國際時事跟讀 Ep.K687: The Healing Power of Melancholy: Music's Impact on Pain Perception
Highlights 主題摘要：
- Music as Pain Relief: Certain music, especially melancholic tunes, can temporarily reduce pain perception, providing a unique and side-effect-free approach to managing physical discomfort.
- Emotional Connection: The study highlights the emotional impact of music, revealing that bittersweet and moving songs are more effective in relieving pain than calming or cheerful tunes.
- Health Benefits of Music: Beyond pain relief, embracing music—whether melancholic or upbeat—offers various health benefits, including stress reduction and improved sleep, encouraging its therapeutic exploration.
Listening to music may offer more than just a pleasant auditory experience; it could serve as a temporary remedy for physical pain, according to a recent study featured on CNN. The research suggests that certain types of music, particularly those with bittersweet and emotional themes, can alleviate individuals' perception of pain. Notably, the study found that the most effective pain relievers were sad songs, capable of tapping into the emotional dimensions of our experiences.
根據CNN最新報導，聆聽音樂可能不僅是帶來愉悅的聽覺體驗，還可能成為緩解身體疼痛的暫時良方。研究表明，特定類型的音樂，尤其是那些帶有苦澀和情感主題的音樂，能夠減輕人對疼痛的感知。值得注意的是，研究發現最有效的止痛劑是能夠觸動我們情感維度的悲傷音樂。
The study, conducted with 63 young adults, involved participants selecting two of their favorite songs—one representing their all-time favorite and the other a song they would bring to a desert island. Additionally, participants chose from a set of unfamiliar relaxing instrumental songs. The impact of these songs on pain perception was evaluated through a series of 7-minute sessions where participants listened to their favorite music, the relaxing instrumental songs, a scrambled version of both, or sat in silence. A hot object was applied to their left inner forearms to simulate a painful experience.
這項研究涉及63名年輕成人，參與者選擇了兩首他們最喜歡的歌曲，其中一首代表他們的最愛，另一首是他們會帶到荒島上的歌曲。此外，參與者還可以從一組不熟悉的輕鬆演奏曲中進行選擇。通過一系列7分鐘的會話，參與者在聽他們最喜歡的音樂，輕鬆的演奏曲，兩者的混合版，或者靜坐中評估這些歌曲對疼痛知覺的影響。過程中一個發熱物被放置在他們的左前臂內側，以模擬疼痛感。
Results revealed that individuals reported feeling less pain when listening to their favorite songs compared to hearing unfamiliar relaxing tunes or sitting in silence. Interestingly, songs with bittersweet and moving themes were more effective in reducing pain than calming or cheerful ones. Lead study author Darius Valevicius, a doctoral student of neurosciences at the University of Montreal, highlighted the significance of this finding, suggesting that people intuitively turn to melancholic music for its pain-relieving effects.
結果顯示，與聽不熟悉的輕鬆曲調或靜坐相比，當參與者聽他們最喜歡的歌曲時，他們報告感覺到的疼痛較少。有趣的是，具有苦澀和動人主題的歌曲在減輕疼痛方面比安撫或愉悅的歌曲更為有效。研究的主要作者，蒙特婁大學神經科學博士生Darius Valevicius，強調了這一發現的重要性，暗示人們本能地轉向憂鬱音樂以獲得緩解疼痛的效果。
The study also explored the connection between listening to bittersweet songs and experiencing chills, commonly associated with pleasurable music. While not thoroughly examined, researchers hypothesized that these musical chills might contribute to pain-blocking effects, possibly through a mechanism known as sensory gating. Although music may reduce pain perception by approximately 10%, experts caution that it is not a substitute for medical intervention. Nevertheless, embracing music, whether melancholic or upbeat, offers various health benefits, including stress reduction and improved sleep. The findings encourage individuals to explore the therapeutic potential of music for enhancing well-being.
該研究還探討了聆聽苦澀音樂與感受放鬆之間的聯繫，放鬆通常與愉悅的音樂相關。雖然沒有進行深入研究，研究人員假設這些音樂帶來的放鬆可能通過一種稱為感覺閘門的機制對阻擋疼痛產生影響。儘管音樂可能將疼痛知覺降低約10％，專家提醒這不能替代醫學干預。然而，擁抱音樂，不論是憂鬱還是愉悅的曲子，都能帶來各種健康的益處，包括釋放壓力和改善睡眠。這些發現也鼓勵了人們探索音樂對提升身心健康的治療潛力。
Keyword Drills 關鍵字：
- Particularly (par-ti-cu-lar-ly): The research suggests that certain types of music, particularly those with bittersweet and emotional themes, can alleviate individuals' perception of pain.
- Instrumental (in-stru-men-tal): Additionally, participants chose from a set of unfamiliar relaxing instrumental songs.
- Melancholic (me-lan-cho-lic): Lead study author Darius Valevicius, a doctoral student of neurosciences at the University of Montreal, highlighted the significance of this finding, suggesting that people intuitively turn to melancholic music for its pain-relieving effects.
- Pleasurable (plea-su-ra-ble): The study also explored the connection between listening to bittersweet songs and experiencing chills, commonly associated with pleasurable music.
- Approximately (ap-pro-xi-mate-ly): Although music may reduce pain perception by approximately 10%, experts caution that it is not a substitute for medical intervention.
Reference article: https://edition.cnn.com/2023/10/25/health/listen-to-sad-songs-less-pain-wellness/index.html