Anatomically distinct dopamine release during anticipation and experience of peak emotion to music
Valorie N Salimpoor; Mitchel Benovoy; Kevin Larcher; Alain Dagher; Robert J Zatorre · Nature Neuroscience · 2011 · Human PET and functional MRI study
Original publication · Original publication · Original publication
Recorded summary
Pleasurable music was associated with dopamine release in the striatum. Anticipation and peak emotional experience recruited different regions, with caudate involvement during anticipation and nucleus accumbens involvement during peak pleasure.
Recorded limitations
A small laboratory study of selected listeners. Dopamine release is not a measurement of DRD2 gene expression or a music-therapy outcome.
Evidence and provenance
Chapter Trust Factor uses a minimum of three distinct qualifying studies. Publication records retain their own evidence and assessment.
Study design and assessment
- design
- Human PET and functional MRI study
- assessment
- category
- observational
- peer Reviewed
- true
- basis
- Human PET and functional MRI study. No masked human randomized trial classification is assigned.
- sources
https://www.nature.com/articles/nn.2726 · https://doi.org/10.1038/nn.2726 · https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21217764/
- reviewed At
- 2026-10-23
- trust Factor
- score
- 1
- scope
- Paper
- status
- assessed
- randomized Controlled Trial
- Not recorded
- blinding
- not-confirmed
- peer Reviewed
- true
- basis
- Human PET and functional MRI study. No masked human randomized trial classification is assigned.
- sources
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21217764/ · https://www.nature.com/articles/nn.2726 · https://doi.org/10.1038/nn.2726
- review Scope
- Existing publication-specific assessments and bibliographic indexing; no blanket full-text appraisal.
- assessed At
- 2026-10-27
- jadad
- status
- unassessed
- score
- Not recorded
- evidence
- evidence Type
- Brain & nervous system
- sample
- Healthy listeners selected for strong emotional responses to music
- measurement
- PET dopamine-sensitive radioligand imaging and fMRI
- measured Genes
- None recorded
- relationship Note
- A small laboratory study of selected listeners. Dopamine release is not a measurement of DRD2 gene expression or a music-therapy outcome.
- source URLs
https://www.nature.com/articles/nn.2726 · https://doi.org/10.1038/nn.2726 · https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21217764/
- checked At
- 2026-10-23
Topics and recorded topic scores
- key
- sound:vii
- title
- Music, heart-rate variability, cognition, emotional regulation, pain and mental health
- collection
- sound
- trust Score
- 3
Citation snapshot and identifiers
- id
- pmid-21217764
- doi
- 10.1038/nn.2726
- pmid
- 21217764
- citation Snapshot
- count
- 1354
- source
- Crossref
- retrieved At
- 2026-10-23
- url
- https://api.crossref.org/works/10.1038/nn.2726
- citations By Collection
- sound
- 1354
Complete approved library record
- id
- pmid-21217764
- aliases
- None recorded
- title
- Anatomically distinct dopamine release during anticipation and experience of peak emotion to music
- journal
- Nature Neuroscience
- publisher Family
- nature
- publisher Family Label
- Nature Portfolio
- neurotransmitters
Dopamine
- year
- 2011
- authors
- Valorie N Salimpoor; Mitchel Benovoy; Kevin Larcher; Alain Dagher; Robert J Zatorre
- design
- Human PET and functional MRI study
- kind
- Journal article
- identity Conflict
- Not recorded
- doi
- 10.1038/nn.2726
- pmid
- 21217764
- urls
https://www.nature.com/articles/nn.2726 · https://doi.org/10.1038/nn.2726 · https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21217764/
- collections
sound
- categories
Brain & nervous system
- targets
- None recorded
- priority
- 1
- quotes
- None recorded
- summary
- Pleasurable music was associated with dopamine release in the striatum. Anticipation and peak emotional experience recruited different regions, with caudate involvement during anticipation and nucleus accumbens involvement during peak pleasure.
- limitation
- A small laboratory study of selected listeners. Dopamine release is not a measurement of DRD2 gene expression or a music-therapy outcome.
- citation Count
- 1354
- citation Snapshot
- count
- 1354
- source
- Crossref
- retrieved At
- 2026-10-23
- url
- https://api.crossref.org/works/10.1038/nn.2726
- study Design Assessment
- category
- observational
- peer Reviewed
- true
- basis
- Human PET and functional MRI study. No masked human randomized trial classification is assigned.
