Motion sickness sufferers will know all too well how feelings of nausea can linger even after movement has stopped. But researchers in China may have found a way to speed up recovery — listen to happy music. Their study found that listening to joyful tunes for just one minute appeared to ease their sickness more than soft, passionate or sad music.
Study leader Dr Qizong Yue of Southwest University in China, said: “Motion sickness significantly impairs the travel experience for many individuals, and existing pharmacological interventions often carry side-effects such as drowsiness. Music represents a non-invasive, low-cost, and personalised intervention strategy.”
The study involved 30 people known to experience moderate car sickness. They were divided into six groups and say in a driving simulator.
Once the ride stopped, they reported their levels of car sickness before and after listening to music or no music.
Sickness levels were reduced by 57.3% for participants who listened to joyful music, 56.7% for soft music and 48.3% for passionate music.
People who listened to sad music saw their sickness level drop by only 40%, less than those who did not listen to any music (43.3%).
Participants also wore electroencephalogram caps to monitor their brain activity. The EEG measured less complex activity in the occipital lobe when participants said they felt quite sick. Activity returned to normal levels as patients recovered.
The researchers theorised that soft music relaxes people, relieving tension which exacerbates carsickness, while joyful music might distract people by activating brain reward systems. Meanwhile, sad music may amplify negative emotions and increase discomfort.
Publishing their results in the journal Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, the team noted that the study was small and further research was needed.
Dr Yue added: “Based on our conclusions, individuals experiencing motion sickness symptoms during travel can listen to cheerful or gentle music to achieve relief.
“The primary theoretical frameworks for motion sickness genesis apply broadly to sickness induced by various vehicles. Therefore, the findings of this study likely extend to motion sickness experienced during air or sea travel.”