The two aspects that were least convincing were: one, the highly technical passages (241) that explained in esoteric narrative how the brain functions (e.g., it didn't offer coherence to the study at hand to learn that "…the general neurobiological centers for sensory pain are the sensory cortex and the thalamus"); and two, explaining that because only 52% used music to both relax and distract themselves from the pain it must be because "most participants had developed their own ways of listening to music" was a very obvious and simplistic statement (everyone everywhere has his or her own style of listening to music). This research article relates well with Oliver Sacks' story of Dr. Tony Cicoria (pp. 3-6) who began craving piano music following the lightning attack he had endured. The power of music to heal people -- and...

The research in this article adds to Sacks' story (pp. 8-10) of Salimah M. who became "addicted" to her car radio (and other musical sources) following surgery. Sacks asks (10), could someone develop a "pure" musicophilia with changing personality or behavior? Anything is possible, especially when music is part of the equation.
Works Cited

Good, Marion, Anderson, Gene Cranston, Ahn, Sukhee, Cong, Xiaomei, and Stanton-

Hicks. "Relaxation and Music Reduce Pain Following Intestinal Surgery."

Research In Nursing & Health 28, no. 3 (June, 2005) 240-251.

Levitin, Daniel…