WASHINGTON, DC-A new study published Tuesday in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences reports brain structures that respond to food and sex are also stimulated by music.
The report, authored by Anne Blood, MD, a researcher at Massachusetts General Hospital and Robert Zatorre of McGill University in Montreal, explains how the team of researchers used positron emission tomography (PET) to see which areas of the brain are stimulated by music. They found that the midbrain, called the ventral striatum, was responding.
This is the same area of the brain responsible for creating euphoric feelings when someone eats or has sex. The euphoric results of both actions were created as a method of survival. However, why the brain has begin producing the same effects when people listen to music is not understood.
The study suggests that music benefits both the physical and mental well-being of the listener. Yet the researchers report that physical reaction to music is both individualized, (some people respond to rock while others prefer classical) and culturally based.
Why humans have responded biologically to music is unclear and will continue to be researched.
Information from www.latimes.com
Beyond the Surface: Rethinking Environmental Hygiene Validation at Exchange25
June 30th 2025Environmental hygiene is about more than just shiny surfaces. At Exchange25, infection prevention experts urged the field to look deeper, rethink blame, and validate cleaning efforts across the entire care environment, not just EVS tasks.
A Controversial Reboot: New Vaccine Panel Faces Scrutiny, Support, and Sharp Divides
June 26th 2025As the newly appointed Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) met for the first time under sweeping changes by HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr, the national spotlight turned to the panel’s legitimacy, vaccine guidance, and whether science or ideology would steer public health policy in a polarized era.
Getting Down and Dirty With PPE: Presentations at HSPA by Jill Holdsworth and Katie Belski
June 26th 2025In the heart of the hospital, decontamination technicians tackle one of health care’s dirtiest—and most vital—jobs. At HSPA 2025, 6 packed workshops led by experts Jill Holdsworth and Katie Belski spotlighted the crucial, often-overlooked art of PPE removal. The message was clear: proper doffing saves lives, starting with your own.