Researchers at the University of Turku have discovered what kind of cloud devices are the basis for emotional responses to music.
In total, 102 research subjects listened to expressive music while their brain function was scanned by magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) images. The study was conducted at the national PET Center.
The researchers used a machine learning algorithm to map the brain regions that are activated when the different emotions caused by music are separated from each other.
– Based on the activity of the auditory cortex and motor, we were able to accurately predict whether the research subject was listening to happy or sad music. The study cortex processes the acoustic elements of music, such as rhythm and melody. The activity of the motor cortex, then again, may be related to the fact that music stimulates feelings of movement in the listener even when listening to music while still in an MRI machine, says Postdoctoral Researcher Vesa Putkinen.
The researchers also found out which brain regions are activated when the research participants watched videos that evoke strong emotions and determined whether the same regions were activated when the -partners listen to emotionally evocative music.
The findings suggest that the emotions evoked by movies and music are based in part on the activity of various mechanisms in the brain.
– Movies, for example, activate the deepest parts of the brain that control emotions in real situations. Listening to music did not strongly activate these areas and their activity did not separate the emotions caused by music from each other. This may be because films can make a more realistic copy of the real events that evoke emotions and thus activate the textural emotional mechanisms. The emotions evoked by music are based on the acoustic properties of music and are colored by cultural influences and personal history.
Traditionally, emotions evoked by music have been explored through classical instrumental music.
– We wanted to use only instrumental music in this study as well so that words would not affect the emotions of the research subjects. However, we introduced film music and songs with guitar virtuoso Yngwie J. Malmsteen, Putkinen notes.
(This story was published from a wire group group without altering the text.)
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