Music 'releases mood-enhancing chemical in the brain'

Music releases a chemical in the brain that has a key role in setting good moods, a study has suggested. The study, reported in Nature Neuroscience, found that the chemical was released at moments of peak enjoyment. Researchers from McGill University in Montreal said it was the first time that the chemical - called dopamine - had been tested in response to music.

Dopamine increases in response to other stimuli such as food and money. It is known to produce a feel-good state in response to certain tangible stimulants - from eating sweets to taking cocaine. Dopamine is also associated with less tangible stimuli - such as being in love.

"This paper shows that music is inextricably linked with our deepest reward systems."

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