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Feel Better, Live More with Dr Rangan Chatterjee · February 12, 2026 · 65m
The Healing Power of Music: How Your Favourite Songs Boost Mood, Mind, and Mobility
Neuroscientist Daniel Levitin on how music affects the brain: it activates more brain regions simultaneously than any other activity, reduces cortisol, increases dopamine, and can improve outcomes in pain management, dementia, and surgery recovery.
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Canon
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Levitin: listening to music engages auditory cortex, motor cortex, prefrontal cortex, limbic system, and cerebellum simultaneously. This whole-brain activation explains music's unique power to improve mood, memory, and movement — and why music training provides cognitive protection.
Highlights
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Listening to music reduces cortisol by 25% — a free, side-effect-free anxiolytic
Levitin: research shows that listening to self-selected music reduces cortisol levels by approximately 25% — comparable to some anti-anxiety medications. Music before surgery reduces the need for sedation. Music during chemotherapy reduces perceived pain.Was this useful?