Researchers at the University of Turku, Finland, have discovered the neural mechanisms responsible for emotional responses to music. With a machine learning algorithm, scientists performed mapping to identify activated regions when different music-induced emotions are expressed. The auditory cortex is responsible for processing acoustic elements of music, such as rhythm and melody. Activation of the motor cortex is related to music inspired movements in the listeners.
Researchers have accurately predicted the type of music (happy or sad) listened to by trial subjects (n=102), based on the auditory and motor cortex's activation. They also discovered the brain regions activated when the research participants watched films which evoked strong emotions. They tested whether the same regions were activated when the subjects listened to emotions evoking music. The results suggest that…
