Cure motion sickness: Study says happy, gentle music can help shift brain's attention

Researchers learned that listening to cheerful music or gentle music could result in motion sickness symptom reduction.(Image: Pexels)

Motion sickness is a common condition, affecting about one in three people. It's a very uncomfortable feeling while traveling, resulting from the conflicting sensory signals, e.g. your eyes tell you that you're still but your vestibular system says you're in motion. A new study from researchers, led by Dr Qizong Yue at Southwest University in China, suggest a solution: listen to happy or gentle music.

Dr Yue commented, "If you have symptoms of motion sickness when you are a passenger in a car, you can use happy or gentle music to get relief." For example, the study showed that listening to happy music for one minute after a driving task reduced symptoms of carsickness by 57.3%, while gentle music reduced symptoms by 56.7%.

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The researchers suggested that happy music may provide a distraction that shifts the brain's attention away from the conflicting sensory signals, reducing the perception of nausea. Interestingly, sad music was less effective (43.3%), with participants experiencing 40% less symptoms than quiet resting.

The study used a driving simulator to get subjects sick and participants were put into groups depending upon what type of music they listened to or if they were resting still or silent.  The scientist monitored human brain with caps that recorded electrical signals and were looking for changes in a particular area of the brain, the occipital lobe responsible for visual processing. They conclude that the activity levels of the occipital lobe reduced to baseline levels once the participants said they were less sick.

While the study's findings are exciting, the scientists admitted that there's a need for more studies with larger participant groups to replicate their findings. The study's authors also plan to assess music genres and how personal preference plays a role in the efficacy of this remedy.

Disclaimer: This article, including health and fitness advice, only provides generic information. Don’t treat it as a substitute for qualified medical opinion. Always consult a specialist for specific health diagnosis