A1 Refereed original research article in a scientific journal
Cerebral glucose utilisation during musical emotions: A multimodal functional PET/MRI study; 
Authors: Putkinen, Vesa; Hahn, Andreas; Tuisku, Jouni; Harju, Harri; Seppälä, Kerttu; Kirjavainen, Anna K.; Rajander, Johan; Hirvonen, Jussi; Nummenmaa, Lauri
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Publication year: 2026
Journal: NeuroImage
Article number: 122035
Volume: 338
ISSN: 1053-8119
eISSN: 1095-9572
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuroimage.2026.122035
Publication's open availability at the time of reporting: Open Access
Publication channel's open availability : Open Access publication channel
Web address : https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuroimage.2026.122035
Self-archived copy’s web address: https://research.utu.fi/converis/portal/detail/Publication/526634512
Self-archived copy's licence: CC BY NC ND
Self-archived copy's version: Publisher`s PDF
Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) studies have demonstrated music-induced activation of the blood-oxygen-level-dependent (BOLD) signal across brain networks associated with auditory perception, motor control, and emotion. However, BOLD-fMRI reflects vascular responses that may not fully capture underlying neural activity. Here, we used simultaneous [18F]fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) functional positron emission tomography (fPET) and fMRI to examine glucose metabolism closely linked to neural activity, alongside hemodynamic responses during pleasurable music listening. Thirty-five female participants listened to self-selected pleasurable music and control stimuli while undergoing 90-minute PET-MRI scans. In fPET, the music > control contrast revealed music-evoked increase in glucose consumption in auditory and motor cortices, as well as reward-related regions, including the nucleus accumbens (NAc), caudate, insula, and orbitofrontal cortex. The fPET and fMRI results showed substantial overlap though some discrepancies were also observed. Notably, the NAc exhibited increased glucose consumption in fPET but showed no activation in fMRI. Conversely, deactivation of the default mode network during music processing was only observed with fMRI. These results highlight the complementary nature of neurometabolic and neurovascular processes and offer novel insights into their dynamics during the processing of aesthetic rewards.
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Funding information in the publication:
The work was partly supported by the Academy of Finland (#350416) to VP, Jane and Aatos Erkko Foundation, and European Research Council Advanced Grant (#101141656) to LN.