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Oxytocin as an allostatic agent in the social bonding effects of music

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  30 September 2021

Niels Chr. Hansen
Affiliation:
Aarhus Institute of Advanced Studies, Aarhus University, Høegh-Guldbergs Gade 6B, 8000Aarhus C, Denmark. [email protected]; http://www.nielschrhansen.com/ Center for Music in the Brain, Aarhus University & Royal Academy of Music Aarhus/Aalborg, Aarhus, Denmark
Peter E. Keller
Affiliation:
The MARCS Institute for Brain, Behaviour and Development, Western Sydney University, Penrith, NSW2751, Australia. [email protected]; http://pkpublications.weebly.com/

Abstract

Despite acknowledging that musicality evolved to serve multiple adaptive functions in human evolution, Savage et al. promote social bonding to an overarching super-function. Yet, no unifying neurobiological framework is offered. We propose that oxytocin constitutes a socio-allostatic agent whose modulation of sensing, learning, prediction, and behavioral responses with reference to the physical and social environment facilitates music's social bonding effects.

Type
Open Peer Commentary
Copyright
Copyright © The Author(s), 2021. Published by Cambridge University Press

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