In the animal kingdom, we can find plausibility for a mech-
anism in which steroid hormones promote neurogenesis, or the ability to create new nerve cells, a process which was previ- ously perceived to be arrested after birth in mammals. For in- stance, in song birds, steroid hormones such as testosterone and estrogen play a role in multiple steps of neurogenesis such as organization and survival of brain cells and the production of neural networks where vocal behaviors reside. In addition, research is intimating that music facilitates cere-
bral plasticity, or the expansion of neural networks and connectiv- ity in response to the environment. Music-induced cerebral plasticity creates changes in brain cell numbers and activity in response to music which can persist for a long time. Studies comparing populations of singers to non-singers and music stu- dents to music non-learners, for instance, highlight that music triggers neural plasticity. Neural plasticity and the creation of new brain circuits may compensate for functional deficits when one neural network takes over for another that is malfunctioning. The mechanism whereby music leads to neural plasticity is likely mediated by steroid hormones, which are generated by nerve cells and elicit neuroactive and neuroprotective roles. For example, the sex steroids estrogen and testosterone elevate levels of so-called neurotrophic substances such as nerve growth factor (NGF) and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), which contribute to nerve cell proliferation (cell division) and survival. Both are also closely “involved with the expression, regeneration, repair and protection of nerve cells via gene expression regulation and non-genomic circuits”.
The stress hormone corticosteroid, on the other hand, in ap-
propriate levels, contributes to a neural process known as long- term potentiation (LTP), or the strengthening of synapses between nerve cells, which leads to formation of long-term memories. Cortisol also binds to receptors in the frontal lobe, or the man- ager of personality, which is also responsible for decision-making, learning, and problem-solving, as well as the so-called seat of emotion known as the amygdala and the memory center known as the hippocampus. Balanced levels of the sex hormones, which target the nervous system, are also critical to neurological func- tions such as brain development, spatial perception, visual rec- ognition, memory retention, reproductive and feeding behavior, nerve signal transmission, and suppression of the abnormal protein aggregates implicated in Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s. Studies on listening to music have been shown to alter levels of sex hormone secretion, which is the probable mechanism behind its neuroregenerative effects. Playing musical instruments or listening to music mitigates adverse emotional responses such as stress and anxiety. Remarkably, music behaves similarly to adaptogenic herbs, increasing the body’s state of non-specific resistance by modulating hormones in a favorable direction. In other words, listening to music increases steroid hormones in people with low hormone levels and reduces steroid hormones in people with high hormone levels. This makes sense, as the effect of music on steroid hormones may act through emotional circuits mediated through the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, which is the same pathway adaptogenic botanicals influence.
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