Clinical Trials Logo

Clinical Trial Summary

This is a Stage I randomized, sham-controlled trial on the effects of multimodal musical stimulation on working memory in aging. Neurologically healthy older and younger adults will be tested on working memory and electroencephalography in the first randomized controlled trial of music as a form of brain stimulation, with multimodal musical stimulation and control stimulation conditions. Results will test the causal role of oscillatory mechanisms of the brain on cognition, and will lay the groundwork to the first musical, neurophysiologically targeted, brain-stimulation device for reversing cognitive decline in aging.


Clinical Trial Description

Music contains amplitude and frequency modulations, rapid changes in acoustic signals that convey meaningful information to the listener. The human brain's ability to receive and interpret meaning from these signals is implemented by networks of neural oscillations: firing patterns of groups of neurons that track the music with rhythmic activity. Neural oscillations in different frequency bands subserve attention and memory, as well as perception and comprehension; they develop over the lifespan and are reduced in aging, especially in dementia. Being able to understand and causally control neural oscillations will have crucial implications for healthy neurocognitive aging. Since music naturally stimulates the brain with its rhythmic content over time, music may be used as a sustainable, naturalistic form of brain stimulation to induce oscillatory in neuronal populations. Furthermore, by inserting gamma-band energy as sensory stimulation during music listening, gamma-band activity may be increased in the brain in a way that is frequency-tuned to the brain's intrinsic network dynamics, thus replacing the decreased neural oscillations that are reduced in aging, and improving memory and cognition in older adults. The hypothesis is that gamma-band modulations inserted in lights, when coupled with music listening, can improve memory in older adults by frequency-tuning to intrinsic individual brain network dynamics. Results will test the causal role of oscillatory mechanisms of the brain on cognition. If successful, this trial will lay the groundwork to the first musical, neurophysiologically targeted, brain-stimulation device for reversing cognitive decline in aging. ;


Study Design


Related Conditions & MeSH terms


NCT number NCT06229093
Study type Interventional
Source Northeastern University
Contact Psyche Loui, PhD
Phone 6173736588
Email p.loui@northeastern.edu
Status Recruiting
Phase N/A
Start date December 11, 2022
Completion date December 31, 2025

See also
  Status Clinical Trial Phase
Completed NCT05433233 - Effects of Lifestyle Walking on Blood Pressure in Older Adults With Hypertension N/A
Recruiting NCT06032065 - Sequential Multiple Assessment Randomized Trial of Exercise for PAD: SMART Exercise for PAD (SMART PAD) Phase 3
Active, not recruiting NCT05293730 - Trial of the Impact of the Electronic Frailty Integrated With Social Needs N/A
Recruiting NCT03932162 - Gene Expression Changes In Young and Geriatric Skin Early Phase 1
Completed NCT04064528 - Effects of Age on Amino Acid Delivery to Tendon N/A
Active, not recruiting NCT03366129 - Blood-Brain Barrier Disruption in People With White Matter Hyperintensities Who Have Had a Stroke
Completed NCT06029920 - Influence of Overground Walking on Biomarkers, Cognitive Function, and Quality of Life in Elderly With Mild Cognitive Impairment N/A
Recruiting NCT05543980 - Leg Heat Therapy in Elderly Individuals Phase 2
Recruiting NCT05566938 - Study to Design a Precision Nutrition Strategy at a Group Level in the Elderly N/A
Completed NCT04894929 - Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment in the Monitoring of Functional Improvement N/A
Not yet recruiting NCT06071130 - Emotion, Aging, and Decision Making N/A
Enrolling by invitation NCT04641663 - Multi-target Dietary Supplement Tolerability in an Aging Population (MTDSST) N/A
Completed NCT04088006 - The Evaluation of Efficacy and Safety of Hyaluronic Acid Injection on Skin Moisturization and Elasticity N/A
Completed NCT03695081 - Patient Pathway Pharmacist - Optimal Drug-related Care N/A
Recruiting NCT05424263 - Acetate and Age-associated Arterial Dysfunction Phase 2
Completed NCT05601713 - Mitigating Heat-induced Physiological Strain and Discomfort in Older Adults Via Lower Limb Immersion and Neck Cooling N/A
Completed NCT04551339 - Zinc Versus Multivitamin Micronutrient Supplementation in the Setting of COVID-19 N/A
Recruiting NCT04997577 - Speech Perception and High Cognitive Demand N/A
Completed NCT05922475 - Efficacy of Pre-sleep or Post-exercise Protein During 12 Weeks of Resistance Exercise Training N/A
Completed NCT04015479 - Peanut Protein Supplementation to Augment Muscle Growth and Improve Markers of Muscle Quality and Health in Older Adults N/A