Group singing and its effect on cortisol, alpha amylase, oxytocin, and pain threshold in patients with Parkinson's disease
BackgroundParkinson's disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disorder that causes motor deficits, including rigidity and tremors. Pain is also a common problem for people with PD that may arise from their dopamine deficit. Some patients with PD experience temporary relief from pain through group s...
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2025-05-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Neuroscience |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnins.2025.1569601/full |
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| author | Adiel Mallik Tara Raessi Arla Good Alex Pachete Frank A. Russo |
| author_facet | Adiel Mallik Tara Raessi Arla Good Alex Pachete Frank A. Russo |
| author_sort | Adiel Mallik |
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| description | BackgroundParkinson's disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disorder that causes motor deficits, including rigidity and tremors. Pain is also a common problem for people with PD that may arise from their dopamine deficit. Some patients with PD experience temporary relief from pain through group singing, which has also been shown to mitigate vocal challenges related to PD. However, no work has been conducted to elucidate the neurochemical mechanisms of action on the pain threshold. Here, we examined whether the effects of group singing on cortisol, alpha amylase, and oxytocin levels are associated with changes in pain thresholds in patients with PD.MethodsParticipants with PD (n = 14) participated in a 12-week singing program involving weekly 45-min group singing sessions in the early afternoon. Data collection, involving saliva samples and pain thresholds, was performed pre- and post-session in the 2nd (Session 1), 7th (Session 2), and 12th (Session 3) weeks of the program. Saliva samples were collected before and after each session by using the passive drool method. The pain threshold was assessed before and after each session by applying pressure to the finger using a dolorimeter. Saliva samples were used to assess salivary cortisol (sCORT), alpha amylase (sAA), and oxytocin (sOXT). Pain threshold, sCORT, sAA, and sOXT change scores were calculated for each session by subtracting the pre-session value from the post-session value.ResultsThree mixed linear model analyses were performed to assess whether sCORT, sAA, and sOXT were associated with increased pain threshold. We found that group singing led to a significant reduction in sCORT and sAA. We also found that reductions in sCORT were significantly related to an increase in the pain threshold (p < 0.05). However, we did not observe any relationship between pain threshold increases and sAA or between pain threshold and sOXT.ConclusionGroup singing significantly increases the pain threshold in patients with PD, and this increase may be mediated through a reduction in cortisol levels. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-fd60bb393dce4d1e856b80839747e080 |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 1662-453X |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-05-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Neuroscience |
| spelling | doaj-art-fd60bb393dce4d1e856b80839747e0802025-08-20T02:56:08ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Neuroscience1662-453X2025-05-011910.3389/fnins.2025.15696011569601Group singing and its effect on cortisol, alpha amylase, oxytocin, and pain threshold in patients with Parkinson's diseaseAdiel MallikTara RaessiArla GoodAlex PacheteFrank A. RussoBackgroundParkinson's disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disorder that causes motor deficits, including rigidity and tremors. Pain is also a common problem for people with PD that may arise from their dopamine deficit. Some patients with PD experience temporary relief from pain through group singing, which has also been shown to mitigate vocal challenges related to PD. However, no work has been conducted to elucidate the neurochemical mechanisms of action on the pain threshold. Here, we examined whether the effects of group singing on cortisol, alpha amylase, and oxytocin levels are associated with changes in pain thresholds in patients with PD.MethodsParticipants with PD (n = 14) participated in a 12-week singing program involving weekly 45-min group singing sessions in the early afternoon. Data collection, involving saliva samples and pain thresholds, was performed pre- and post-session in the 2nd (Session 1), 7th (Session 2), and 12th (Session 3) weeks of the program. Saliva samples were collected before and after each session by using the passive drool method. The pain threshold was assessed before and after each session by applying pressure to the finger using a dolorimeter. Saliva samples were used to assess salivary cortisol (sCORT), alpha amylase (sAA), and oxytocin (sOXT). Pain threshold, sCORT, sAA, and sOXT change scores were calculated for each session by subtracting the pre-session value from the post-session value.ResultsThree mixed linear model analyses were performed to assess whether sCORT, sAA, and sOXT were associated with increased pain threshold. We found that group singing led to a significant reduction in sCORT and sAA. We also found that reductions in sCORT were significantly related to an increase in the pain threshold (p < 0.05). However, we did not observe any relationship between pain threshold increases and sAA or between pain threshold and sOXT.ConclusionGroup singing significantly increases the pain threshold in patients with PD, and this increase may be mediated through a reduction in cortisol levels.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnins.2025.1569601/fullgroup singingParkinson's diseasecortisolalpha amylaseoxytocinpain |
| spellingShingle | Adiel Mallik Tara Raessi Arla Good Alex Pachete Frank A. Russo Group singing and its effect on cortisol, alpha amylase, oxytocin, and pain threshold in patients with Parkinson's disease Frontiers in Neuroscience group singing Parkinson's disease cortisol alpha amylase oxytocin pain |
| title | Group singing and its effect on cortisol, alpha amylase, oxytocin, and pain threshold in patients with Parkinson's disease |
| title_full | Group singing and its effect on cortisol, alpha amylase, oxytocin, and pain threshold in patients with Parkinson's disease |
| title_fullStr | Group singing and its effect on cortisol, alpha amylase, oxytocin, and pain threshold in patients with Parkinson's disease |
| title_full_unstemmed | Group singing and its effect on cortisol, alpha amylase, oxytocin, and pain threshold in patients with Parkinson's disease |
| title_short | Group singing and its effect on cortisol, alpha amylase, oxytocin, and pain threshold in patients with Parkinson's disease |
| title_sort | group singing and its effect on cortisol alpha amylase oxytocin and pain threshold in patients with parkinson s disease |
| topic | group singing Parkinson's disease cortisol alpha amylase oxytocin pain |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnins.2025.1569601/full |
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