The combination of pain medications and classical music can significantly improve the bottom line. Depending on the various combinations of drug-composition pairs, the effect can be almost twice as strong as when taking one drug, at least this is true for mice.
This conclusion was made by scientists from the University of Utah, the corresponding press release was published on the EurekAlert portal. In particular, the ibuprofen-music pair improved the analgesic results in inflammatory pain by more than 90 percent, the galanin analog NAX 5055-music reduced inflammation by 70 percent.
“We know that these drugs work without music, but they can be toxic and cause side effects,” noted the study's lead author Grzegorz Bulaj. - With the right combination of music and drugs, the latter will require less, the dose can be reduced.
Scientists evaluated this strategy using two models of pain, one mimicking inflammation and the other simulating surgery.
In the experiment, mice were divided into two groups (five to eight animals in each). The control group was exposed to ambient noise, while the musical intervention group listened to three three-hour Mozart segments over 21 days. The compositions, with the participation of professional musicians, were selected and organized to enhance rhythmic, phrasal and chord progressions.
It is noteworthy that music alone without the use of drugs reduced "surgical" pain by 77 percent. When combined with music, ibuprofen reduced pain responses in the “inflammatory” pattern by 93 percent compared to taking the drug alone. In addition, music and NAX 5055 reduced swelling by 21 and 9 percent.
Scientists emphasize that mice hear at different frequencies than humans, so whether the effect will be as significant for humans is not yet clear. In addition, it is not determined how the duration of the musical impact and its volume affect the result.
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“If we could 'pack' music and other non-pharmacological drugs into mobile applications and deliver them along with drugs, and this would work for people, the effect would be much higher,” Dr. Bulay outlined the prospects for his research.
Aleksey Ivanov