Can music change salivary secretion? Effects of auditory stimulation on salivary flow and composition

Abstract

Previous research shows that music associated with the sweet taste can impact the perception of sweetness in foods. One possible explanation for this effect is that music induces changes in the biology of the oral medium, which may contribute to shaping taste perception. However, this hypothesis requires further empirical investigation, including different physiological measures. In this study, we investigated the influence of music crossmodally associated with sweetness on measures of salivary flow and composition (including protein profile and alpha-amylase enzymatic activity). Saliva samples were collected from 30 normal-weight individuals ( M age = 31.97, SD age = 8.81 years, 60 % women) while listening to “high sweetness” music (HS), “low sweetness” music (LS), and in silence. Our findings revealed (i) an association between saliva protein composition and sensitivity to the sweet taste; (ii) an increase in salivary alpha-amylase enzymatic activity in response to music (vs. silence) without changes in salivary flow; (iii) no differences in salivary parameters between soundtracks (HS vs LS). The absence of differences between HS and LS soundtracks indicates that the modulation of alpha-amylase is driven mainly by the auditory stimulation itself rather than by differences in the sensory-affective attributes of music. This pattern points to a dissociation between autonomic activation and psychosensory perception.