“Why stimulating music? The literature shows that people with ADHD need more activation to perform at the same optimal level as neurotypicals. Music could help with this, regardless of the type of activity,” said Kelly-Ann Lachance, a Ph.D. student in clinical neuropsychology at Université de Montréal. Her words embody an emerging wealth of research that demonstrates when it comes to focus and productivity, music particularly upbeat, distracting music might provide the key to the kingdom for young adults with A.D.H.D.
The research, published in Frontiers in Psychology, asked 434 people aged between 17 to 30 years old, 118 of whom had screened positive for ADHD. The results were revealing: Young adults with ADHD reported that they listen to background music while studying or playing sports much more often than did their neurotypical peers. And it wasn’t just any music they gravitated toward energizing tunes instead of soothing melodies.
The reason for the preference for stimulating music? “The literature shows that people with ADHD need more activation to perform at the same optimal level as neurotypicals.” like neurotypicals, Lachance explains. According to the Moderate Brain Arousal Hypothesis, this type of brain patterning means that those with ADHD need more stimulation in order to sufficiently activate their brain’s arousal and perform at their peak.
It’s worth mentioning that this background music preference isn’t restricted to complex, attention demanding tasks such as studying. Participants with ADHD also reported listening to music while doing low-demand work like cooking, cleaning and sports. In fact, they were considerably more likely to choose music with a heavy beat or aggressive rhythm during sports. A systematic review noted the example of the rhythmic and intense beat of rock music, which can stimulate brain arousal, thus overriding environmental distractions and enhancing focus.
But it’s not all about the rhythm. A new study published in Communications Biology examined whether music specifically using targeted amplitude modulation (AM) a method that causes sound to include rhythmic pulses to music helps people with ADHD focus. Roberto Olivardia, Ph. D, a clinical psychologist at Harvard Medical School: “People with ADHD benefit from ‘rhythmic entrainment,’ using strong, steady rhythms to imprint structure and consistency. This assists with regulation of attention and behavior.”
In one study, participants performed sustained attention tasks included either AM music, control music, or pink noise. When participants listened to AM music, they exhibited even higher levels of focus and increased activation in the brain areas associated with executive function. The research also concluded that ADHD brains have an especially positive response to music driving Beta waves brainwaves linked to cognitive control and attention.
Outside of the science, the sentimental power of music is impossible to ignore. It’s no secret that music has the power to influence mood and since people with ADHD often struggle with emotional dysregulation, this can be an important point to harness. “Music is used to modulate emotions, so we wanted to include emotional functioning in the study.” said Nathalie Gosselin, a neuropsychologist and director of the Music, Emotions and Cognition Research Laboratory at Université de Montréal.
These cognitive and emotional processes work together, making music a powerful symptom-management tool for ADHD. While Lachance stresses that music isn’t a substitute for medication, she sees it as a supplement to traditional therapies.
The study also noted interesting differences in musical preference among the ADHD-screened participants relative to those not screened for ADHD. When doing more demanding cognitive work, ADHD participants showed a preference for classical or opera and alternative or indie, while neurotypicals preferred jazz or blues. For these less-demanding tasks, ADHD participants preferred rap or hip-hop and popular songs from their culture, whereas neurotypicals preferred dance/electronic tracks.
These inclinations may mirror the different activation requirements of ADHD brains. Familiar music, though frequently pleasurable, may be overstimulating or even boring for those with ADHD, distracting them from their focus. In contrast, novel and meaningful music activates dopamine release, which optimally promotes brain arousal, allowing attention to be enhanced.
For caregivers and professionals, these findings create new and exciting opportunities for pharmacological interventions. Q: How can music be helpful for people with ADHD? Music is a common part of everyday life; it’s readily available to listen to anywhere, any time Read When your kid has ADHD and you don’t (and vice versa)This makes it inherently a flexible and costless medium through which to strategically support an individual for everyday tasks. Music can also overlap with other domains of practice; think of how arguably everyone is attracted to music (hearing it and playing it) which opens possibilities for therapy-based applications such as rhythm-based training, which has been shown to be effective in treating numerous disorders.
As Lachance and Gosselin’s research implies, the answer resides in considering the unique relationship each and every person has with music. “All types of music can sustain attention for someone with ADHD,” Olivardia says. “It is really an individual decision and depends on context. When reading, I listen to instrumental music. When trying to go to sleep, Enya is my go-to. When writing, it is often loud, cacophonous punk music. It is whatever grounds someone.”
Ensuring that they stay productive (and, in some cases, engaged) as they revise with amplitude-modulated music, or feel the rhythm of hip-hop energizing them, the right background music is a possible breakthrough for young adults with ADHD, helping them to focus and adjust their emotions and levels of motivation in their daily lives.
For more of the science behind ADHD and music, look at the original study for a deeper dive into listening habits and their effect on cognitive and emotional functioning. Or read about how amplitude modulation is changing focus music for ADHD brains.
Music may not be the answer to all of the challenges, but for many of the young adults with ADHD, it’s a beat they can dance to.
