The sound of science

Researchers finding what we listen to may have power to heal what ails us

- DAVID PATERSON

Nat King Cole's voice is instantly recognizable as it floats through the headphones.

Sonorous and wholesome with a touch of melancholy, it's the postwar era in musical form. As Cole croons, my mind flits to a time, long before I was born, when the moon landing was still pie in the sky and homemade cookies were perpetually baking in the oven.

On the table in front of me at Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU), a tablet is trying to discern whether Cole is to my taste. Using the device's camera, an artificial intelligence system is looking for clues in my eye movements and shifting facial expressions. The machine is trying to gauge if I'm into this music and whether I find it soothing. For what it's worth, I don't have strong opinions of any kind about Cole. Next, the system selects something a little more upbeat and Elvis Presley is suddenly resonating in my ears.

As the Al-curated artist options might suggest, tech-curious writers in their 40s are not the device's intended audience. This system was dreamed up by Toronto startup Lucid to deliver music as a therapeutic tool for older adults experiencing agitation and anxiety, which can be caused by cognitive decline or dementia. The idea is to provide a personalized playlist of familiar tunes that can tackle these symptoms and improve the quality of life for individuals experiencing these conditions and their care providers.

The device is being tested by Frank Russo, a psychology professor at TMU who is also Lucid's chief science officer.

"There's lots of evidence that listening to music can alleviate anxiety," he says. Exposure to music has been shown to slow the pulse, increase heartbeat variability and reduce skin conductance, which are all signs of reduced stress. But simply playing a bunch of random chilled-out tunes may not do much to help someone who is agitated. It's the musical equivalent of telling your angry uncle to calm down.