Enhanced response to music in pregnancy.
Given a possible effect of estrogen on the pleasure-mediating dopaminergic system, musical appreciation in participants whose estrogen levels are naturally elevated during the oral contraceptive cycle and pregnancy has been investigated (n = 32, 15 pregnant, 17 nonpregnant; mean age 27.2). Results show more pronounced blood pressure responses to music in pregnant women. However, estrogen level differences during different phases of oral contraceptive intake did not have any effect, indicating that the observed changes were not related to estrogen. Effects of music on blood pressure were independent of valence, and dissonance elicited the greatest drop in blood pressure. Thus, the enhanced physiological response in pregnant women probably does not reflect a protective mechanism to avoid unpleasantness. Instead, this enhanced response is discussed in terms of a facilitation of prenatal conditioning to acoustical (musical) stimuli.
Department of Neurology, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Science, Leipzig, Germany; Institute for Psychoacoustics and Electronic Music, University of Ghent, Ghent, Belgium; Department of Nuclear Medicine, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany.
Thomas Hans
TH
Fritz
Marian
M
Ciupek
Ambika
A
Kirkland
Klas
K
Ihme
Anika
A
Guha
Jana
J
Hoyer
Arno
A
Villringer
D000328:Adult; D001143:Arousal / Q000502:physiology*; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D009146:Music; D011247:Pregnancy; D055815:Young Adult
Blood pressure; Children/Infants; Conditioning