Japanese researchers report mice who underwent heart transplants survived much longer if they were exposed to Mozart or Verdi.
Music may or may not mend a broken heart. But newly published research suggests that, at least in mice, it can reduce rejection of heart transplants.
Writing in the Journal of Cardiothoracic Surgery, a team of Japanese researchers led by Dr. Masanori Nimi describe an experiment in which a group of 8- to 12-week-old mice underwent heart transplants. The rodents were randomly assigned to one of five groups: those exposed to opera (a recording of Verdi’s La Traviata, conducted by Sir Georg Solti); instrumental music by Mozart; New Age music (The Best of Enya); no music; or “one of six different sound frequencies.”
After one week, the mice whose personal soundtrack featured Enya, one of the sound frequencies, or no music at all “rejected their grafts acutely,” the researchers report. Their hearts gave out 7.5 to 11 days after the transplant.
In contrast, those exposed to Verdi or Mozart “had significantly prolonged survival,” the researchers report. Median survival times were 26.5 days for those who heard Verdi and 20 days for those exposed to Mozart.
“It appears possible that opera-induced regulatory cells may inhibit immune responses against allografts,” they write.
Other possible causes include “the effects on brain function produced by the specific harmony and/or other features of the music itself,” and “a decrease in postoperative stress brought about by exposure to music.”
In any event, this provides more evidence that classical music has a health-inducing impact on the body – one that was, at least for this group of mice, literally life-prolonging.
Source: Miller-McCune: smart journalism, real solutions, March 22
Eric Koch’s book, The Weimar Triangle, is available at Indigo-Chapters and in your local bookstore. 
I am going to increase my life insurance immediately, before they find out I used to like Enya.
I’ve been told that as a child I asked everyone I met for the first time if they liked mousies [sic]. I now realize I should have asked mice if they liked Mozart or Verdi. Although I can testify to the healing powers of music, it never occurred to me that mice had such finely attuned musical sensibilities.
I just want to be at the meetings where a number of Japanese doctors discuss sound tracks for their little friends.
I would have suggested:
- “Minimum Wage” by They Might Be Giants (this is live and the studio version is better) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9yKdSFVZa9I
- “Let There be Drums” by Sandy Nelson (a friend of Jan & Dean) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zC9okWm8A6o
- “Woo Hoo” by the 5,6,7,8s the Japanese girl band http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HrGHBN-tXi4
- “Bad Penny Blues” by Humphrey Lyttelton, a grumpy Brit blues man http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N1-pQziWiKk
Opera propaganda! Clearly these were assumed to be merely white mice with no exposure to a “civilized” culture!
What they really want to hear is Billie Holliday signing “My Yiddishe Mama”
(She really did!) or Herman’s Hermits.
Mike Sky
The Spirit of South Porcupine Ontario