A University of Copenhagen team used brain scans to study 28 people as they listened to music, tasted sweet or sour solutions, or experienced both at once. The study was published in Scientific Reports.
In some trials, certain brain regions were more active when music played during tasting than when participants tasted the solutions without music. The researchers say the results provide biological evidence that sound and taste interact in the brain.
The study used flavor solutions rather than full meals, and the researchers say larger, more diverse studies are needed. They suggest music could eventually help shape eating experiences in places such as hospitals, but this study did not test health outcomes.
