Uploaded April 2026 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago
How music could diagnose heart conditions
The connections between the heart and brain are so strong, simply listening to calming music ahead of heart surgery can change physiological responses and levels of pain.
Elaine Chew, a concert pianist and researcher in computational music perception at King’s College London, is one person working in this area. Earlier this year, Chew was part of a team that published research indicating that music can be an accessible way to detect hypertension.
Based on other research she has been part of, she is also hopeful that music could be used as a treatment. Both of these ideas are in their early days, and clinical trials are needed to test their efficacy in large numbers of people in real-world settings, but Chew is optimistic.
Violin by Hilary Sturt and cello by Ian Pressland.
Learn more more about the heart-brain axis: newscientist.com/article/2519667-the-profound-effect-the-heart-brain-connection-has-on-your-health
How music could diagnose heart conditions
The connections between the heart and brain are so strong, simply listening to calming music ahead of heart surgery can change physiological responses and levels of pain.
Elaine Chew, a concert pianist and researcher in computational music perception at King’s College London, is one person working in this area. Earlier this year, Chew was part of a team that published research indicating that music can be an accessible way to detect hypertension.
Based on other research she has been part of, she is also hopeful that music could be used as a treatment. Both of these ideas are in their early days, and clinical trials are needed to test their efficacy in large numbers of people in real-world settings, but Chew is optimistic.
Violin by Hilary Sturt and cello by Ian Pressland.
Learn more more about the heart-brain axis: newscientist.com/article/2519667-the-profound-effect-the-heart-brain-connection-has-on-your-health
