Duration of music listening in music-induced analgesia: A pilot randomized controlled trial

Music is a non-pharmacological treatment that is effective for pain relief. However, the extent to which duration of listening to music influences music-induced analgesia (MIA) is unclear.

In this pilot randomized controlled trial, healthy volunteers (n = 80) were subjected in a parallel design to music for 0, 1, 5 or 20 min. Pain was induced by increasing electric stimuli using the Biopac program Stimusol. MIA was assessed at baseline, at the end of the experimental period with music (intervention), and after a five-minute washout period without music. Data were analyzed using linear mixed models to account for measurement sequences.

For the intervention measurement, pain endurance did not differ between groups. However, pain threshold was higher in the 20-minute group (β = 2.5, p < 0.001), but not in the 1-minute and 5-minute groups, compared to the control group. On average, perceived pain intensity and unpleasantness were somewhat lower in all music groups compared to the control group, but none of these differences were significantly different. Emotional valence was higher in the music groups compared to the control group, which was significant only for the 1-minute group (β = 0.6, p = 0.027). Albeit not consistently, heart rate variability indicated more sympathetic activity in all music groups. For the washout measurement, no clear trends were visible.

Translating these findings to clinical care, it seems advisable for patients to listen to music for a sufficient amount of time (≥20 min) to achieve effective MIA. Further research is needed to validate these results and determine the optimal "dosage" for MIA.