BACKGROUNDLeisure activities are believed to contribute to healthy ageing. We compared the effects of choir singing and go playing on cortisol levels in Japanese older adults. We also examined its ...relevance to the older adults' emotional affect and cognitive performance. METHODSThirty-six older adults participated either in choir or go playing, within a 2 (groups)×2 (time points) design. Dependent measures included levels of salivary cortisol, as well as key psychological, cognitive, and neuropsychological measures. RESULTSA significant two-way interaction was observed, showing that levels of salivary cortisol decreased for the choir but increased for the go groups. The decrease in salivary cortisol for the choir group correlated with the participant's negative affect and their degree of cognitive impairment. CONCLUSIONChoir singing has the potential to reduce Japanese older adults' physiological stress. The decreases can be seen more prominently for people with stronger negative affect and cognitive impairment. Further research is required to replicate these effects.
While increasing evidence points toward the benefits of musical activities in promoting cognitive and emotional well-being in older adults, more longitudinal studies are needed to establish their ...long-term effects and uncover the mechanisms through which musical activities affect well-being. Most previous research has focused on instrumental musical activities, but little is currently known about the long-term effects of singing, even though neuroimaging evidence suggests that it is a versatile activity for the brain, involving a multitude of neural processes that are potentially beneficial for well-being.
We conducted a 2-year follow-up study to assess aging-related changes in cognitive functioning and emotional and social well-being with self-report questionnaires and standardized tests in 107 older adult choir singers and 62 demographically matched non-singers. Data were collected at baseline (T1), and at 1-year (T2) and 2-year (T3) follow-ups using questionnaires on subjective cognitive functioning, depression, social engagement, and quality of life (QOL) in all participants and neuropsychological tests in a subgroup of participants (45 choir singers and 41 non-singers).
The results of linear mixed model analysis showed that in verbal flexibility (phonemic fluency task), the choir singers had higher scores already at T1 and showed no change over time, whereas the non-singers showed enhancement from T1 to T3. Furthermore, active retrieval of word knowledge (WAIS-IV Vocabulary task) showed significantly different changes from T1 to T2 between the groups (enhancement in choir singers and decline in non-singers), however lacking significant change within groups. Similar opposite trajectories of QOL related to social inclusion and safety of the environment (WHOQOL-Bref Environmental subscale) were significant from T1 to T3, but these changes were not significant within groups or at each timepoint. Within the choir singers, shorter experience in choir singing was associated with greater improvement in the vocabulary task over the follow-up period, suggesting that initiation of choir singing at older age induces some verbal benefits. There were no group differences in any other questionnaire or neuropsychological measure over time.
In conclusion, our results suggest that choir singing at older age is associated with a sustained enhancement of phonemic fluency, while the effects on other verbal skills and quality of life are less clear.
The quantification of salivary oxytocin (OXT) concentrations emerges as a helpful tool to assess peripheral OXT secretion at baseline and after various challenges in healthy and clinical populations. ...Both positive social interactions and stress are known to induce OXT secretion, but the relative influence of either of these triggers is not well delineated. Choir singing is an activity known to improve mood and to induce feelings of social closeness, and may therefore be used to investigate the effects of positive social experiences on OXT system activity. We quantified mood and salivary OXT and cortisol (CORT) concentrations before, during, and after both choir and solo singing performed in a randomized order in the same participants (repeated measures). Happiness was increased, and worry and sadness as well as salivary CORT concentrations were reduced, after both choir and solo singing. Surprisingly, salivary OXT concentrations were significantly reduced after choir singing, but did not change in response to solo singing. Salivary OXT concentrations showed high intra-individual stability, whereas salivary CORT concentrations fluctuated between days within participants. The present data indicate that the social experience of choir singing does not induce peripheral OXT secretion, as indicated by unchanged salivary OXT levels. Rather, the reduction of stress/arousal experienced during choir singing may lead to an inhibition of peripheral OXT secretion. These data are important for the interpretation of future reports on salivary OXT concentrations, and emphasize the need to strictly control for stress/arousal when designing similar experiments.
Background
Singing in a choir was associated with larger outbreaks in the beginning of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic.
Materials and methods
We report on the effect and acceptance of various infection ...control measures on the occurrence of SARS-CoV-2 infections in the world famous Domspatzen boys' choir from March 2020 to April 2022.
