A
Mozart sonata that can calm epileptic brain activity may get its
therapeutic power thanks to melodies that create a sense of surprise,
according to a study published Thursday.
The
research on 16 patients hospitalized with epilepsy that did not respond
to medication has bolstered hopes that music could be used for new
non-invasive treatments.
"Our
ultimate dream is to define an 'anti-epileptic' music genre and use
music to improve the lives of those with epilepsy," said Robert Quon of
Dartmouth College who co-authored the study published in Scientific Reports.
Mozart's
Sonata for Two Pianos in D Major K448 is known for its effects on
cognition and other brain activity, but researchers are still seeking to
understand why.
In
this study, scientists played the piece for patients equipped with
brain implant sensors to monitor the occurrence of IEDs - brief but
harmful brain events suffered by epileptics between seizures.
They found IEDs decreased after 30 seconds of listening, with significant effects in parts of the brain associated with emotion.
When
they compared the response to the structure of the work, they found the
effects increased during transitions between longer musical phrases -
ones that lasted 10 seconds or more.
Quon
says the findings suggest that longer phrases may create a sense of
anticipation - and then answer it in an unexpected way "creating a
positive emotional response".
The so-called 'Mozart effect' has
been the subject of research since scientists in 1993 claimed people
who had listened to K448 for 10 minutes showed improved spatial
reasoning skills.
Subsequent research has has tested K448's effects on various brain functions and disorders, including epilepsy.
But
the authors said this is the first to break down observations based on
the song's structure, which they described as "organized by contrasting
melodic themes, each with its own underlying harmony".
As
with previous studies, patients showed no change in brain activity when
exposed to other auditory stimuli or pieces of music that were not K448
- even those from their preferred musical genres.
The
patients in this study listened to 90 seconds of a Wagner work
characterized by changing harmonies but "no recognizable melody".
Listening to Wagner did not produce any calming effect, leading researchers to home in on melody as important in K448.
The study notes further
testing could use other carefully-selected pieces of music for
comparison to further pinpoint the sonata's therapeutic components.