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Neuroscientists led by Josep Marco Pallarés at the University of Barcelona have studied specific musical anhedonia, a condition where individuals do not enjoy music despite normal auditory perception and reward responses to other stimuli. Using the Barcelona Music Reward Questionnaire, they identified people with this condition and compared their brain activity via fMRI while listening to music and gambling. Results showed that while the auditory and reward circuits were active, the connectivity between these regions was disrupted in those with musical anhedonia, preventing music from triggering pleasure. In contrast, music lovers showed strong interaction between these brain areas. The team suggests this disconnection may be similar to mechanisms in other reward-related disorders. They are investigating genetic and cultural factors influencing this condition and exploring whether the brain connectivity can be modified. Their findings were published in Trends in Cognitive Sciences. (Updated 22 Aug 2025, 23:43 IST; source: link)