Saudi Press

Saudi Arabia and the world
Thursday, Jul 24, 2025

'Mozart effect': Listening to composer's Sonata For Two Pianos K448 can prevent epileptic seizures, study finds

'Mozart effect': Listening to composer's Sonata For Two Pianos K448 can prevent epileptic seizures, study finds

Researchers say listening to Mozart can lead to a decrease in epileptiform discharges, the brain waves that can cause seizures.
A piece of music by Mozart can have an anti-epileptic effect on the brain and may be a possible treatment to prevent seizures, according to a new study.

Researchers at the Hospital St Anne and CEITEC Masaryk University in the Czech Republic found that listening to Mozart's Sonata For Two Pianos K448 reduced epileptiform discharges (EDs) - the electrical brain waves associated with epilepsy and which can cause seizures.

The team compared the effects of listening to two classical pieces on epilepsy and on brain activity.

"To our surprise, there were significant differences between the effects of listening to Mozart's K448 and Haydn's No 94," said Professor Ivan Rektor.

"Listening to Mozart led to a 32% decrease in EDs but listening to Haydn's No 94 caused a 45% increase.

"Listening to Haydn's music led to suppressed epileptiform discharges only in women; in the men, there was an increase of epileptiform discharges.

"We believe the physical 'acoustic' features of the Mozart music affect brain oscillations - or brain waves - which is responsible for reducing EDs."

Prof Rektor added that the Mozart Effect was first conceived in the early nineties but there wasn't concrete data available.

His team, who published the study at the 7th Congress of the European Academy of Neurology, sought to test the theory and found EDs were suppressed by Mozart's composition, while Haydn's song increased EDs in men.

The team performed an acoustic analysis of Mozart's piece and Prof Rektor said that it was not the emotions invoked by the song that helped reduce EDs but instead the acoustic characteristics of the composition.

Experts believe the results may pave way for the development of personalised music therapy for the prevention and management of epileptic seizures.

According to Epilepsy Action, 600,000 people in the UK live with epilepsy - four times higher than those living with Parkinson's.

It affects around one in 100 people in the UK and 87 people are diagnosed with it every day.

Speaking to Sky News, Prof Rektor said that his team have started a new study testing several types of music and are seeking to find music that has anti-epileptic properties in individual patients.

"We will perform and test it in epileptic parties using individualised acoustic patterns," he said.
Newsletter

Related Articles

Saudi Press
0:00
0:00
Close
"Crazy Thing": OpenAI's Sam Altman Warns Of AI Voice Fraud Crisis In Banking
Japanese Prime Minister Vows to Stay After Coalition Loses Upper House Majority
President Trump Diagnosed with Chronic Venous Insufficiency After Leg Swelling
Man Dies After Being Pulled Into MRI Machine Due to Metal Chain in New York Clinic
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
"Can You Hit Moscow?" Trump Asked Zelensky To Make Putin "Feel The Pain"
Nvidia Becomes World’s First Four‑Trillion‑Dollar Company Amid AI Boom
Iranian President Reportedly Injured During Israeli Strike on Secret Facility
Kurdistan Workers Party Takes Symbolic Step Towards Peace in Northern Iraq
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
AI Raises Alarms Over Long-Term Job Security
Saudi Arabia Maintains Ties with Iran Despite Israel Conflict
Russia Formally Recognizes Taliban Government in Afghanistan
Mediators Edge Closer to Israel-Hamas Ceasefire Agreement
Emirates Airline Expands Market Share with New $20 Million Campaign
House Oversight Committee Subpoenas Former Jill Biden Aide Amid Investigation into Alleged Concealment of President Biden's Cognitive Health
Amazon Reaches Major Automation Milestone with Over One Million Robots
Meta Announces Formation of Ambitious AI Unit, Meta Superintelligence Labs
China Unveils Miniature Insect-Like Surveillance Drone
Marc Marquez Claims Victory at Dutch Grand Prix Amidst Family Misfortune
Iran Executes Alleged Israeli Spies and Arrests Hundreds Amid Post-War Crackdown
Trump Asserts Readiness for Further Strikes on Iran Amid Nuclear Tensions
Iran's Parliament Votes to Suspend Cooperation with Nuclear Watchdog
Trump Announces Upcoming US-Iran Meeting Amid Controversial Airstrikes
Trump Moves to Reshape Middle East Following Israel-Iran Conflict
NATO Leaders Endorse Plan for Increased Defence Spending
U.S. Crude Oil Prices Drop Below $65 Amid Market Volatility
Explosions Rock Doha as Iranian Missiles Target Qatar
“You Have 12 Hours to Flee”: Israeli Threat Campaign Targets Surviving Iranian Officials
Oman Set to Introduce Personal Income Tax, First in Gulf
Germany and Italy Under Pressure to Repatriate $245bn of Gold from US Vaults
Iran Intensifies Crackdown on Alleged Mossad Operatives After Sabotage Claims
Trump Praises Iran’s ‘Very Weak’ Response After U.S. Strikes and Presses Israel to Pursue Peace
WATCH: Israeli forces show the aftermath of a massive airstrike at Iran's Isfahan nuclear site
We have new information and breaking details to share about what is shaping up to be a historic air campaign tonight
Six Massive Bombs Dropped on Fordow; Trump: 'A Historic Moment for the U.S., Israel, and the World'
Fordow: Deeply Buried Iranian Enrichment Site in U.S.–Israel Crosshairs
United States Conducts Precision Strikes on Iran’s Nuclear Sites
US strikes Iran nuclear sites, Trump says
Pakistan to nominate Trump for Nobel Peace Prize.
Israel Confirms Assassination of Quds Force Commander in Tehran
16 Billion Login Credentials Leaked in Unprecedented Cybersecurity Breach
Senate hearing on who was 'really running' Biden White House kicks off
G7 Leaders Fail to Reach Consensus on Key Global Issues
Mass exodus in Tehran as millions try to flee following Trump’s evacuation order
Iranian Military Officers Reportedly Seek Contact with Reza Pahlavi, Signal Intent to Defect
Vietnam Emerges as Luxury Yacht Destination for Ultra‑Rich
China's Iranian Oil Imports Face Disruption Amid Escalating Middle East Tensions
Trump Demands Iran's Unconditional Surrender Amid Escalating Conflict
×