Music Fills Us with Emotion

Question

Music fills us with emotion. What neural pathways enable this?
A) Auditory pathway and a visual processing stream
B) Auditory-limbic pathway and an acoustically activated vestibular pathway
C) Limbic pathway and a subcortical visual pathway
D) Auditory pathway and the somatic-brainstem pathway

Accepted Answer

The auditory-limbic pathway connects the auditory system to the limbic system, which is involved in emotions. This pathway allows music to evoke emotional responses. The acoustically activated vestibular pathway can also contribute to the emotional and physical sensations experienced with music, such as the feeling of movement or balance changes.