NEUROENDOCRINE RESPONSES OF HEALTHY-VOLUNTEERS TO TECHNO-MUSIC - RELATIONSHIPS WITH PERSONALITY-TRAITS AND EMOTIONAL STATE

A variety of studies reported psychological and physiological effects of music. Different types of music have been found to induce different neuroendocrine changes. The aim of the present experiment was to inve stigate the possible combination of emotional and endocrine changes in response to techno-music and to define personality variables as predi ctors of respective changes. Sixteen psychosomatically healthy subject s (18- to 19-year-olds, eight males and eight females) were exposed, i n random order, to techno-music or to classical music (30 min each). P lasma norepinephrine (NE), epinephrine (EPI), growth hormone (GH), pro lactin (PRL), adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) cortisol (CORT), beta -endorphin (beta-EP) concentrations and changes of emotional state wer e measured in basal conditions and after the experimental trials with two different types of music. Techno-music was associated with a signi ficant increase in heart rate, systolic blood pressure and significant changes in self-rated emotional states. A significant increase was ob served in beta-EP, ACTH, NE, GH and CORT after listening to techno-mus ic. Classical music induced an improvement in emotional state, but no significant changes in hormonal concentrations. No differences between male and female subjects' responses to music have been found. Plasma levels of PRL and EPI were unaffected by techno-and classical music. C hanges in emotional state and NE, beta-EP and GH responses to techno-m usic correlated negatively with harm avoidance scores and positively w ith the novelty-seeking temperament score on the Cloninger scale. List ening to techno-music induces changes in neurotransmitters, peptides a nd hormonal reactions, related to mental state and emotional involveme nt: personality traits and temperament may influence the wide inter-in dividual variability in response to music. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science B .V.