Summary: Listening to favorite music may enhance the effects of medication and reduce side effects. In a pilot study, cancer patients who listened to music while taking anti-nausea medication reported lower nausea severity and less distress during chemotherapy-related nausea episodes.
Source: Michigan State University
Music is more than a mood booster; it may act as a practical, accessible adjunct to medical treatment. Researchers at Michigan State University explored how a simple music-listening intervention could influence symptoms associated with chemotherapy, particularly chemotherapy-induced nausea (CIN).
“Music-listening interventions are like over-the-counter medications,” said Jason Kiernan, an assistant professor in the College of Nursing. “You don’t need a doctor to prescribe them.”
Previous studies have applied music interventions to pain and anxiety management. Kiernan’s team took a novel approach by targeting the neurological basis of chemotherapy-induced nausea, viewing CIN not as a stomach-only problem but as a centrally mediated symptom that may respond to nonpharmacologic strategies.
“Pain and anxiety are both neurological phenomena and are interpreted in the brain as a state,” Kiernan explained. “Chemotherapy-induced nausea is not a stomach condition; it is a neurological one.”
The pilot study enrolled 12 patients undergoing chemotherapy who agreed to listen to 30 minutes of their chosen favorite music each time they took an as-needed antiemetic. Patients repeated the 30-minute music session whenever nausea recurred during the five days following chemotherapy. Across participants the study recorded a total of 64 treated nausea events.
Participants reported significant reductions in both nausea severity and distress—the degree to which nausea bothered them—after the music-plus-medication episodes. While the study observed clear subjective benefit, Kiernan notes the challenge of isolating the precise mechanism: improvements could reflect the natural pharmacologic onset of the antiemetic, the added effect of music, or a synergistic interaction between the two.
The research team is planning follow-up studies to better understand the biological pathways that might explain music’s effect on nausea. One promising lead comes from earlier research that measured serotonin release by platelets after listening to pleasant versus unpleasant music. Serotonin is a key neurotransmitter implicated in chemotherapy-induced nausea, and many antiemetic drugs work by blocking serotonin receptors.
In the prior study, pleasant music was associated with lower levels of serotonin release from platelets, suggesting that serotonin remained stored in platelets rather than being released into circulation. Conversely, unpleasant music correlated with higher stress levels and increased serotonin release. These neurochemical findings suggest a plausible mechanism whereby pleasant music might reduce biochemical signals that contribute to nausea.
“Serotonin is the major neurotransmitter that causes chemotherapy-induced nausea,” Kiernan said. “Cancer patients take medications to block serotonin’s effects.” He added that measuring platelet serotonin release could be a useful objective marker in future trials testing music as an adjunctive therapy.
Beyond biochemical measurements, the pilot study also assessed feasibility and acceptance. Participants reported the intervention was easy to follow, well received, and posed minimal operational difficulty. Investigator feedback indicated clear understanding of data collection methods. The feasibility findings and participant feedback will inform improvements for a planned randomized controlled trial.
About this music and neuroscience research news
Author: Kaylie Crowe
Source: Michigan State University
Contact: Kaylie Crowe – Michigan State University
Image: The image is in the public domain
Original Research: Closed access. “Mitigation of Chemotherapy-Induced Nausea Using Adjunct Music Listening: A Pilot Study” by Jason Kiernan et al., Clinical Nursing Research
Abstract
Mitigation of Chemotherapy-Induced Nausea Using Adjunct Music Listening: A Pilot Study
Chemotherapy-induced nausea remains a persistent clinical problem despite advances in antiemetic medications. This pilot study evaluated the feasibility and effects of a 30-minute adjunctive music listening intervention in 12 patients experiencing CIN. Participants began music listening at the time they took as-needed antiemetic medication and repeated the intervention as needed for five days following chemotherapy.
Data were collected for 66 music-listening engagements. Analysis demonstrated a statistically significant reduction in nausea severity (t = 10.97, p < .001) and distress (t = 9.86, p < .001) overall, with significant improvements observed in both acute and delayed phases of nausea. Qualitative feedback confirmed that the intervention was acceptable and easy to implement. Investigator feasibility data indicated good understanding of study procedures and data tools. Recommendations from this pilot will guide design improvements for a future randomized controlled trial testing music listening as a complementary therapy for chemotherapy-induced nausea.