Music is a powerful tool with countless benefits for the human brain, such as providing an escape from the real world and uplifting our mood, but it is a relationship that psychology experts are still trying to completely understand. Researches are continually uncovering new information, helping everyone better grasp the influence music has on humans.

According to researchers in Taiwan, cancer patients who routinely listen to music exhibit fewer symptoms of depression, fatigue, and anxiety. This discovery shows the impact music has on the brain and its influence on the human spirit. *and provides valuable information for those undergoing cancer treatment.

Music has also been shown to help those with dementia. While listening to music, the personality of a dementia patient can dramatically transform. As shown by Henry, who has lived in a nursing home for 10 years and experiences seizures and depression, after listening to music he literally comes to life and openly expresses his love for music.

While research has shown that music has had medical and therapeutic impacts on the brain, many are now looking at how it works and what is actually happening in the brain.

The evidence of music’s transformative ability on the human brain is what led researches from the Department of Psychological Sciences at the University of Liverpool to investigate how musical training affects the flow of blood to the brain. They discovered that after participants received thirty-minutes of musical training there were significant similarities in brain activity patterns while doing language and music tasks. Before the musical training there were no noteworthy similarities.

The researchers concluded from the study that musical training results in a rapid change in cognitive mechanisms utilized for music perception and these shared mechanisms are usually employed for language.” This shows that the brain likely uses syntactic regions to process all communication – whether spoken or through music.

Although research in this area of psychology is still relatively new, a great deal has already been discovered. Continued research will important if we are to ever fully understand this amazing connection between music and the human brain.