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Infant-Directed Singing Shown to Boost Emotional Health

The AHA! Team — Wed, 30 Jul 2025 06:23:15 +0000

Society for Research in Child Development via News-Medical – Many parents know that infants love to be sung to; however, there is limited prior research to show the long-term effects on parental singing. In a new study, researchers explored whether using a music enrichment intervention program to encourage parents to sing more frequently to their babies could improve the health of both infants and caregivers (as with skin-to-contact). This research was featured in a new Child Development article with authors from Yale University (United States), the University of Amsterdam (the Netherlands), the University of Auckland (New Zealand), McGill University (Canada), Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell (United States) and Princeton University (United States). Researchers advertised for study participants through in-person visits to baby fairs, distribution of flyers at local daycare centers, preschools, and delivery hospitals, and an announcement on public radio in New Haven, Connecticut. Online recruitment efforts targeted social media groups for expecting and new parents, along with online communities related to early childhood education. The study requirements mandated that all participants have a smartphone to be able to communicate and complete surveys online in English and be a primary caregiver of the infant. The study was conducted with 110 caregivers and their infants, who were on average nearly 4 months old. Most caregivers were from the United States and New Zealand, predominantly white, educated, and socioeconomically advantaged. Study participants were randomly assigned to the intervention or control group. The main portion of the study lasted six weeks, starting with a pre-test in week one, followed by a four-week intervention, and then a post-test in week six. Caregivers in the intervention group completed a brief, smartphone-based music enrichment program to help them sing more often to their babies (through access to instructional videos with children’s songs). Throughout the study, participants completed smartphone surveys one to three times daily, reporting on infant and parent mood, stress, sleep quality, and music use. The findings suggest that simple, low-cost interventions, such as increasing infant-directed singing, have the potential to improve health outcomes for both infants and caregivers. The Society for Research in Child Development (SRCD) had the opportunity to speak with Dr. Samuel A. Mehr from Auckland University along with Dr. Eun Cho from Yale University and doctoral student, Lidya Yurdum from the University of Amsterdam to learn more about the research. SRCD: Can you please provide a brief overview of the study? Author team: We conducted a randomized controlled trial to test whether a simple, low-cost music intervention-encouraging caregivers to actively integrate singing into daily routines with their infants-could improve wellbeing for both infants and caregivers. The study included 110 caregiver-infant pairs, primarily from the United States and New Zealand (with infants on average about 4 months old). Participants were randomly assigned to either an intervention group or a control group. During the 4-week intervention, participants in the intervention group were encouraged to sing more to their infants than usual. We measured how this change in behavior would influence infant mood, stress, sleep, and music behavior, using brief, smartphone based surveys that caregivers completed at random times throughout the day. Our main finding was that the intervention successfully increased the frequency of infant-directed singing, especially in soothing contexts, and led to measurable improvements in infants’ general mood as reported by caregivers. SRCD: Did you learn anything that surprised you? Author team: One interesting finding was how intuitively caregivers incorporated singing into soothing routines for their infants, even though the intervention did not explicitly instruct them to use singing for this purpose. Among a dozen soothing strategies, singing was the only one that showed a significant increase in use following the intervention. From a methodological perspective, a particularly encouraging outcome was the high level of compliance with the study protocol-caregivers completed over 70% of the surveys across the 10-week period, demonstrating the feasibility of this approach for future developmental research. This strong compliance supported our decision to move forward with a longer-term, longitudinal study, which is currently underway. SRCD: Can you please explain how this research might be helpful for parents, caregivers and pediatricians? Author team: Our findings suggest that encouraging parents and caregivers to sing more frequently to their infants can have a positive, causal impact on infant mood. Singing is a universal practice-parents from almost every culture and throughout history have intuitively used singing to soothe and connect with their infants. It’s easy to do, requires no special equipment or training, and is accessible to everyone. Because infant mood is closely linked to parenting stress, caregiver-infant bonding, and later social-emotional development, such a simple intervention could have meaningful downstream benefits. For pediatricians and professionals working with families, recommending increased infant-directed singing is a practical, accessible strategy to support infant well-being. SRCD: Can you please address some of the research limitations? Author team: There are several limitations to note. First, our sample was predominantly white, highly educated, and socioeconomically advantaged and composed mainly of mothers, which limits the generalizability of the findings to more diverse populations. Second, all infant mood data were based on caregiver reports-although these reports were collected in real time to reduce recall bias, they remain subject to potential reporting biases. Third, the intervention was relatively brief and low-intensity; longer and more structured interventions might yield broader effects, including on caregiver mood or other health outcomes. Finally, music was already a regular part of many families’ routines at baseline, which may have limited the observable effect size of the intervention. SRCD: What’s next in this field of research? Author team: Despite the intervention lasting only four weeks, we observed clear benefits for infant mood. This suggests that the positive effects of singing to infants may be even more pronounced with longer-term, higher-intensity interventions-and may also extend to caregiver wellbeing and additional aspects of infant health beyond mood. Building on these findings, we are currently conducting two follow-up studies. The first is a direct replication of our original study, but with professionally developed, higher-quality intervention materials designed to help parents sing more to their infants. This will allow us to determine if improved resources can enhance the intervention’s effectiveness. The second is a longitudinal, randomized trial that follows families over eight months. In this study, we are comparing three active interventions -singing (music plus active parent-infant interaction), music listening (music without active interaction), and reading (no music but active interaction) – as well as a general control group. This design will help us disentangle the unique contributions of music, singing, and interactive activities to infant and caregiver outcomes. More information about this ongoing research can be found at https://www.togetherwegrow.study. This research was funded by the National Institutes of Health (United States), the Royal Society of New Zealand, the University of Auckland (New Zealand) and Princeton University (United States). Source: Society for Research in Child Development Journal reference: Cho, E., et al. (2025) Ecological Momentary Assessment Reveals Causal Effects of Music Enrichment on Infant Mood. Child Development. doi.org/10.1111/cdev.14246. To read the original article click here.

