Music's context-dependent influence on oxytocin, social bonding, and emotion regulation confirmed by systematic review

The neuropeptide oxytocin (OXT) plays a crucial role in regulating social bonding and emotion regulation, influencing behaviors from trust to empathy. While music therapy is increasingly recognized for its psychosocial benefits, the precise neurobiological mechanisms, particularly involving the oxytocinergic system, remain underexplored. Understanding how musical activities modulate OXT release and its downstream effects could optimize therapeutic interventions, moving beyond descriptive links to a more mechanistic approach for conditions involving social and emotional dysregulation.

Researchers conducted a systematic review following PRISMA 2020 guidelines, searching PubMed, Embase, Scopus, Web of Science Core Collection, and PsycInfo up to October 2024. The search identified 1,865 records, which were screened by one reviewer. Ultimately, 20 studies were included: seven randomized controlled trials and 13 quasi-experiments, involving a total of 877 participants across healthy and clinical populations. Interventions reviewed included singing, playing instruments, listening to music, and various forms of music therapy. Data extraction and quality assessment were performed by a single reviewer, followed by framework and narrative synthesis.

The systematic review of 20 studies involving 877 participants revealed that most studies reported improvements in psychosocial outcomes, such as reduced anxiety and depression or enhanced social cognition. However, these psychosocial benefits did not always align with detectable changes in peripheral oxytocin (OXT) levels. The review highlighted that music-induced OXT responses are context-dependent, with certain psychosocial outcomes or specific contexts showing more consistent patterns in OXT responses. Short-term musical interventions often reported detectable peripheral OXT changes, which were interpreted as partially reflecting temporary activity of magnocellular OXT neurons in the hypothalamus. Conversely, no significant changes in baseline peripheral OXT levels were observed after long-term interventions. This suggests a nuanced, bidirectional modulation of OXT in musical contexts.

Music-induced OXT responses are context-dependent, with bidirectional modulation supporting social bonding and emotion regulation in musical contexts.