# Mozart for the brain - a pilot study on physiological effects of auditive stimulation in patients after aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage

## TL;DR

This pilot study explores how listening to Mozart's music affects brain blood flow and other physiological parameters in patients recovering from aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage.

## Contribution

The study is the first to investigate classical music's effects on cerebral blood flow in SAH patients using transcranial Doppler.

## Key findings

- Classical music led to a small 0.3% reduction in cerebral blood flow velocity per minute of exposure.
- Heart rate and respiratory rate decreased slightly during music exposure.
- Repeated music sessions showed cumulative reductions in heart and respiratory rates.

## Abstract

Classical music influences human physiology, such as the cerebral blood flow velocity (CBFV), in healthy controls and during recovery from ischemic stroke. Aim of this prospective pilot-study was to investigate the effect of classical music on CBFV and other physiological parameters in patients suffering from aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH).

Twenty patients with SAH were subjected to up to three interventions, in which the patients listened to W. A. Mozart's Symphony No. 40 in G minor. In parallel, CBFV in the right middle cerebral artery (MCA) was continuously measured using transcranial Doppler (TCD). TCD values were averaged per minute, normalized, and analyzed with a mixed-effects linear regression model. In addition, other physiological and laboratory parameters were evaluated.

A total of 55 interventions were successfully carried out. The mixed-effects linear regression model revealed significant associations with both time (p < 0.001) and session (p = 0.002), specifically, with each minute of classical music played, there was a 0.3 % reduction in CBFV (95 % confidence interval (CI): 0.2–0.4 %). Heart rate (HR) and respiratory rate (RR) decreased by 0.1 % (95 % CI: −0.2–0.0 %; p = 0.043) 0.3 % (95 % CI: −0.6 % to −0.1 %; p = 0.001), respectively, per minute of exposure. Each additional session resulted in a reduction of HR by 4.3 % and RR by 22.3 % from the baseline at the start of the intervention to minute 25 (both p < 0.001).

Our pilot study shows only a very small effect of classical music such as Mozart's Symphony No. 40 in G minor in patients with SAH.

•Classical music can be used in the intensive care treatment of SAH patients.•Classical Music has small effects on various physiological variables in SAH patients.•Future studies should evaluate whether the results of this pilot study.•Future studies evaluate whether a different selection of music might have a greater effect.

Classical music can be used in the intensive care treatment of SAH patients.

Classical Music has small effects on various physiological variables in SAH patients.

Future studies should evaluate whether the results of this pilot study.

Future studies evaluate whether a different selection of music might have a greater effect.