Music therapy during surgery reduces anesthetic use and stress responses

ATLANTA, Oct. 28, 2025 — Summary

A new study published in Music and Medicine reveals that intraoperative music therapy significantly reduces the amount of propofol required during laparoscopic cholecystectomy performed under general anesthesia. This research demonstrates that intraoperative music therapy significantly reduces the amount of propofol required during laparoscopic cholecystectomy performed under general anesthesia. Patients who received therapeutic music required less anesthesia, experienced smoother awakenings, and showed reduced physiological stress markers, including lower perioperative cortisol levels. These findings highlight the potential of music as a powerful non-pharmacological tool in the operating room, demonstrating enhanced patient outcomes and reduced reliance on medication.

This study is available open access online to the public courtesy of Music and Medicine and IAMM (The International Association for Music and Medicine)

https://doi.org/10.47513/mmd.v17i4.1111

“These findings show that this is more than just simple background music, rather an integration of a novel intervention into anesthetic practice,” said Dr. Tanvi Goel, principal investigator and anesthesiologist at Lok Nayak Hospital and Maulana Azad Medical College in New Delhi, India.

“By delivering intraoperative music, we’re engaging the patient’s nervous system even under anesthesia—blunting the neuroendocrine stress response when the body is most vulnerable,” added Dr. Farah Husain, co-investigator and certified music therapist.

“The auditory environment under anesthesia is often neglected, but sound—when delivered with therapeutic intent—may accelerate healing, reduce stress, and improve recovery in ways we are only beginning to quantify,” noted Dr. Sonia Wadhawan, Director Professor of Anesthesia and Intensive Care at Maulana Azad Medical College.

Key findings of the study include:

• Reduced anesthetic needs: Patients in the music group required significantly less propofol and fentanyl.
• Smoother awakenings: Participants experienced gentler, more comfortable recovery from anesthesia.
• Lower stress response: Perioperative cortisol levels were substantially reduced compared with controls.

“This study adds to the growing empirical evidence that the neural effects of patient-preferred music translate to behavioral benefits,” said Wendy L. Magee, PhD, Professor of Music Therapy at Temple University’s Boyer College of Music and Dance. “For people with disorders of consciousness following brain injury, patient-preferred music improves arousal and cognition. This research furthers the evidence that music with personal meaning enhances salience and emotional impact—maximizing music’s neural effects and supporting recovery.”

https://news.temple.edu/news/2025-07-24/temple-researcher-uses-music-fill-gaps-consciousness-assessment-children-brain

“This study shows the real potential of music to improve anesthetic care, but we must go further,” said Joseph J. Schlesinger, MD, FCCM, Professor of Anesthesiology, Critical Care Medicine, Hearing & Speech Sciences, and Biomedical Engineering at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. “To truly understand how music affects the brain during surgery, we need multimodal EEG and a broader view of the perioperative sound environment that includes both patient outcomes and provider safety.”

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2772501422000264

“These findings open the door for future studies to expand sample sizes, explore music therapy across general anesthesia for different types of surgery, and develop standardized music protocols that could be implemented in hospitals worldwide.” Fred J Schwartz, MD Editorial Commentary from Music and Medicine- 

This commentary is available to the public online courtesy of Music and Medicine and IAMM (The International Association for Music and Medicine)  

 https://doi.org/10.47513/mmd.v17i4.1134

Media Contacts

Tanvi Goel, MD
Senior Resident, Dept. of Anesthesia & Intensive Care
Lok Nayak Hospital & Maulana Azad Medical College, New Delhi, India
📧 tanvigoel1902@gmail.com 📞 +91 98917 55314

Farah Husain, DNB
Certified Music Therapist, Dept. of Anesthesia & Intensive Care
Lok Nayak Hospital & Maulana Azad Medical College, New Delhi, India
📧 farah.husain.durrani@gmail.com 📞 +91 99580 76500

Sonia Wadhawan, MD
Director Professor, Dept. of Anesthesia & Intensive Care
Maulana Azad Medical College, New Delhi, India
📧 soniawadhawan@hotmail.com 📞 +91 98109 46845

Joseph J. Schlesinger, MD, FCCM
Professor of Anesthesiology & Critical Care Medicine, Vanderbilt University Medical Center  Professor of Hearing & Speech Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center                                                                                               
Professor Music, Vanderbilt University
Professor of Biomedical Engineering, Vanderbilt University  

 📧 joe.schlesinger@gmail.com 📞 +1 615-727-4880                                                                                                               

Wendy L. Magee, PhD
Professor of Music Therapy, Boyer College of Music & Dance, Temple University
📧 wmagee@temple.edu 📞 +1 215-204-8314

Fred J. Schwartz, MD
Anesthesiologist (Piedmont Hospital 1979-2017)
Founding Member, IAMM (International Association for Music and Medicine)              

Editorial Board, Music and Medicine                                                                                                        

Vice President, ISMM
📧 drmusic@mindspring.com 📞 +1 404-354-0208

Funding & Disclosures

The authors declare no competing financial interests or conflicts of interest related to this research.