Effects of Monochord Music on Heart Rate Variability and Self-Reports of Relaxation in Healthy Adults

Gäbel, Christine; Garrido, Natália; Koenig, Julian; Hillecke, Thomas K.; Warth, Marco

doi:10.1159/000455133

Cited by 16 publications

(9 citation statements)

References 51 publications

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“…17 This instrument consists of a semi-open resonance body with 29 strings (24 of those in C 1 sharp, 2 in C 2 sharp, 2 C 3 sharp, and 1 in G 3 sharp) and is an established method in everyday clinical practice for music therapy. 18,19 The monochord was placed on the chest during the intervention to ensure optimal transmission of the vibrations (Figure 2). The instrument was played for 15 minutes by one of the investigators in all patients (CR).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Differential Effects of Sound Intervention and Rest on Cardiovascular Parameters in Cancer Patients: A Randomized Cross-over Trial

et al. 2021

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Background: Music therapy or sound interventions were shown to confer beneficial effects in patients with cancer for instance in terms of pain or fear relief and improvement of other patient reported outcomes. Cardiovascular parameters, especially heart rate variability (HRV) were found to have prognostic implications in cancer patients. In this trial we aimed to investigate the effects of a sound intervention on cardiovascular parameters compared to rest in patients with cancer. Methods and results: Using a randomized cross-over design, 52 patients (male 13, female 39) with cancer were recruited to receive both a 15-minute sound intervention and a 15-minute rest intervention within 4 weeks with at least a one-week blanking period. Cardiovascular parameters (among others HRV, aortic pulse wave velocity [PWV], augmentation index [Aix], aortic blood pressure [BP], heart rate [HR]) were assessed immediately before (pre) and after (post) the intervention had taken place. HRV (Root mean square of successive RR interval differences [RMSSD, ms]) significantly increased, during sound intervention (median RMSSD pre 24 [range 5-112] vs post 22 [range 9-141], P = .03). Likewise, median PWV, as a direct marker of arterial stiffness, was significantly reduced by sound intervention ([m/s] pre 8.5 [range 5.6-19.6] vs post 8.3 [range 5.6-15.6], P = .04). For both parameters no statistically significant change during rest was observed. HR was lowered by both, rest ( P < .0001) and sound intervention ( P = .02), with a more pronounced effect by rest. A significant increase in systolic aortic blood pressure was shown by rest ([mmHg] median 101 [range 78-150] vs post median 103 [range 71-152], P = .04) but not during sound intervention ( P = .59), while rest intervention led to a decrease in resistance index (pre median 33 [range 13-92] vs post median 32 [11-84], P = .02). Conclusion: In comparison with rest, a single sound intervention in patients with cancer improved cardiovascular parameters commonly associated with increased stress levels. Studies with longer follow-up and multiple interventions are warranted. Trial Registration: ISRCTN registry 70947363.

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Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Differential Effects of Sound Intervention and Rest on Cardiovascular Parameters in Cancer Patients: A Randomized Cross-over Trial

et al. 2021

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“…As to the music-listening intervention used in Study 1, it consisted of listening to 10 minutes of new-age style relaxation music while counting one's breaths in groups of four. Similar to VAT, we chose this intervention because targeted music listening is known to relieve stress and anxiety, both in healthy participants (Gäbel, Garrido, Koenig, Hillecke, & Warth, 2017) and patients waiting to be hospitalized (Hamel, 2001).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Enhancing improvisational music therapy through the addition of resonance frequency breathing: Common findings of three single-case experimental studies

Brabant

Erkkilä

2018

Music Therapy Perspectives

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One core characteristic of active music therapy is the facilitation of emotional expression through the creation of music improvisations. In an attempt to further develop this approach, we created an enhanced form of integrative improvisational music therapy by including 10 minutes of resonance frequency breathing (RFB) at the beginning of the sessions. RFB is a type of slowbreathing known for its ability to reduce stress and support emotional regulation. This paper summarizes the common findings of three single-case experimental studies and introduces a provisional model to explain the observed effects of RFB. During the breathing itself, all three clients (two of them healthy and one diagnosed with anxiety disorder) displayed significantly higher relaxation levels compared to the control intervention, as seen through their level of heart rate variability (HRV), a measure of autonomic nervous system response. We also found an association between RFB and the high frequency HRV component (HFnu) during music-making, with the two healthy clients presenting lower HFnu after RFB, whereas the opposite was true for the diagnosed client. Lastly, talking and music-making proved to be two very different activities in terms of HRV, each client perceiving one of them as systematically more stressful than the other. RFB appears to be an adaptive intervention providing either emotional upregulation or downregulation depending on the client's needs, while keeping arousal levels inside the window of tolerance. Between-group studies would be required to determine whether the addition of RFB also leads to better therapeutic outcomes.

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“…The sound intervention was performed with the body monochord called "Heaven and Earth" (http://klangkoerper.de/himmel-und-erde.html) (14). This instrument consists of a semi-open resonance body with 29 strings (24 of those in C1sharp, 2 in C2sharp, 2 C3sharp, and 1 in G3sharp) and is an established method in everyday clinical practice for music therapy (15,16). The monochord was placed on the chest during the intervention to ensure optimal transmission of the vibrations.…”

Section: Sound Interventionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Differential effects of sound interventions tuned to 432 Hz or 443 Hz on cardiovascular parameters in cancer patients: A randomized cross-over trial

Hohneck,

Rodríguez,

Weingärtner

et al. 2024

Preprint

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Background This study investigated whether a sound intervention tuned to 432 Hertz (Hz) yields differential effects on cardiovascular parameters and psychological outcomes compared to 443 Hz, which is the concert pitch in German professional orchestras. Methods Using a randomized cross-over design, patients with cancer were recruited to receive both a 15-minute sound intervention with a body monochord tuned to 432 Hz or 443 Hz. Before (pre) and after (post) intervention, cardiovascular parameters were measured using the VascAssist2.0. In addition, visual analogue scales (VAS) for emotional well-being, anxiety, stress, pain and sadness were also assessed pre and post intervention. Results 43 patients (8 male, 35 female) with a median age of 61 years (range 35–86) were included. Both interventions led to a significant reduction in heart rate with a more pronounced effect for 432 Hz (median reduction − 3 bpm (432 Hz) vs median reduction − 1 bpm (443 Hz), p = 0.04). While heart rate variability was increased exclusively by 432 Hz (median increase + 3 ms, p = 0.01), both vascular resistance (median reduction − 5%, p = 0.008) and stiffness (median reduction %, p = 0.04) were significantly reduced by 432 Hz, which was not observed at 443 Hz. Nevertheless, these effects were not significantly different compared to 443 Hz. On the other hand, 432 Hz led to a reduced pulse wave velocity (median reduction − 0.5 m/s, p < 0.001), which was also significantly different compared to 443 Hz (p < 0.001). Improvement in VAS was observed for both groups, with significant increases in emotional well-being and reduction in fatigue, anxiety and stress for both intervention timepoints, although the majority showed no increased VAS scores even before the intervention (median values 0 for anxiety and stress). Conclusion Sound interventions tuned to 432 Hz or 443 Hz exert both positive effects in cancer patients. While psychological outcomes are improved by both interventions, 432 Hz leads to a more pronounced but not significantly different effect to 443 Hz on objective cardiovascular parameters, which reflect deeper relaxation.

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Effects of Monochord Music on Heart Rate Variability and Self-Reports of Relaxation in Healthy Adults

Cited by 16 publications

References 51 publications

Differential Effects of Sound Intervention and Rest on Cardiovascular Parameters in Cancer Patients: A Randomized Cross-over Trial

Differential Effects of Sound Intervention and Rest on Cardiovascular Parameters in Cancer Patients: A Randomized Cross-over Trial

Enhancing improvisational music therapy through the addition of resonance frequency breathing: Common findings of three single-case experimental studies

Differential effects of sound interventions tuned to 432 Hz or 443 Hz on cardiovascular parameters in cancer patients: A randomized cross-over trial

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