The impact of music on choir singers' autonomic function

Abstract

Background and Objectives - The research paper investigates the impact of music on autonomic function in choir singers. The study aimed to understand how music influences various parameters related to autonomic function, including blood pressure, isometric exercise, cold pressor test responses, S:L ratio and parameters related to speed of cognitive processing including VRT, and ART.
Methods Subjects were asked to come to the Autonomic Laboratory in the Physiology
department before music sessions/choir singing/practice sessions and after having regular sessions twice a week for 6 months. All tests were conducted in the LHMC & SSK Hospital, New Delhi with (AFT) lab of a reputed hospital of india. All the tests were carried out under thermo-neutral conditions and at the same time of day on all subjects, i.e., in the morning hours, to avoid response differences due to circadian changes. The subjects were instructed to abstain from stimulants such as tea, coffee, smoking, and alcoholic beverages prior to the day of the test and asked to have a light breakfast in the morning.
Results - The findings revealed that music led to notable alterations in autonomic function
parameters among choir singers. Specifically, differences were observed in blood pressure,
isometric exercise performance, cold pressor test responses, and autonomic ratios. The pre-music session exhibited an average S:L ratio of 1.72, which decreased to 1.12 in the post-music session. This reduction in S:L suggests autonomic modulation and it was statistically significant (p<0.05). Examining the isometric exercise responses, it becomes evident that music might influence the autonomic reactions of choir singers after choir singing & practice sessions. The baseline values for systolic blood pressure (SBP) during isometric exercise show that participants exhibited relatively consistent responses in the pre-music session, with an average SBP of 112.9 mmHg across the 6-month duration.
Conclusion- These results emphasize the potential effect of music on modulating autonomic
function, highlighting the role of music in promoting physiological and psychological well-being. The implications of these findings for both the field of music and broader healthcare contexts are discussed, suggesting avenues for further research and applications.