Objective: Music therapy has not been actively adopted in Japan since its scientific basis must be further verified. Therefore, we compared frontal lobe activation, using near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS), and stress biomarkers between patients with mood disorders and healthy individuals in an experimental model using active and passive music tasks. Methods: The control group comprised 15 healthy volunteers, and the mood disorder group comprised 12 patients with persistent depressive disorder. NIRS was performed under two active music tasks (playing and singing music) and one passive music task (listening to music), with a resting baseline. Blood and saliva samples were collected before and after the music sessions. Results: Relative to baseline, oxy-hemoglobin levels during the playing music task were increased in all channels in the control group, but tended to be significantly decreased or show less change in the mood disorder group. Oxy-hemoglobin levels during the listening to music task were decreased in all channels in the control group, but tended to be significantly increased in the mood disorder group. Oxy-hemoglobin levels during the singing music task were increased in many channels in the control group but not in the mood disorder group, without significant differences. In the mood disorder group, blood and saliva cortisol levels were significantly decreased after the music therapy session, while the control group showed no significant changes. Conclusion: The results suggest that music therapy can positively impact stress relief, and that active and passive music tasks have differing effects on frontal lobe activation.

This study used topographic near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) to characterize frontal lobe activation while individuals actively or passively listened to exciting or calm music. Participants were 22 healthy female volunteers (mean age, 21± 4.1 years). Initial analysis showed that oxy-Hb significantly decreased in many channels when subjects listened to calm music. In contrast, oxy-Hb significantly increased when subjects listened to lively music. In addition, after listening to calm music, cortisol, α-amylase, and immunoglobulin A significantly decreased. A subsequent analysis showed that oxy-Hb signif-icantly increased when subjects listened to music while clapping to its rhythm compared with when subjects listened to music only. Our study suggests that calm music reduces levels of human stress and enables effective relaxation. In addition, our data suggests that clapping to the rhythm of music increases brain activation. Therefore, active music therapy may be more effective than passive music therapy with respect to brain activation. Such active therapy (i.e., playing rather than listening to music) may improve functional and psychological status, and cooperative abilities.