Results
In addition to basic general hygiene measures, systematic rRT-PCR testing and scientifically approved concepts of distancing during singing were applied. While single infections of choir members could not be avoided, singing-related outbreaks were not observed. Until the Omicron variant emerged, potential transmission of SARS-CoV-2 in the school was limited to only one case. Incidences at the school were never higher than in the comparable general population until then. While the impact of the pandemic on daily life and singing was rated as severe, especially by staff members, most students agreed with the usefulness of protection measures and rated them as acceptable. Students viewed regular testing as the most important tool to increase safety in the school.
Discussion
A bundle of infection control measures including regular testing can prevent outbreaks of SARS-CoV-2 even in the setting of choir singing. Measures are acceptable for choir members if they allow to continue with singing and performing.
Objectives
Adults with mental health conditions commonly experience difficulties with emotion regulation which affect their social functioning. Arts‐based groups provide opportunities for shared ...emotional experiences and emotion regulation. This study explores emotion regulation strategies and the emotional effects of arts‐based group participation in adults with mental health problems and in controls.
Design and method
The 62 participants included 39 adults with chronic mental health problems who were members of arts‐based groups (ABG) and 23 comparison choir (CC) members who were not specifically experiencing mental health problems. The repeated measures design included self‐reports of emotion upon waking (T1), the hour before group (T2), end of the group (T3), and evening (T4), as well as participant notes to explain their emotion ratings at each time. They also completed measures of individual and interpersonal emotion regulation.
Results
The ABG participants engaged marginally more in affect worsening strategies than CC (p = .057 and .08), but there were no other group differences. All participants reported a significant increase in positive emotions, F (3, 180) = 28.044, p < .001, np2 = .319; and a decrease in negative emotions during the arts‐based activity: F (2.637, 155.597) = 21.09, p < .001, np2 = .263. The influence on positive emotions was short‐lived, while the effect on negative emotions lasted until evening.
Conclusion
Findings show that participation in arts‐based groups benefits the emotions of both healthy adults and those experiencing mental health conditions through individual and interpersonal processes.
Practitioner points
Individuals with chronic mental health conditions often experience difficulties in emotion processing
Participation in arts‐based groups was associated with significant increases in positive emotions although these were short‐lived
Negative emotion was significantly decreased during arts‐based group activities, and sustained to the evening assessment
Adults with chronic mental health conditions were equally able to derive emotional benefits as healthy adults
We conducted a pilot study to assess the expected effects of regular choir-singing in persons with dementia. We measured psychosocial and physiological outcomes in the 19 choir members (Mage = 76.95) ...with mild-to-moderate dementia. We evaluated the weekly choir rehearsals individually (situational measurements) and overall (pre-/posttests). Our data suggested significant increases in emotional well-being during the choir sessions and significant reductions in cortisol levels in saliva as an indicator of stress. Observations by the caregiving relatives confirmed the positive influence of choir-singing on participants' emotional and communication behavior. The results of the pilot study reveal the therapeutic potential of choir-based music interventions in persons with dementia and show that these effects can be demonstrated in community-based singing programs.
The aim of this study was to evaluate anxiety, stress and symptoms of temporomandibular disorders (TMD) among a sample of participants that practice choir singing as a recreational activity. As the ...literature shows the positive effects of choir singing on mental and physical health, we hypothesized that anxiety, stress and TMD symptoms would be less frequent in the choir group when compared to participants from the general population. The choir group included 33 adults who participated weekly in a choral singing group as a recreational activity and the comparison group included 40 participants from the general population. Choir singers had significantly lower levels of anxiety and TMD. A significant positive correlation was observed between anxiety and TMD scores. The groups did not differ regarding the presence of stress symptoms. It seems that choir singing was associated with better mental and physical outcomes. This study reinforces the promising benefits of choir singing as a recreational activity. Although we only included amateur singers in our sample, the literature shows that singing as a professional may be an etiologic factor for developing TMD. Future studies should explore differences between professional and amateur choir singers regarding TMD symptoms.
There is a growing body of academic research aiming to quantify and understand the associated health and well being benefits of group singing. The social interaction is known to strongly contribute ...to perceived improvements to mental and physical health but there are also indications that singing together elicits better well being outcomes than other community activities. This paper introduces the Vocal Interaction in an Immersive Virtual Acoustic (VIIVA) system, which allows the user to take part in a group singing activity in 360 degree virtual reality, hearing themselves in the recorded venue alongside the other singers. The VIIVA is intended to make group singing accessible to those unable to attend real community choirs but also as a tool for experimental research into the health and well being benefits of group singing. This paper describes the VIIVA system and presents a number of methodologies and applications which are discussed in relation to three ongoing research projects. Preliminary work indicates that the VIIVA system provides a promising tool with which to study the health and well being benefits of group singing, and in particular to control for the social interactions inherent in real group singing activities.
PDF