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When Using Music to Alleviate Pain, Tempo Matters

The AHA! Team — Mon, 31 Mar 2025 05:37:38 +0000

McGill University via EurekAlert! – We each have a natural rhythm, and music that matches it offers the best pain relief, McGill research suggests. Music has the best chance of providing pain relief when it is played at our natural rhythm, a McGill University research team has discovered. This suggests it may be possible to reduce a patient’s level of pain by using technology to take a piece of music someone likes and adjust the tempo to match their internal rhythm, the researchers said. The discovery was the subject of a paper published recently in Pain, the top journal in the field of pain medicine and research. Exploring which aspect of music lessens pain Music has been used to alleviate pain for centuries. In recent years, there has been increasing scientific interest in using music to treat medical conditions ranging from Parkinson’s disease to strokes and chronic pain. But little is known about how this might work. “There have been very few studies that really look at specific parameters of music to try to understand the effects of music on the brain,” explained Mathieu Roy, an associate professor in the Department of Psychology at McGill and the co-senior author of the paper. It has often been suggested that soothing or relaxing music works best as a pain reliever “In the past, it has often been suggested that soothing or relaxing music works best as a pain reliever,” added co-author Caroline Palmer, a Distinguished James McGill Professor in the Cognitive Neuroscience of Performance in the Department of Psychology and co-senior author of the paper. “But this didn’t seem precise enough. So, we set out to investigate whether the tempo — the rate at which a passage is produced and one of music’s core elements — could influence its capacity to reduce pain.” Our own internal beat may distract us from pain Research over the past decade has shown that whether we speak, sing, play an instrument or just tap along to music, we each have our own characteristic rhythm: the one to which we are most attuned and can produce most comfortably. It is thought that this rhythm, known as our spontaneous production rate (SPR), may be tied to our circadian rhythms. “It is possible that the neural oscillations that are responsible for driving our preferred tempo at a particular rate are more easily pulled along when a musical tempo is closer to our own natural tempo,” added Roy. “As a result, they are pulled away from the neural frequencies associated with pain.” The right beat reduces level of pain To find out whether listening to music at an individual’s natural tempo helped lower their experience of pain, the McGill researchers compared the pain ratings of 60 participants (some of whom were musicians and others not) as they were subjected to low levels of pain, either in silence or while listening to music that had been manipulated so that its tempo either matched the one that was most natural to each person or was slightly faster or slower. Each participant’s natural tempo was established by their tapping out the rhythm of a well-known nursery rhyme (Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star) at the rate that was comfortable for them. The touch-sensitive pad they tapped on produced the next tone in the sequence of the melody, thus capturing their natural tempo. Participants underwent 12 blocks of tests in which 10 seconds of heat at various levels was applied intermittently to small pads on their forearms Over the course of 30 minutes, participants underwent 12 blocks of tests in which 10 seconds of heat at various levels was applied intermittently to small pads on their forearms, interspersed with pauses of varying lengths. Participants either experienced the pain in silence or listened to an unfamiliar melody in a style they had selected at their preferred tempo, or at 15 per cent faster or 15 per cent slower. After each block of tests, they were asked to rate their level of pain. At worst, according to Roy, the pain was like what you feel when you touch the outside of a hot coffee mug and pull your hand away quickly because it’s too hot. The right beat reduces pain the most The researchers found that, compared to silence, music of whatever kind and at whatever tempo significantly reduced participants’ perceptions of pain. More important, they discovered the greatest reductions in the ratings of the levels of pain occurred when the melodies were played at a rate that matched the participant’s own preferred tempo. As a next step, the researchers said they would like to use electroencephalography to measure neural activity and confirm that the rate of neuronal firing synchronizes with the external tempo of the music. They also indicated that they hope to test their findings with people living with chronic pain or pain associated with medical procedures. The research was funded by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada, Canada Research Chair and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research. Journal Pain DOI 10.1097/j.pain.0000000000003513 To read the original article click here.

