The Power of Classic Music to Reduce Anxiety in Rats Treated with Simvastatin

• Main Authors: José Geraldo Pereira da Cruz, Débora Delwing Dal Magro, Daniela Delwing de Lima, Júlia Niehues da Cruz
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Iran University of Medical Sciences 2011-08-01
• Series: Basic and Clinical Neuroscience
• Subjects: Music; Elevated Plus-Maze; Open-Field; Rattus Norvegicus; Simvastatin
• Online Access: http://bcn.tums.ac.ir/browse.php?a_code=A-10-1-70&slc_lang=en&sid=1

Introduction: This study was designed to investigate the effects of music in Wistar rats after sub-chronic treatment of simvastatin. The rats were orally administered with either simvastatin or saline (controls). After 4 weeks of drug treatment, the rats were selected for behavioral studies. The rats were exposed to music 24 hours before behavioral tests (Mozart’s piano sonata, KV361, Largo). Results: The experiments suggest that exposure to chronic treatment with simvastatin (1 or 10 mg/kg/day) reduced anxiety levels in rats when associated with Mozart music in an elevated plus-maze. Discussion: These results indicate that music can serve as an effective adjuvant in rats treated with simvastatin, and that this species could potentially be used in other preclinical models utilizing musical interventions.