Music moves people in
many ways. And it appears to cause especially strong reactions in pregnant
women, a new study finds.
Moms-to-be showed greater changes in blood pressure in
response to music than other women and had stronger feelings about pleasant and
unpleasant music, according to the researchers at the Max Planck Institute for
Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, in Leipzig, Germany.
The researchers played a series of 10- to 30-second clips of
music to pregnant and non-pregnant women. In some cases, the researchers
altered the music to make it less pleasant.
The expectant mothers rated the music as more intensely
pleasant or unpleasant than those who weren't pregnant, and also showed much
stronger blood pressure responses to the music.
The results show that music is a significant stimulus for
pregnant women, according to the researchers.
"Every acoustic manipulation of music affects blood
pressure in pregnant women far more intensely than in non-pregnant women,"
study author Tom Fritz said in an institute news release.
It's not clear why music has such a strong effect in
pregnancy, but higher levels of estrogen may play a
contributing role. The hormone
affects the brain's reward system, which is responsible for the pleasant
sensations experienced while listening to music, the study authors explained.
Pregnancy may also trigger other bodily changes that boost
women's responses to music, the researchers added.
SOURCE :- (Health Day News)
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