- sources
https://www.nature.com/articles/nn.2726 · https://doi.org/10.1038/nn.2726 · https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21217764/
- reviewed At
- 2026-10-23
- paper Trust Assessment
- score
- 1
- scope
- Paper
- status
- assessed
- randomized Controlled Trial
- Not recorded
- blinding
- not-confirmed
- peer Reviewed
- true
- basis
- Human PET and functional MRI study. No masked human randomized trial classification is assigned.
- sources
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21217764/ · https://www.nature.com/articles/nn.2726 · https://doi.org/10.1038/nn.2726
- review Scope
- Existing publication-specific assessments and bibliographic indexing; no blanket full-text appraisal.
- assessed At
- 2026-10-27
- citations By Collection
- sound
- 1354
- topics
- key
- sound:vii
- title
- Music, heart-rate variability, cognition, emotional regulation, pain and mental health
- collection
- sound
- trust Score
- 3
- journal Key
- natureneuroscience
- journal Label
- Nature Neuroscience
- chapter Entries
- title
- Anatomically distinct dopamine release during anticipation and experience of peak emotion to music
- journal
- Nature Neuroscience
- year
- 2011
- authors
- Valorie N Salimpoor; Mitchel Benovoy; Kevin Larcher; Alain Dagher; Robert J Zatorre
- design
- Human PET and functional MRI study
- urls
https://www.nature.com/articles/nn.2726 · https://doi.org/10.1038/nn.2726 · https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21217764/
- doi
- 10.1038/nn.2726
- pmid
- 21217764
- targets
- None recorded
- neurotransmitters
Dopamine
- categories
Brain & nervous system
- citation Count
- 1354
- citation Snapshot
- count
- 1354
- source
- Crossref
- retrieved At
- 2026-10-23
- url
- https://api.crossref.org/works/10.1038/nn.2726
- study Design Assessment
- category
- observational
- peer Reviewed
- true
- basis
- Human PET and functional MRI study. No masked human randomized trial classification is assigned.
- sources
https://www.nature.com/articles/nn.2726 · https://doi.org/10.1038/nn.2726 · https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21217764/
- reviewed At
- 2026-10-23
- evidence
- evidence Type
- Brain & nervous system
- sample
- Healthy listeners selected for strong emotional responses to music
- measurement
- PET dopamine-sensitive radioligand imaging and fMRI
- measured Genes
- None recorded
- relationship Note
- A small laboratory study of selected listeners. Dopamine release is not a measurement of DRD2 gene expression or a music-therapy outcome.
- source URLs
https://www.nature.com/articles/nn.2726 · https://doi.org/10.1038/nn.2726 · https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21217764/
- checked At
- 2026-10-23
- id
- sound-vii-pmid-21217764
- record Id
- pmid-21217764
- quotes
- None recorded
- source Pages
- None recorded
- summary
- Pleasurable music was associated with dopamine release in the striatum. Anticipation and peak emotional experience recruited different regions, with caudate involvement during anticipation and nucleus accumbens involvement during peak pleasure.
- limitation
- A small laboratory study of selected listeners. Dopamine release is not a measurement of DRD2 gene expression or a music-therapy outcome.
- paper Trust Assessment
- score
- 1
- scope
- Paper
- status
- assessed
- randomized Controlled Trial
- Not recorded
- blinding
- not-confirmed
- peer Reviewed
- true
- basis
- Human PET and functional MRI study. No masked human randomized trial classification is assigned.
- sources
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21217764/ · https://www.nature.com/articles/nn.2726 · https://doi.org/10.1038/nn.2726
- review Scope
- Existing publication-specific assessments and bibliographic indexing; no blanket full-text appraisal.
- assessed At
- 2026-10-27
- collection
- sound
- chapter Number
- 2
- topic Id
- vii
- topic Title
- Music, heart-rate variability, cognition, emotional regulation, pain and mental health
- trust Score
- 3
- evidence
- evidence Type
- Brain & nervous system
- sample
- Healthy listeners selected for strong emotional responses to music
- measurement
- PET dopamine-sensitive radioligand imaging and fMRI
- measured Genes
- None recorded
- relationship Note
- A small laboratory study of selected listeners. Dopamine release is not a measurement of DRD2 gene expression or a music-therapy outcome.
- source URLs
https://www.nature.com/articles/nn.2726 · https://doi.org/10.1038/nn.2726 · https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21217764/
- checked At
- 2026-10-23
- jadad
- status
- unassessed
- score
- Not recorded
- condition Evidence
- None recorded
- conditions
- None recorded
- topic Trust Scores
3
- full Text
- status
- not-indexed
- retrieval Available
- false