New Study Shows Listening to Favorite Music Triggers Brain’s Opioid System

A new study led by BML/CBRU alumnus and Academy Research Fellow Dr. Vesa Putkinen, now based at the Turku PET Centre, reveals that listening to favorite music activates the brain’s opioid system—offering fresh insight into the biological roots of musical pleasure.

“Music has the ability to evoke powerful emotional responses, sometimes experienced as physical ‘chills.’ While its pleasurable effects are widely recognized, the brain mechanisms behind them are still not fully understood. Previous research has shown that the brain’s opioid system is involved in pleasurable experiences tied to essential behaviors like eating. Now, this study provides the first direct evidence that the same system is engaged when we enjoy music,” Dr. Putkinen explains.

Results were published in the European Journal of Nuclear Medicine on 4 April 2025.

https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00259-025-07232-z?utm_source=rct_congratemailt&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=oa_20250404&utm_content=10.1007/s00259-025-07232-z

For further information, see https://www.utu.fi/en/news/press-release/favourite-music-sets-the-brains-opioids-in-motion