Music's affect on the brain
Area of the brain effected
Music mainly affects the temporal lobe, more specifically the superior temporal gyrus has a direct correlation with the experience you have with music. This section of the brain along with many others are effected. Scientists have not been able to narrow it down to one area due to every reaction music triggers such as many auditory, motor, and language centers and more.
How Music Affects Your Brain
Nucleu Accumbens
While listening to music studies have shown that activity occurs in the nucleu accumbens which is an area in the brain that deals with expectations. Activity in this area of the brain is linked to how much a person would pay for a song studies have shown.
Medial Prefrontal Cortex
The medial prefrontal cortex kicks into gear when hearing a song and links it to memories where this song has been heard before. People with Alzheimer's have even ben able to identify songs from long ago even with memory loss.
Tegmental Area of the Brain
Music has the ability to trigger the tegmental area in the brain to release dopamine. This is why certain music has the ability to change out mood making listening to music a very happy experience.
Impact it can have on People
One study was conducted where people going into a surgery were either given anti-anxiety drugs or were told to listen to music. The people who listened to music were shown to have less anxiety than the patients who were given drugs. This shows the sheer impact music has on the human brain