Yi Wenbo, Palmer Caroline, Serian Angela, Roy Mathieu
Department of Psychology, McGill University, Montreal, Canada.
Centre for Research on Brain, Language & Music, Montreal, Canada.
Pain. 2025 Jan 28;166(8):1761-1768. doi: 10.1097/j.pain.0000000000003513.
Music has long been recognized as a noninvasive and cost-effective means of reducing pain. However, the selection of music for pain relief often relies on intuition rather than on a scientific understanding of the impact of basic musical attributes on pain perception. This study examines how a fundamental element of music-tempo-affects its pain-relieving properties. One important finding in research on temporal dynamics of music is that people tend to sing or tap at a characteristic rate when asked to produce a simple melody. This characteristic rate, known as the spontaneous production rate (SPR), is consistent across different rhythm production tasks and may reflect the output of an endogenous oscillator. According to dynamical systems theory, SPRs represent optimal efficiency, minimizing energy expenditure while maximizing behavioral accuracy. This study examined whether aligning music tempo with individual SPRs could enhance the hypoalgesic effects of music. First, participants' SPRs were measured by asking them to produce a familiar melody at a comfortable rate. Next, they were asked to rate painful thermal stimulations under 4 conditions: music modified to match participants' SPR, music modified to be 15% faster or 15% slower than participants' SPR, and silence. Results revealed that musical tempos matching participants' SPR produced stronger reductions in pain compared to faster or slower tempo conditions, supporting the hypothesis that musical tempo aligned with individual rates is optimal for reducing pain. These findings underscore the individual-specific effects of musical tempo on pain perception, offering implications for personalized pain management strategies.
长期以来，音乐一直被认为是一种减轻疼痛的非侵入性且经济高效的方法。然而，用于缓解疼痛的音乐选择往往依赖于直觉，而非基于对基本音乐属性对疼痛感知影响的科学理解。本研究考察了音乐的一个基本要素——节奏——如何影响其止痛特性。音乐时间动态研究中的一个重要发现是，当被要求创作一段简单旋律时，人们往往会以一种特定的速率演唱或敲击。这种特定速率，即自发产生速率（SPR），在不同的节奏创作任务中是一致的，并且可能反映了内源性振荡器的输出。根据动力系统理论，SPR代表了最佳效率，即在最大限度提高行为准确性的同时将能量消耗降至最低。本研究考察了使音乐节奏与个体的SPR相匹配是否能增强音乐的镇痛效果。首先，通过要求参与者以舒适的速率创作一段熟悉的旋律来测量他们的SPR。接下来，要求他们在四种条件下对疼痛性热刺激进行评分：调整为与参与者SPR相匹配的音乐、调整为比参与者SPR快15%或慢15%的音乐，以及安静状态。结果显示，与节奏更快或更慢的条件相比，与参与者SPR相匹配的音乐节奏能更显著地减轻疼痛，这支持了以下假设：与个体速率相匹配的音乐节奏对于减轻疼痛是最佳的。这些发现强调了音乐节奏对疼痛感知的个体特异性影响，为个性化疼痛管理策略提供了启示。
