Pleasurable music activates cerebral µ-opioid receptors: a combined PET-fMRI study.

ABSTRACT:

Purpose

The μ-opioid receptor (MOR) system mediates incentive motivation and the hedonic component of primary rewards such as food and sex. However, there is no direct in vivo evidence for the involvement of the MOR system in pleasure derived from aesthetic rewards such as music.  METHODS: We measured MOR availability with positron emission tomography (PET) and the agonist radioligand [¹¹C]carfentanil with high affinity for MORs during the listening of pleasurable music and neutral baseline condition. Haemodynamic responses associated with dynamic pleasure ratings during listening to music and control stimuli were measured using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI).

Results

The PET results revealed that pleasurable music increased [¹¹C]carfentan

SUBMITTER: Putkinen V 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12316753 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature