Music retunes our bodies to feel good.

How the sound of a favourite song retunes our bodies to feeling good

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER
Last updated at 3:41 AM on 10th January 2011

It may be the chorus of a pop song or the slow movement of a symphony...we all know that our favourite pieces of music make us feel good.

But scientists have now unravelled how they do it. They say a best-loved aria or guitar riff can trigger the same chemical reaction in us as good food, money or sex.

The pleasure experience is driven by the brain chemical dopamine which helps nerve cells transmit signals to each other.

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Chemical romance: The pleasure experience produces physical effects known as 'chills' such as changes in heart rate, breathing and temperature

It produces physical effects known as ‘chills’ such as changes in heart rate, breathing and temperature, as well as how the skin conducts electricity. All are signs of enjoyment and can be scientifically measured.

A team at McGill University in Montreal gave volunteers brain scans while they listened to music. They found that during ‘peak emotional arousal’ regions of the brain linked to pleasure released dopamine.

At the same time, the effect of the music was reflected in ‘chills’ measurements.

The researchers said in the journal Nature Neuroscience that their work may explain why musical experiences are so valued and why music ‘can be effectively used in rituals, marketing or film’.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-1345665/How-sound-favourite-song-retunes-bodies-feeling-good.html#ixzz1AbSygIRp