Effects on plasma oxytocin and dopamine levels through a five-minute audiovisual stimulus of Greek Syrtaki: An intervention-control primary care study

Background

Culturally familiar or preferred music has been found to impact levels of neurotransmitters and hormones. The study aimed to explore the potential influence of an audiovisual stimulus, featuring Greek Syrtaki music, on plasma oxytocin and dopamine levels among primary care attendees and the associations between their variations, socio-demographic factors, and baseline levels of loneliness.

Methods

Eighty primary care attendees participated in the study (40 in the intervention group and 40 in the control group). Early morning blood sample collection took place between December 2023 and June 2024. Commercial ELISA kits from Abcam (Cambridge, UK) were used to measure oxytocin and dopamine levels. Syrtaki music by M. Theodorakis was provided in audiovisual format. The University of California, Los Angeles Loneliness Scale (Version 3) was used and correlated with oxytocin and dopamine levels.

Results

Post-intervention oxytocin levels increased on average by 0.72 pg/ml (p < 0.001) in 85.0 % of intervention group participants, while dopamine levels increased by 0.21 ng/ml (p = 0.001) in 67.5 % of intervention group participants. Multiple logistic regression analysis showed that, for each unit increase in the loneliness scale, the odds of post-intervention elevated oxytocin and dopamine levels significantly decreased (OR=0.88, p = 0.039).

Conclusion

Decoding hormonal response to a well-known culturally based music element and its associations with baseline loneliness offers new knowledge on the interrelation between proactive behaviors of bonding, social connection, and personal well-being.