Opera, dynamic music could aid rehabilitation, says Italian study
Last Updated: Tuesday, June 23, 2009 | 1:32 PM ET
CBC News
While music lovers might claim that a soaring aria can stir one's heart, an Italian study has confirmed that it can.
Researchers analyzing how listening to classical music affected the study's participants found that songs that alternate between fast and slow sections — like opera — induced dynamic and somewhat predictable change in the cardiovascular and respiratory systems of the volunteers.
The team enlisted two dozen young, healthy volunteers (12 choristers and 12 with no music training) and monitored the subjects as they listened to different musical selections — or a period of silence — in a random order. The music included an aria from Puccini's Turandot, sections of Beethoven's 9th Symphony, Verdi's Va Libiam nei lieti calici (from La Traviata) and a Bach cantata.
The research team, led by Dr. Luciano Bernardi of Italy's Pavia University, found that hearing swelling crescendos increased the participants' blood pressure and their heart and respiration rates. It also narrowed the blood vessels under the skin.
The opposite occurred during the slower passages and silent pauses.
In addition, the researchers found that music phrasing that lasts 10 seconds — like those used by Verdi — synchronized with the participants' heart and circulation rhythms.
"These findings increase our understanding of how music could be used in rehabilitative medicine," Bernardi said in a statement.
Other studies have shown that listening to music has benefits that include stress reduction, boosting of athletic performance and enhancing the motor skills of those with neurological problems. Music is regularly used as a therapeutic tool and, as gym-goers might note, can be a welcome distraction and prolong time spent working out.
"What we are learning from the present and previous study is that alternating between fast and slow music (crescendo and decrescendo within the same music track) may be potentially more effective," Bernardi said.
The results of the study could benefit those investigating the use of musical therapy for conditions like stroke.
Researchers acknowledged that the study's limitations included the small number of subjects, the fact that all participants were of similar age, education and ethnicity, and that researchers used well-known classical tracks. They admitted that different responses might come from older volunteers or those who are accustomed to other types of music.
The study was published in the Monday online edition of Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association.
