bases-is critical to advancing rational applications of music in mental health and wellness. |
DOI | 10.1038/s41398-023-02671-4 |
Alternate Journal | Transl Psychiatry |
PubMed ID | 38049408 |
PubMed Central ID | PMC10695969 |
Grant List | K01 MH122730 / MH / NIMH NIH HHS / United States |