Insights into the Cardiac Effect of Music on the Electrical Activity of the Body

Universally, music tends to exhibit an emotional response on the body. A particular beat or rhythm may modify one's heart rate or blood pressure; however, the distinct way in which music affects the cardiovascular properties of the body tends to vary. In this study, we address the impact of different musical genres on both skin conductivity of participants and cell viability of Human Aortic Endothelial Cells (HAoECs). We hypothesize that both skin conductivity and HAoECs viability will be affected based on genre and tempo. A musical playlist was curated consisting of three musical genres: R&B, Country, and Hip Hop. Each genre had three songs which were played for 120 seconds, followed by a period of silence for 120 seconds. The HAoECs were exposed to music daily for a fixed time and cell viability was determined. Each participant's electrical response was measured through skin conductivity using a Q-S222 galvanic skin response (GSR) sensor. The combined results provide insight into the body's electrical response to music. The R&B playlist has the highest tempo and tends to exhibit the greatest response; however, the research is ongoing and the data is being analyzed. Upon completion, we can determine the cardiac effect of musical exposure within the body.