{"id":24002,"date":"2025-03-31T15:07:25","date_gmt":"2025-03-31T22:07:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/?p=24002"},"modified":"2025-03-31T15:30:53","modified_gmt":"2025-03-31T22:30:53","slug":"nostalgic-music-aids-memory","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/stories\/nostalgic-music-aids-memory\/","title":{"rendered":"How nostalgic music helps minds remember"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\n    \n                                \n\n  \n    \n\n\n\n\n\n\n<div\n  class=\"cc--component-container cc--article-hero \"\n\n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  >\n  <div class=\"c--component c--article-hero\"\n    \n      >\n\n    \n<div class=\"inner-wrapper\">\n          \n<div class=\"f--field f--image\">\n\n    \n    \n    \n    \n    \n    \n              \n      <img\n                            data-src=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2025\/03\/habibi_music_top-768x432.jpg\"\n          data-srcset=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2025\/03\/habibi_music_top-1920x1080.jpg 1920w,https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2025\/03\/habibi_music_top-1280x720.jpg 1280w,https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2025\/03\/habibi_music_top-768x432.jpg 768w\"          data-sizes=\"(min-width:1200px) 75vw, (min-width:768px) 83vw, 100vw\"          class=\"lazyload\"\n        \n                  alt=\"Black-and-white photo of dancers and a three-piece band at a dance marathon\"\n        \n        \n                                      \/>\n\n    \n    \n  \n  \n\n<\/div>\n  \n      <div class=\"image-caption\">\n          \n<div class=\"f--field f--description\">\n\n    \n  People listening to nostalgic songs that are linked to significant life experiences, like this dance marathon, could improve their memory. (Image source: USC Digital Library\/California Historical Society.)\n\n\n<\/div>\n    <\/div>\n  \n  <div class=\"text-wrapper\">\n          <nav aria-label=\"Breadcrumb\" class=\"breadcrumbs\">\n        <ul>\n                      <li><a href=\"\/news\/stories\/\">News<\/a><\/li>\n                      <li><a href=\"\/news\/stories\/\/?category=health\">Health<\/a><\/li>\n                  <\/ul>\n      <\/nav>\n    \n              \n<div class=\"f--field f--page-title\">\n\n    \n  <h1>How nostalgic music helps minds remember<\/h1>\n\n\n<\/div>\n    \n          <div class=\"subtitle\">\n            \n<div class=\"f--field f--description\">\n\n    \n  Listening to songs tied to meaningful life events activates memory and reward centers in the brain \u2014 a discovery from USC Dornsife\u2019s Brain and Creativity Institute that could aid Alzheimer\u2019s disease treatment.\n\n\n<\/div>\n      <\/div>\n    \n           <strong class=\"author-field\"><span >By<\/span><a href=\"mailto:communication@dornsife.usc.edu\">USC Dornsife News<\/a><\/strong>\n    \n          <span class=\"post-date-field\">March 31, 2025<\/span>\n      <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n  <\/div><\/div>\n\n  \n    \n\n\n\n\n\n\n<div\n  class=\"cc--component-container cc--social-share \"\n\n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  >\n  <div class=\"c--component c--social-share\"\n    \n      >\n\n    \n  <div class=\"content-wrapper\">\n    <span class=\"a2a_kit a2a_kit_size_32 addtoany_list\" style=\"line-height: 32px;\">\n      <span class=\"title\">\n        Share\n      <\/span>\n                        <a class=\"a2a_button_copy_link\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"\/#copy_link\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" title=\"Link\">\n            <span class=\"a2a_svg a2a_s__default a2a_s_copy_link\">\n              <svg height=\"19\" viewBox=\"0 0 19 19\" width=\"19\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"><path d=\"m7.43475275 9.52380952-2.17490843 2.26076008c-1.08745421 1.058837-1.68841575 2.518315-1.68841575 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xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"><path d=\"m8.14285714 9.42857143c-.17142857 0-.34285714 0-.51428571.08571428l7.28571427 6.34285719c.3428572.2571428.6857143.2571428.9428572 0l7.2857142-6.34285719c-.0857142-.08571428-.2571428-.08571428-.4285714-.08571428zm-1.28571428 1.11428567v.1714286 8.5714286c0 .6857143.6 1.2857143 1.28571428 1.2857143h14.57142856c.6857143 0 1.2857143-.6 1.2857143-1.2857143v-8.5714286c0-.0857143 0-.0857143 0-.1714286l-7.2 6.3428572c-.7714286.6857143-1.8857143.6857143-2.6571429 0z\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\" transform=\"translate(-6 -9)\"\/><\/svg>\n            <\/span>\n            <span class=\"a2a_label visually-hidden\">Email<\/span>\n          <\/a>\n                  <\/span>\n  <\/div>\n\n  <\/div><\/div>\n \n\n\n\n  \n    \n\n\n\n\n\n\n<div\n  class=\"cc--component-container cc--rich-text \"\n\n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  >\n  <div class=\"c--component c--rich-text\"\n    \n      >\n\n    \n      \n<div class=\"f--field f--wysiwyg\">\n\n    \n  <p>When you hear a song from your youth \u2014 maybe a high school slow dance or a road trip anthem \u2014 you\u2019re not just reminiscing. You\u2019re lighting up key regions of your brain.