Listening to music ‘can prevent organ rejection’

A new study has revealed that listening to music can potentially help transplant patients to minimise the risk of organ rejection.

Scientists in Japan have published a study in the Journal of Cardiothoracic Surgery showing that exposure to opera and classical music helped lab mice which received heart transplants to increase the amount of time before the new organs failed.

Researchers Xiangyuan Jin and Dr Masateru Uchiyama said: "Significantly these mice had increased numbers of CD4-positive, CD25-positive cells, which regulate the peripheral immune response."

By contrast, single frequency monotones and new age music had no effect on the subjects, with the precise way in which the music influenced the immune system as yet unknown.

However, it has been shown in the past that music is able to reduce anxiety after heart attacks or minimise pain and nausea during bone marrow transplantation, possibly by affecting the parasympathetic nervous system.

This comes after an Italian study earlier this month showed that an appreciation of music and art can also help people to recover faster from strokes.