Music and eating as a neurophysiological event: autonomous, hedonic compensatory mechanisms and emerging methodological directions

Abstract

Feeding is a complex neurophysiological event, resulting from the interaction between subcortical homeostatic mechanisms and cortico-limbic networks involved in pleasure, anticipation and inhibitory control. In this framework, music appears as a contextual stimulus capable of simultaneously modulating autonomic activation, stress response and reward processing, thus influencing eating behavior beyond metabolic needs. This article critically synthesizes recent evidence (2021–2025) on the effects of music on neurophysiological responses relevant to eating, including autonomic markers (HR/HRV), endocrine stress (cortisol), affect–arousal dynamics and neural circuits of reward and interoception. The literature indicates that the influence of music is better explained by temporal and neurophysiological micro-mechanisms (tempo, autonomic regulation, attention, novelty) than by broad musical categories, and the heterogeneous results of studies can be reconciled by an integrative mechanistic model. A testable framework, based on the interaction between autonomic arousal, attention, and reward, is proposed to explain why music can lead to either increased or decreased intake, depending on the context and individual profile. Finally, emerging methodological directions are discussed, including the use of real-time biomarkers, ecological paradigms, and personalization of musical interventions, with implications for nutrition, public health, and music therapy.