New Research Finds Sound Mitigates Pain in Mice

A new study on mice from the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, and Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China, used sound to reduce pain. The researchers found the neural pathway that enables the use of sound to reduce pain sensitivity. Mice with inflamed paws listened to three types of sound: harmonious classical music, discordant classical music, and white noise. All types of sound—when played at low intensity—mitigated pain in the mice. When the sound was played at higher levels, the pain benefits disappeared. Pain response was measured via fluorescent proteins that followed responses in the brain. Click here to read more.