These are the same neurotransmitters that provide a feeling of bliss, relaxation, and even euphoria. The importance of rest and relaxation is well known to all of us and is essential to our safety -- helping us have a clear head to make good decisions in the sky and right down here on the ground. Neuroscientists have shown that music can trigger these emotional responses by stimulating an area of the brain called the amygdala, the emotional control center that processes our passions and feelings. When activated by the calming effects of music, these brain centers trigger a reduction in levels of cortisol and other of the body’s stress hormones. This can be tracked in real time using EEG and scanning MRI images of subjects grooving to tunes through their headphones. This emotional response is how an attention-getting orchestral score can make a movie scene unforgettable, why marching music peps up a military parade, and why a lullaby can soothe a restless baby to sleep. Music is so deeply tied to human emotions because it mimics the rhythms of life itself. A slow tempo can resemble a heartbeat at rest, while a fast rhythm mimics the quickened pulse of excitement or fear.
The rhythm and structure of music create patterns that our brains naturally gravitate toward. These rhythmic patterns synchronize our brain wave activity that has been shown to improve information organization and recall. This was known to our ancestors all the way back in time, and it’s not surprising that ancient cultures used chants and songs as tools for storytelling, education, and to pass on oral traditions. Music’s ability to strengthen memory formation and fact pattern retention has been studied by researchers for decades. Songs can serve as powerful memory cues, linking melodies to significant past events that we all know from our own personal experiences. A particular song may bring you back to a special moment in time like your first dance with your new spouse at your wedding or that long-ago high school prom night. Not all memories stirred up by a melody are good ones, and a different song might remind you of a powerful event in your past you would rather forget. In a similar fashion for patients with dementia, music can unlock memories that seemed lost. Singing familiar songs can bring clarity, recognition, and joy even in advanced stages of Alzheimer’s and has proven value in treating these patients. Then there are those commercial jingles that just bounce around inside your head that you can’t get rid of—maybe they’re designed for just that.
The same recent studies show that music enhances memory retention, so it’s not surprising that music also enhances learning. Students who study with non-distracting soft background music experience improved concentration and retention .Children who learn to play an instrument show stronger development in language, mathematics, and spatial reasoning, as music training has been shown to strengthen neural connections across cognitive areas of the brain in the frontal cortex. A study published in the July issue ofThe Journal of Neurosciencepinpoints the way music enhances memory storage in different parts of the brain. The summary of their findings stated, “Music serves as a powerful modulator of memory and mood, making it a promising therapeutic tool for memory and mood disorders. Compared with controls, music specifically impacted memory for details otherwise hard to remember.”Another topic we’ve talked about recently is our own longevity and ways to stay healthy as the years pile up. There’s data that shows playing music is linked to better cognition in later life. A review of aging musicians showed “significantly better working memory and cognitive executive function” than control groups who did not engage in musical activities.
An important study was published last month in the International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatrythat was titled “Association Between Music-Related Leisure Activities and Dementia Risk: A Cohort Study.”The work was part of an ongoing “Longitudinal Study of Older Persons (ALSOP)”and included 10,893 community-dwelling adults who were 70 years and older. None of the participants had a dementia diagnosis at the start of the study. The authors compared levels of music engagement (listening to music, playing an instrument, and a combination of both) and dementia risk starting 3 years after enrolling and testing the subjects .They found that always or frequently listening to music compared to never or rarely listening to your favorite tunes was associated with a 39% decreased risk of dementia and a 17% decreased risk of cognitive impairment. Playing an instrument often or always, not just listening, was also associated with a 35% decreased dementia risk. Additionally, always listening to music was associated with better global cognition and memory over multiple years of follow-up during the study . Tuning into Spotify, or your favorite tune-streaming app, seems like a pretty simple, easy, cheap, and effective way to enhance your intellectual acuity as the years pile up.
The takeaway from all of this is that music can either help you concentrate or be distracting. For me, at least in the operating room, I like to put some light jazz on at a low volume in the background, but I found that songs with vocal tracks were distracting. I also found light tunes in the background never distracted others in the room around the operating table . Some surgeons play pretty raucous stuff while they work,andthe OR nurses often complain that it’sdistracting and makes communication harder. I’ve never flown with music in my headsets, but I know lots of pilots who do—it’s fine as long as ATC comms step over the background tunes and you pay attention to the controllers. When used right, music calms the heart and is relaxing, but don’t let it get distracting; there are always two sides to everything. So, listen to some music and chill out—it'll help you relax and maybe even concentrate a little better. As always, FLY SAFE.
