Numerous studies show that classic music has positive effects on the human brain. But it looks like the impact of Mozart’s music is more profound than the works of any other composers.

Frances Rauscher, a neuroscientist from the University of Wisconsin, discovered an unusual effect of Mozart’s music on people’s physiology in 1993. It turned out that listening to the “Sonata in C Major for Two Pianos” improved the mental abilities of students – they showed better performance on tests. This phenomenon later became known as the Mozart effect.

Some other experiments also showed a positive impact of Mozart’s music on brain activity. However, until now, scientists have been arguing whether it is just a consequence of a good mood caused by Mozart’s harmonic melodies or it is a result of more profound physiological processes, which are somehow related to the particularities of this music.

Rats Appreciate Mozart’s Music Too!

Recently, Rauscher announced the results of new studies on the Mozart effect. This time, music was given to rats, which were to perform various tasks on memory and intelligence.

It is reasonable to suggest that rodents would hardly appreciate the beauty of classical music. However, just like in the case of experiments with humans, Mozart’s music has greatly improved the ability of animals to perform cognitive tasks.

At the same time, the scientist didn’t just check the progress in their task performance but also “looked into” their brains. He found out that Mozart’s music had affected the activity of certain genes and the production of several proteins responsible for memory and attention.

To compare the results of his experiment, Rauscher examined the same parameters in rats that instead of music were given an equivalent amount of the “white noise”.

Listen to Mozart’s Sonata in C Major for Two Pianos and discover the Mozart effect for yourself!


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This Post Has 3 Comments

  1. david k waltz

    Last month I wrote a 3 part blog trilogy on encouraging innovation – I wish I had read this post at the time – pipe in Mozart over the speakers!

    I wonder if the effect goes away if you overdo it?

  2. farukkhan

    Man of Paradise.

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