Drumming together

• In a 2016 study, 30 adults using community mental health services joined a 90-minute drumming group once a week for 10 weeks. Compared with 15 people who did not drum, they reported better mood, less worry, more social resilience and higher wellbeing by week 10, and the mood and resilience gains held at a 3-month follow-up. Saliva tests in the drummers showed a shift toward a less inflammatory immune profile.^[1]
• In a 2001 study of 111 healthy adults, a single structured group drumming session was followed by higher natural killer cell activity in blood samples, a measure of immune activity, and a higher ratio of the hormones DHEA to cortisol.^[2]
• In 15 experienced practitioners, steady drumming at about four beats a second was linked in brain scans with attention turning inward.^[3]
• In 39 newcomers, steady drumming with guided instructions brought on more dreamlike experiences.^[4]

Who took part

Small groups of adults. The 2016 study was not randomised (groups were set by where people lived); the 2001 study randomly assigned its final 50 volunteers to drumming or a comparison session.

Funding

The 2016 study was funded by the UK Arts and Humanities Research Council and charitable foundations; the authors declared no competing interests.^[1] Press reports say the 2001 study was funded by Remo, a drum maker, and its lead author later co-developed Remo’s HealthRHYTHMS drumming program. We could not read the paper’s own funding statement.^[2][5]

References

1. Fancourt D, Perkins R, Ascenso S, Carvalho LA, Steptoe A, Williamon A. Effects of group drumming interventions on anxiety, depression, social resilience and inflammatory immune response among mental health service users. PLoS One. 2016;11(3):e0151136. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26974430/ · Non-randomised controlled study, n = 45 analysed (30 drumming, 15 comparison). Full text: PMC4790847.
2. Bittman BB, Berk LS, Felten DL, et al. Composite effects of group drumming music therapy on modulation of neuroendocrine-immune parameters in normal subjects. Altern Ther Health Med. 2001;7(1):38-47. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11191041/ · n = 111; final phase randomised (50).
3. Hove MJ, Stelzer J, Nierhaus T, et al. Brain network reconfiguration and perceptual decoupling during an absorptive state of consciousness. Cereb Cortex. 2016;26(7):3116-24. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26108612/ · n = 15.
4. Gingras B, Pohler G, Fitch WT. Exploring shamanic journeying: repetitive drumming with shamanic instructions induces specific subjective experiences. PLoS One. 2014;9(7):e102103. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24999623/ · n = 39.
5. Voket J. Newtown Bee, 28 April 2006 (press report naming Remo as the funder). newtownbee.com/?p=54808 · Press report.