Background & Aims

Music is a potent adjunct in pain treatment, effectively reducing subjective pain levels and perioperative opioid requirements. However, the relationship between the impact of a specific type of music and listeners’ socio-cultural background is still unclear. This is especially relevant given that sociological research indicates that one’s socio-cultural background can have a notable influence on music preferences and perceptions. Current evidence suggests that self-chosen music may provide greater benefits in the context of music-induced analgesia (MIA). However, further research is needed to better understand the influence of music taste differentiation based on socio-cultural background, in interaction with music preferences and the mechanisms underlying its therapeutic effects. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the role of socio-cultural background on MIA.

Methods

This study (MOSART trial) is a collaborative effort between medical and sociological researchers. Healthy female participants will listen to self-, and researcher-chosen music and a control condition in a cross-over randomized-controlled trial design. An informative podcast about ‘flora and fauna’ will serve as a control condition. The primary objective of this study is pain endurance measured by electric stimuli of increasing intensity (to a maximum of 30 mA). Detailed sociological validated questionnaires will be utilized. Considering the previously found notable influence of educational level on music taste formation and its crucial role as a source of socio-cultural background, participants will be stratified based on their level of education. Moreover, anxiety and emotions will be assessed, using validated questionnaires. Measurement of heart rate variability throughout each listening intervention will serve as an objective marker for autonomic function.

Results

Sociological research shows, amongst other things, that music preference is connected to socio-cultural background characteristics such as gender, ethnicity, cultural capital and socioeconomic status. Moreover, the music people choose can affect their behavior, actions and emotions. As pain is defined as an “unpleasant sensory and emotional experience”, it is expected that different music preferences will influence emotions and thereby also the experience of pain. This study aims to ensure diversity in the study population, diverging from the typically overrepresented highly educated Western cohorts. Exclusively involving women participants intends to create a more homogeneous study group, allowing valid conclusions about socio-cultural background factors such as socioeconomic status and cultural capital. This choice is crucial as gender differences, both among participants and researchers, are strongly linked to results in pain research and pain perception.

Conclusions

This study will be the first experimental trial which integrates sociological methods in medical research on MIA, which could provide new perspectives in this field. As a result of this collaboration, we hope to answer the question what the effect is of socio-cultural background on MIA. Since pain and music preference are both multidimensional concepts, we believe that only by combining the different disciplinary insights that were consulted during the design of this research protocol we will be able to address the research questions within this field appropriately.

References

Belangrijkste:

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Presenting Author

Hanna Ljungvall

Poster Authors

Hanna Ljungvall

PhD

Department of Pharmacy, Social Pharmacy, University of Uppsala

Lead Author

Hedvig Zetterberg

PhD

Uppsala university, Department of Women's and Children's Health

Lead Author

Sofia Wagner

MSc

Uppsala University, Department of Women's and Children's Health

Lead Author

Rolf Karlsten

PhD

Uppsala University, Department of Surgical Sciences

Lead Author

Pernilla Åsenlöf

PhD

Uppsala Univeristy, Department of Women's and Children's Health

Lead Author

Topics

  • Treatment/Management: Pharmacology: Opioid