Brain DC Potentials Evoked by Listening to Mozart’s Sonata K. 448, Albinoni’s Adagio, Schubert’s Fantasia, and Brown Noise: Indications of a Mozart Effect Independent of Mood and Arousal

Context: The Mozart effect describes that after listening to Mozart’s sonata K. 448 spatial reasoning was superior. Up to now there is puzzling evidence on the validity of this effect and controversial explanations are offered.

Objective: Based on the findings which indicate that Mozart’s sonata activates brain circuits related to attention and cognitive processing, changes in brain DC potentials induced by Mozart’s sonata and three control conditions were investigated.

Design: According to a repeated ANOVA design brain DC potential changes, autonomic arousal, and mood were compared in four conditions of stimulation: Mozart’s Sonata K. 448, Albinoni’s Adagio, Schubert’s Fantasia, and brown noise.

Setting and Interventions: Participants listened to three pieces of music and to brown noise which were presented in a balanced order while electrophysiological signals were recorded (electroencephalogram, heart rate, and skin conductance). After 4 min of stimulation ratings of mood were initiated. Participants: A total of 38 (19 females) non-musicians participated in the study.

Main outcome measures: For stimulation with Mozart prefrontal and frontal brain potentials shifted negatively, whereas for all other stimulations positively. No relevant differences of autonomic arousal were observed. Mood ratings were comparable for musical pieces and negative for brown noise.

Results: Negative brain DC potentials, most pronounced at prefrontal sites in the Mozart condition, only indicate an attention-related activation which primes spatial information processing.

Conclusions: Results support the Mozart effect independent of mood and arousal. The specific stimulation of two different but similar musical streams is offered as a new explanation of the Mozart effect.

Author(s): Michael Trimmel, Christoph Goger, Ulrike Spitzer, Thomas Geiss-Granadia  

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