With festival season well on its way in the UK, a new study has been published just at the right time. The scientific report found that dance music or more specifically, “groove rhythms”, stimulate the prefrontal cortex functions in the brain, which in turn can enhance cognitive performance and elicit feelings of pleasure and arousal in people. This is happy news for all the groove lovers out there, as Glastonbury may be over, but the UK music scene has plenty more to offer over the next coming months.
The study was conducted by Japanese scientists who examined 51 young adults in their 20s. When considering the neuroscience of our brain, it is known that the left hemisphere plays a significant part in the processing of verbal information. With this in mind, the scientists focussed primarily on the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, as it’s the part that is responsible for decision-making and everyday movements. Dr. Hideaki Soya, the study’s lead author, reported to ScienceDaily that,“The results were surprising. We found that groove rhythm enhanced executive function and activity in the l-DLPFC only in participants who reported that the music elicited a strong groove sensation and the sensation of being clear-headed. Groove rhythms elicit groove sensations and positive affective responses.” The young participants reported that the groove rhythms elicited a sensation of feeling “clear headed” as well as a strong “groove sensation”.
The researchers also discovered that an individual’s response to a particular groove will depend on their own personal background (musical preferences, musical processing skills, and culture). They added, “Our findings indicate that individual differences in psychological responses to groove music modulate the corresponding effects on executive function. As such, the effects of groove rhythm on human cognitive performance may be influenced by familiarity or beat processing ability”. Furthermore, the researchers concluded that the positive effects of groove music on executive function can have positive effects on our mental wellbeing. In addition, they emphasised the positive cognitive effects and benefits of dancing, exercising while listening to music and listening to your favourite songs. It’s also important to note that it does not have to be electronic dance music which stimulates the left prefrontal cortex, but any music that contains a groove.
So, if you weren’t tempted enough – this study is a reason in itself to book onto a music event or festival this summer.
Here are a selection of the UK music festivals coming up:
