Where does this news come from?
The Mozart effect in epilepsy was first described in 1993 by a psychologist who discovered that students could perform better spatial tasks after listening to Mozart’s Sonata K448 (1). Later, the same piece of music was tested on epilepsy patients, and it was shown through electroencephalogram (EEG) research that abnormal brain stimuli were reduced while listening to a Mozart sonata (2). The same effect cannot be produced with music by other composers, such as Beethoven’s piece for Elise, nor with other compositions by Mozart, except occasionally with his Piano Sonata in C Major (K545). Some music is said to increase the number of abnormal stimuli in the brain, such as 94ste Haydn Symphony.
Dozens of studies on Mozart sonatas and epilepsy have been followed, usually with positive effect, in small numbers of patients and without a control group.
An Austrian research group has recently inserted a spanner into the works, with a comprehensive analysis of extensive previous research work. This meta-analysis makes a dent in Mozart’s effect on epilepsy (3).
Bron
(1) Rauscher F, Shaw G, Ky C. Music and spatial task performance. Nature 1999;365:611
How should you interpret this news?
The Austrian review used only those studies that included a control group: e.g. A group of people with epilepsy listen to different music and then compare it with a Mozart sonata. The effect on brain discharge also had to be determined through careful recordings. Of the hundreds of studies on the Mozart effect, only 8 ultimately met quality criteria, with a total of just over 200 patients. The meta-analysis was unable to demonstrate any significant effect of listening to Mozart’s K448 Sonata, nor any other music, on abnormal brain activities in epilepsy patients.
The fact that many previous studies have found a Mozart effect may be a result of poor methodology with small numbers of participants. It is not certain whether the effect came entirely out of the blue. Stress can trigger an epileptic seizure. Listening to music relieves stress and this relaxing effect may reduce the number of attacks. However, it is unlikely that this applies only to Mozart’s particular sonata, K448.
Conclusion
Since the 1990s, Mozart’s specific keyboard sonata, K448, has been claimed to reduce abnormal brain stimuli in the brains of patients with epilepsy. However, it has not been proven whether patients actually suffer fewer attacks thanks to the so-called Mozart effect. A new critical analysis of the vast literature on this topic finds no significant influence or difference with other music or with silence. Neither Mozart nor other composers can replace anti-seizure medications. Since stress may trigger an epileptic seizure, relaxation, for example with classical music, may have an indirect beneficial effect.
References
Source: Journal of Medicine and Healthcare, Meta-Analysis Punches Mozart Effect in Epilepsy. September 2023 (www.tvgg.be)
(2) Hughes J, Daaboul Y, Fino G et al. The “Mozart effect” on epileptiform activity. Clean. Electroencephalogram. 1998;29, 109-119.
(3) Oberleiter S, Pietschnig J. Unfounded authority, weak studies and opaque reporting perpetuate the myth of the Mozart effect: a multiversal meta-analysis. Nature 2023;13:3175.
