Exploring the power of music to treat pain and illness

There's a scientific basis for our musical preferences, and a reason we avoid listening to heavy metal on the way home from work. Stuck in traffic might make you stressed, but a spinning class will invigorate you. And while classical music is generally thought of as relaxing, the smooth melody of Debussy's Clair de Lune is easier to put you to sleep to than the stiffer, staccato notes of Bach's Preludes and Fugues. There's music for every mood.

Listening to music can make us feel calm, joyful and motivated, but can it be used as a medical tool to relieve pain, promote health and slow the progression of disease?

Current research at the University of Kansas Medical Center's PROMUS (Power of Music) Institute is addressing this question by combining the principles of neuroscience with a sophisticated understanding of the elements of music. PROMUS is not a traditional research institute; it is a collaboration between researchers at multiple locations, with the University of Kansas Medical Center as the principal investigator.

“Our approach is to combine scientific methodology, imaging technology and music theory to learn how music affects human physiology, psychology and overall health,” said Rebecca Lepping, PhD, research assistant professor in the Department of Neurology at the University of Kansas School of Medicine and director of the PROMUS Lab. Dr. Lepping is deeply involved in both music and science, making her perhaps uniquely suited to bring together her disciplines to gather reliable data to inform the future of healing.

Lepping has been a musician since she was five years old, playing both piano and flute. She received her bachelor's degree in psychology from Wichita State University and then her master's degree in piano performance from the University of Missouri-Kansas City Conservatory of Music. During that time she worked as a brain imaging research scientist. She also worked as a professional musician, but eventually left her music career for a life as a scientist. She completed her doctoral dissertation in cognitive psychology at the University of Kansas. She has always understood the connections between disciplines and eventually found a way to formalize her research.

Lepping launched the PROMUS Lab in 2020. Funding comes from a variety of sources, including a Frontier Clinical and Translational Science Institute KL2 grant, which supports new faculty members in their research and development, in this case the use of music in the treatment of Alzheimer's disease. A pending National Institutes of Health grant and a current pilot study funded by the Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine, aim to develop a singing-based treatment for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. “The research is focused on improving airflow in the lungs by manipulating the way people sing,” Lepping said. “We're measuring musical elements, like tempo and pitch, and adjusting that to help patients exhale fully and improve their respiratory function.”

Applying the scientific method to music allows researchers to measure effects and gather data. “It's like drug testing,” Lepping says. “All pills look the same, but what's the active ingredient? Music has mechanisms that can be modified, and by measuring its effects on the body, brain, and psyche, we can identify the scientific effects of music.”

The connection between the human body and music is not a new concept, but there are no academic degrees dedicated to this kind of research. The scientific and music communities are collaborating to ensure they have the expertise of both sides and are using the right methodology. Lepping said there is currently a surge in community building around the world, and that he has attended conferences in the UK and Montreal, Canada, dedicated to new research on “neuroart.”

So how can we harness the healing power of music? “It's already happening,” says Lepping. “You can see this in the popularity of apps like Calm, Spotify playlists, and the use of classical music.”

And she has dreams for PROMUS' future. “I would like to build a music intervention research center,” she says. “I would like the medical community to recognize the benefits of non-medical activities that can lead to improved medical outcomes. There needs to be a shift in mindset from focusing on symptoms to focusing on health.”