The Role of Music in Linking Mind and Body Sean Nolan RMT

Historical Context Antiquity Egypt (5000 BC) music healers - Privileged position in society - Influence with politicians and priests - Disease treated with chant therapies - Abu Terbo treated epilepsy with pipes chant - Music used during childbirth Music = “medicine for the soul“

China (3000 BC) - Prescribed personal tones - Embodied heaven - Energy formulae “Music affects emotional and physical health”

Babylon (1850 BC) - Disease = religious framework - Music used in healing rites - Music placated offended deity

Israel (1000 BC) - King Saul: rages - Harp music: receptive relaxation

Greece ( BC) Apollo: god of music and medicine Plato: music = “medicine for the soul” Aristotle: music affects emotions and character Music controlled by the State

Middle Ages – 19 th Century Music used in conjunction with medical treatment - Melancholy - Pain - Unspecified respiratory diseases - Despair, madness - Attending concerts for 2 weeks prescribed (18 th C) - Powerful influence on the mind, affecting body (19 th C) Music = bringing mind and body into harmony

20 th Century - Music used with returning soldiers WW1 and WW2 - Psychological and physical conditions - Pain management - Insomnia - Terminal illnesses - Surgery Current: Educational, institutional, behavioural, psychotherapeutic and medical settings Music = Food of neuroscience

Relaxation State of profound rest - Repetition - Passive disregard for everyday thoughts Techniques - Diaphragmatic breathing - Exercise - Imagery - Listening to music - Meditation - Prayer - Yoga

Relaxing receptive music Music as Therapy - MAR is most popular application - Elicits emotions (Limbic System) - Facilitates change in emotions, mood, and body - Stimulates relaxation response Music and Imagery - More effective when combined - Stimulates cortical activity (Cognition) - Stimulates learning

Common elements - Slow, stable tempo - Low volume level - Consistent texture - Absence of percussive and accented rhythms - Gentle timbre - Legato melodies - Simple harmonic / chord progressions

Clinical Applications - Decreased pre-operative anxiety - Decreased perception of post-operative pain - Decreased post-operative recovery time - Decreased nausea during chemotherapy - Decreased stress and state anxiety - Induced relaxation response

Case studies Olivia (10 yrs) : Non-specific abdomen pain: JHCH Troy (17 yrs) : Broken bones (motor bike): JHCH Rebecca (42) : Shoulder pain: D & A

Psychoneuroimmunology (PNI) Overview: Mind-Body Connection Cortex - Receives external sensory input - Relays information to amygdala, hippocampus - Relays information to hypothalamus

Hypothalamus - Monitors external/internal change - Mediates autonomic nervous, endocrine, immune systems - Secretes “stress hormone” (CRH) to pituitary gland - Sends neural impulses via SNS to adrenal glands (interior) Pituitary gland - Secretes ACTH to adrenal glands (exterior)

Adrenal glands - Manufacture and secrete more cortisol to hypothalamus and immune cells in response to ACTH from pituitary gland - Manufacture and secrete more adrenaline to heart and blood vessels in response to neurotransmitters from hypothalamus Cortisol - Regulates stress response in hypothalamus - Regulates production and efficiency of immune cells

Immune cells - Attack external and internal invaders - Release cytokines (Interleukin 1) Natural Killer (NK) (purple) Target cell Killer T cells (blue) Cancer cell

Mind-Body Response to Music Processing music Medulla (Brain stem) - Controls autonomic functions (eg heart rate, respiration ) - Rhythmic order = hypnotic effect Reticular Formation (Brain stem ) - Regulates cortical electrical pulses - Impacts entire cerebral cortex

Processing music (cont.) Medial geniculate body (Thalamus) - Activates limbic system and cortex - Affects emotion and cognition Hypothalamus - Mediates Autonomic Nervous, Endocrine, and Immune Systems - Elicits neural, chemical and hormonal responses

Clinical Applications Imagery: Increased immune function Music: Increase in Interleukin 1, decrease in cortisol Music and imagery: Increased immune function, decrease in cortisol

Pain Management Strategies Imagery and music designed to affect: Pain sensors Endorphin release (hypothalamus, pituitary gland) “Pain tune” neurotags Perceived danger Virtual body

The Role of Music in Linking Mind and Body Sean Nolan RMT