<\/p>\n<p>A new <a href=\"https:\/\/onlinelibrary.wiley.com\/doi\/10.1002\/hbm.70181\">study<\/a> led by <a href=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/profile\/assal-habibi\/\">Assal Habibi<\/a> of the <a href=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/bci\/\">Brain and Creativity Institute<\/a> (BCI) at the USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences found that nostalgic music engages both the brain\u2019s default mode network, which is linked to memory and self-reflection, and its reward circuitry. The findings, published in the journal\u00a0<em>Human Brain Mapping<\/em>, offer scientific insight into why music can serve as a powerful tool to help people with Alzheimer\u2019s disease and other memory-related conditions reconnect with their past.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMusic is deeply intertwined with our sense of identity and personal history,\u201d said Habibi, associate professor (research) of <a href=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/psyc\/\">psychology<\/a> and neurology. \u201cWhat we\u2019re seeing is that nostalgic songs don\u2019t just bring back memories \u2014 they activate the brain in ways that could support emotional well-being and cognitive function, especially in individuals living with memory impairments.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Using functional MRI to monitor participants\u2019 brain activity as they listened to songs tied to meaningful life events, the researchers uncovered a neural signature that may explain music\u2019s unique ability to evoke vivid, autobiographical memories.<\/p>\n<p>The research points\u00a0to a promising, nonpharmacological path for improving quality of life in people experiencing memory loss \u2014 one that starts with a simple playlist.<\/p>\n<h2>About the study<\/h2>\n<p>In addition to Habibi, study researchers include corresponding and lead author Sarah Hennessy, a former USC Dornsife graduate student who is now a postdoctoral scholar at the University of Arizona; Jonas Kaplan and Talia Ginsberg of USC Dornsife; and Petr Janata of the University of California, Davis.<\/p>\n<p>The research was supported by the Grammy Museum Foundation Scientific Research Award, BCI and the USC Hearing and Communication Neuroscience T32 Fellowship.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n  <\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n  \n        \n  \n    \n\n\n\n\n\n\n<div\n  class=\"cc--component-container cc--article-related-stories \"\n\n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  >\n  <div class=\"c--component c--article-related-stories\"\n    \n      >\n\n    \n  <div class=\"inner-wrapper\">\n              \n<div class=\"f--field f--section-title\">\n\n    \n  <h2>\n          Related Articles\n      <\/h2>\n\n\n<\/div>\n    \n                  <article>\n              \n<div class=\"f--field f--cta-title\">\n\n    \n  <h3>\n          <a href=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/stories\/can-we-prevent-ai-from-acting-like-a-sociopath\/\" \n                        class=\"\" \n      >Can we prevent AI from acting like a sociopath?<\/a>\n      <\/h3>\n\n\n<\/div>\n        <\/article>\n              <article>\n              \n<div class=\"f--field f--cta-title\">\n\n    \n  <h3>\n          <a href=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/stories\/in-memoriam-william-mcclure-scientist-developed-uscs-neurosciences-programs\/\" \n                        class=\"\" \n      >In Memoriam: William McClure, scientist who developed USC\u2019s neurosciences programs<\/a>\n      <\/h3>\n\n\n<\/div>\n        <\/article>\n              <article>\n              \n<div class=\"f--field f--cta-title\">\n\n    \n  <h3>\n          <a href=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/stories\/synapse-stability-governed-by-physical-signals-not-electrical\/\" \n                        class=\"\" \n      >Biologists discover neurons use physical signals \u2014 not electricity \u2014 to stabilize communication<\/a>\n      <\/h3>\n\n\n<\/div>\n        <\/article>\n            <\/div>\n\n\n  <\/div><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Listening to songs tied to meaningful life events activates memory and reward centers in the brain. The USC Dornsife Brain and Creativity Institute discovery could aid Alzheimer\u2019s disease treatment.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":13,"featured_media":24003,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[26],"tags":[548,106,112,60],"class_list":["post-24002","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-health","tag-brain-and-creativity-institute","tag-neuroscience","tag-psychology","tag-research"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.1.1 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>How nostalgic music helps minds remember<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Hearing songs tied to meaningful events activates memory and reward centers in the brain and could even aid Alzheimer\u2019s disease treatment\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, 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