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MHRI Aims to Delve Deeper Into How Musical Intervention Can Affect Health

AHA Publisher — Mon, 27 Sep 2021 07:00:50 +0000

University of Ottawa via News-Medical – If popular wisdom holds that music is good for the soul, science is increasingly seeking to better understand how music can affect the body, brain, and mind, as evidenced by the 2020 publication of the first World Health Organization report on health and music. In response, the newly established University of Ottawa Music and Health Research Institute (MHRI) has made it its core mission to delve deeper into how musical intervention can affect health, developing the knowledge, innovative therapeutic practices, and solutions that can contribute to improving the health of populations. The driving force behind this interdisciplinary initiative, which stands at the intersection of music, health sciences, social sciences, engineering, and medicine, is Faculty of Arts Professor Gilles Comeau, who has been appointed as director of the Institute for a five-year mandate. He is joined by the MHRI associate director and Faculty of Health Sciences professor Anna Zumbansen, who will bring her own complementary expertise to the Institute’s leadership. “We want the Institute to become recognized as a major research hub and a reference in the field of music and health. A place where scholars, clinicians, caregivers, and music educators can exchange knowledge and work together to investigate and demonstrate, through a science-based approach, the benefits of music practice and therapy on physical, sensory, cognitive, and mental health,” says Gilles Comeau. Born out of Comeau’s vision and leadership, the MHRI will roll out interdisciplinary, participatory, and action-based research initiatives to measure how learning and practising music can affect children with hearing loss, seniors with cognitive and motor impairments, as well as people suffering from mental health problems. The MHRI is a cradle for interdisciplinary research partnerships that bring together top talents from the faculties of Arts, Health Sciences and Social Sciences, and the Professional Development Institute at the University of Ottawa. The Institute has also partnered with external organizations, including Carleton University; the University of Ottawa’s Institute of Mental Health Research at The Royal, the Bruyère Research Institute, the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario (CHEO), The Ottawa Hospital (TOH) (Education), and the Lotus Centre for Specialized Music Education. These partners will contribute their expertise to a roster of forward-thinking and scientifically creative initiatives. Researchers from the University of Montreal and the University of British Columbia will also be among the Institute’s valued research partners and steering committee members. “The creation of the Music and Health Research Institute is innovation in action. The Institute’s multidisciplinary approach to the study of the interaction between music and health is distinctive and strongly aligned with our strategic research goal of enabling lifelong health and wellness. The high-calibre partnerships formed by Professor Comeau promise to advance research that will help improve the well-being of all Canadians.” Sylvain Charbonneau, Vice-President, Research, University of Ottawa Music and Health Research Institute The partnerships and research that were developed through the Piano Pedagogy Research Laboratory and the Musicians’ Wellness Centre, both founded by Comeau and now under the umbrella of the Institute, were instrumental in establishing MHRI’s collaborative research synergies, including the Canadian Network for Musicians’ Health and Wellness, which answers musicians’ calls for better prevention, better treatment and better support for the physical and psychological problems associated with playing an instrument. One MHRI initiative will advance research into the factors involved in maintaining the well-being, autonomy, and health of seniors, who will make up 25% of the population by 2030 according to Statistics Canada. “Music Making with Elderly People” is a major research initiative that the Institute will carry out with The Royal and Bruyère. It will examine how the brain functions responsible for attention, balance, gait, or a patient’s psychological and mental state can be affected by multi-tasking musical interventions that combine rhythmic bodily movements, ear training, tapping, clapping, vocal or instrumental improvisation, and playing percussion instruments. This partnership will give the uOttawa-based project an additional foothold at the Orléans-based campus of Bruyère and at The Royal, thus giving the project better access to a larger pool of seniors and patients with whom to push forward research. “We are particularly excited to partner with the MHRI at uOttawa to generate and apply new knowledge to serve people living with mental illness”, says Florence Dzierszinski, who is president of the University of Ottawa’s Institute of Mental Health Research at The Royal and vice-president, research, at The Royal. “We particularly look forward to our first project, which focuses on music and aging, and will see the establishment of a music and mental health research clinic, which will be designed by researchers, clinicians, program leaders, and people with lived expertise, and will be connected to our cutting-edge technological platforms, including our Brain Imaging Centre,” says Dzierszinski. We are excited to be a key partner with the new Music and Health Research Institute and further study the benefits of music at Bruyère,” says Heidi Sveistrup, CEO and chief scientific officer of the Bruyère Research Institute and vice-president, research, and academic affairs at Bruyère. “The science is clear – music-making and moving to music have important cognitive, emotional and physical health benefits.” Studying musical engagement and interest in children and youth with hearing loss is yet another key initiative for which the CHEO Research Institute will develop innovative clinical practices. This research will measure the effects of music learning on the central auditory, cognitive, and neurological systems of hearing-impaired children. Dr. Ryan Rourke, a surgeon with the divisions of pediatric otolaryngology and audiology, sees opportunities to expand CHEO’s involvement in the MHRI to different departments with the goal of understanding how music can help children with a variety of conditions. “MHRI is set to be a pioneering force in the field,” says Erin Parkes, PhD, the founder and executive director of the Lotus Centre for Specialized Music Education, a partner organization that helps students with exceptionalities. “There has been so little work done in this area, and this partnership has the potential to truly change the landscape in special music education.” The Institute will strive to ensure that its research and knowledge mobilization activities reflect its commitment to increasing access, inclusive, and equitable access to musical interventions. Brian Ray – Vice-Dean Research at the Faculty of Arts “The Faculty of Arts is proud to be a partner in this initiative. Professor Gilles Comeau has consistently contributed to the advancement of research in the School of Music at the Faculty of Arts, as well as in several other fields. Professor Comeau’s scholarship is creative, engaged and rigorous; under his direction, we can expect exciting things from this new interdisciplinary research hub.” Lucie Thibault – Dean at the Faculty of Health Sciences and member of the MHRI’s steering committee “The Music and Health Research Institute is a prime example of the priorities of our faculty’s strategic goal to support inter-and multi-disciplinary research. Music has a direct impact on our health and well-being and the Faculty of Health Sciences is honoured to collaborate closely with the Faculty of Arts to partake in the next steps of this valuable research.” Rafik Goubran – Vice-President (Research and International), Carleton University “Carleton University is pleased to partner with the University of Ottawa on this important initiative that will investigate the role of music in society and its impact on health outcomes, especially on conditions such as dementia and anxiety. This partnership is a welcome addition to the many successful collaborations between our two institutions and will enhance our continued research productivity and shared vision.” To read the original article click here.

