Music therapy could help people receiving treatment for drug and alcohol addiction manage their emotions and experience fewer immediate cravings, according to new research from Anglia Ruskin University (ARU) in the United Kingdom.
The study, published in Addiction Neuroscience, examined brain activity during music therapy sessions and found differences in patterns associated with craving, motivation and emotional processing. Researchers said the findings offer early evidence that music-based interventions could support existing addiction treatment programmes.
However, the researchers stressed that the study was a small pilot trial and that larger investigations are needed to establish how effective the approach may be.
Researchers Used Brain Scans to Examine Music Therapy
The research was conducted by a team from ARU’s Cambridge Institute for Music Therapy Research, led by Dr Clemens Maidhof, Dr Filippo Pasqualitto and Professor Jorg Fachner.
Unlike research that relies solely on participants describing their experiences, the team combined questionnaires and interviews with electroencephalography (EEG), a technique used to record electrical activity in the brain.
This approach allowed researchers to compare participants’ reported cravings with changes in brain activity that may be linked to emotional and motivational processes.
The researchers described the work as the first study to investigate brain activity during music therapy specifically in the treatment of substance use disorders.
Six Weekly Sessions Tested Alongside Standard Addiction Care
The pilot trial involved 16 adults receiving treatment for drug or alcohol use through a community addiction service in London. Substances involved included alcohol, heroin, cocaine and cannabis.
Participants were divided into two groups. One group received six weekly music therapy sessions alongside their usual treatment, while the other continued with standard care alone.
Sessions took place in both group and individual settings, allowing participants to engage with music in different therapeutic environments.
To carry out the research, the team established a temporary music studio and brain laboratory at the treatment centre. Participants worked with instruments including guitars, keyboards, drum pads and percussion, as well as computer-based music software.
Participants Reported Lower Cravings After Music Sessions
One of the main findings was that participants who received music therapy reported lower levels of immediate craving after their sessions.
Researchers assessed these experiences using a self-reported Craving Thermometer scale, which measured how strongly participants felt the urge to use substances at that moment.
The results suggest that music therapy may offer short-term support for people experiencing cravings during addiction treatment.
However, the findings do not establish whether the effect lasts beyond the sessions or whether music therapy reduces substance use or relapse rates over time.
EEG Results Revealed Differences in Brain Activity
The participants’ self-reported experiences were accompanied by differences in their EEG recordings.
Those who received music therapy showed lower levels of frontal beta activity than participants in the standard-care group. Higher relative beta-wave activity has been associated with craving in the context examined by the researchers.
The study also identified differences in frontal alpha asymmetry, a measure of activity across the frontal regions of the brain that has been studied in connection with emotional processing.
Together with findings from a response task, these results suggest that music therapy may influence processes involved in regulating emotions and responding to motivational cues.
The researchers said these patterns could help explain why participants reported feeling less immediate craving following the sessions.
Emotional Regulation Could Be Important in Addiction Recovery
Addiction treatment can involve managing difficult emotional states, including anger, frustration and other negative feelings that may influence behaviour.
The study explored whether music therapy could help participants process these emotions while also affecting brain activity linked to motivation and craving.
Professor Fachner said the value of the research was its combination of participants’ personal accounts with physiological measurements, providing a more detailed picture of how music therapy might influence processes relevant to recovery.
He said the findings suggest music therapy could help people process negative emotions, maintain motivation to change their behaviour and better control emotional responses such as anger and frustration.
The results therefore point to a possible role for music therapy as a supportive element within broader addiction treatment.
Music and the Brain’s Reward System
Music and addictive substances can both activate the brain’s reward system and influence mood. This overlap provided part of the scientific rationale for investigating whether structured musical activities could help people manage cravings.
The researchers examined whether engaging with music in a therapeutic setting might affect emotional and motivational responses associated with substance use.
Their findings suggest that music therapy may influence some of these processes, although the precise mechanisms and the extent of any lasting benefits remain uncertain.
The study does not suggest that listening to music alone can treat addiction or replace established medical and psychological care.
Larger Studies Needed Before Firm Conclusions Can Be Drawn
Despite the encouraging results, the research team emphasised that the trial involved only 16 participants, limiting the conclusions that can be drawn from the findings.
Further studies involving larger groups will be needed to determine whether the observed changes can be consistently reproduced and whether they translate into meaningful improvements in long-term recovery.
Future research could also help establish how music therapy works alongside standard treatment and whether any benefits persist after sessions end.
For now, the study provides preliminary evidence that music therapy may help some people in addiction treatment manage immediate cravings and emotional responses. The researchers say more evidence is needed before its wider effectiveness can be established.
