The research involved 12 patients who were undergoing chemotherapy treatment. The patients agreed to listen to their favorite music for 30 minutes when taking medication meant to combat nausea caused by the invasive therapy.
The patients repeated the “music intervention” each time they experienced nausea during a five-day period after the conclusion of their chemotherapy.
According to an MSU press release, the patients exhibited a decrease in both the severity of their nausea and in how much distress they experienced due to said nausea.
“Music-listening interventions are like over-the-counter medications,” said Jason Kiernan, assistant professor in the MSU’s College of Nursing. “A doctor can prescribe them, but you also can get them at the drug store yourself.”
Jason Kiernan, an assistant professor in the university’s College of Nursing, did warn, however, that it is somewhat hard to determine whether this development was caused by the music or if it was thanks to the gradual release of the medication.