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Dementia Patient Nails All the Lyrics in Christmas Party Song, Viral Example of Healing Power of Music

AHA Publisher — Tue, 17 Dec 2019 08:00:08 +0000

Lori Johnson via CBN News – This year’s Christmas party at a Scottish assisted living center was especially joyous when one of the patients, who suffers from memory issues, remembered every single word to “My Way.” The heartwarming holiday moment was captured on video and immediately became an internet sensation. Eight-three-year-old Margaret Mackey has been diagnosed with dementia, which causes extreme forgetfulness, even to include the names of family members. However, her recollection of the Frank Sinatra classic was near perfect, to the delight of her daughter who happily recorded the stunning rendition on her phone. Mackey is pictured belting out the tune with Jamie Lee Morley, an employee of Northcare Suites Care Home, who posted the video to his Facebook page. “The staff have been saying to her, ‘We saw that video of you and Jamie singing,’ and she just says, ‘Who’s Jamie?’ She can’t remember,” he told SWNS. Turns out, Margaret Mackey’s experience has been repeated by other dementia patients worldwide. People who have difficulty remembering, even speaking, sometimes have what appears to be a reversal of their symptoms when they listen to music. For example, listening to his favorite big band music made 96-year-old Mike Knutson tap his toes, clap his hands and smile, according to his daughter, Barb Knutson. “The music really does something to wake him up and help him to be more engaged with what is going on around him,” she said. Knutson took part in a study of 200 nursing homes analyzing the effects of music on mood and memory for people with dementia in nursing homes. But not just any music will do. The patient needs to listen to songs he or she loves. Now it turns out music therapy could be a standard treatment added to traditional dementia therapies and could even take the place of some medications. Music therapy has already proven effective for stroke patients. For example, when a massive stroke tried to take away James Rodriguez’s speech, the Music and Medicine program at Virginia’s Sentara Healthcare helped him get it back. James belts out “Amazing Grace” and all the old hymns that bring back happy memories from his days in the church choir. Music Therapist Tracy Bowdish says we actually use more of our brain when we sing the same phrase versus when we speak it – because when we are singing we have rhythm, melody, and emotion. That’s how music can energize disabled parts of the mind. “We’re able to activate more areas of the brain and reroute and create new neuro-networks so we can get around that damaged area caused by the stroke,” she said. To read the original article click here. For more articles from CBN News click here.

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