Train the Brain With Music: Brain Plasticity and Cognitive Benefits Induced by Musical Practice in Elderly People

Age-related Cognitive Decline Clinical Trial

— TBM  

Official title:

Train the Brain With Music: Brain Plasticity and Cognitive Benefits Induced by Musical Practice in Elderly People in Germany and Switzerland

Clinical Trial Details — Status: Completed

Administrative data

• NCT number: NCT03674931
• Other study ID #: 81185
• Status: Completed
• Phase: N/A
• Start date: April 1, 2018
• Est. completion date: July 31, 2021

Study information

• Verified date: May 2022
• Source: School of Health Sciences Geneva
• Contact: n/a
• Is FDA regulated: No
• Study type: Interventional

Clinical Trial Summary

This longitudinal study aims to countervail age-related cognitive and cerebral decline in healthy retired people through intensive piano / keyboard music practice in Switzerland and Germany.

Description:

Recent data suggest that music making might prevent cognitive decline in the elderly. However, experimental evidence remains sparse and no information on the neurophysiological basis has been provided, although cognitive decline is a major impediment to healthy aging. This study combines for the first time protocolled music practice in elderly with cutting-edge neuroimaging. The investigators propose a multi-site Hannover-Geneva longitudinal randomized intervention study in altogether 100 retired healthy elderly (64-76) years, 70 Geneva, 100 Hannover), offering either piano instruction or instruction on musical culture for one year. Participants will be tested at 3 time points on cognitive, perceptual and motor abilities as well as via wide-ranging functional and structural neuroimaging data (Magnetic Resonance Imaging, MRI). The research team expects positive transfer effects from intensive piano training not only on subjective well-being, but also on executive functions, working memory, hearing in noise and relationships of these behavioral features with morphological and functional brain plasticity. This study may therefore for the first time be demonstrate, that music making can provoke important societal impacts by diminishing cognitive and perceptual-motor decline underpinned by functional and structural brain plasticity.

Recruitment information / eligibility

• Status: Completed
• Enrollment: 150
• Est. completion date: July 31, 2021
• Est. primary completion date: July 31, 2021
• Accepts healthy volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers
• Gender: All
• Age group: 64 Years to 76 Years

Eligibility

Inclusion Criteria:

• Healthy right-handed volunteers, between 64 and 76 years of age, native French speakers. No regular musical practice over the lifespan. Only retired individuals may participate.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Impaired/not-corrected auditory or visual accuracy, neurological diseases in the present or the past, cardiovascular diseases, excessive hypertension, obesity, diabetes mellitus, beginning dementia, mild cognitive impairment, clinical depression.

Related Conditions & MeSH terms

• Age-related Cognitive Decline
• Cognitive Dysfunction

Intervention

Behavioral:
• musical practice
Intensive weekly musical keyboard training over 12 months
• music education
Recreative weekly musical courses without practice over 12 months

Locations

Country	Name	City	State
Switzerland	School of Health Sciences Geneva; HES-SO University of Applied Sciences and Arts Western Switzerland	Geneva

Sponsors (3)

Lead Sponsor	Collaborator
School of Health Sciences Geneva	German Research Foundation, Swiss National Science Foundation

Country where clinical trial is conducted

Switzerland, 

Outcome

Type	Measure	Description	Time frame	Safety issue
Primary	Continuous Echo-Planar Imaging (EPI)	Resting state functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), informs on functional connectivity	18 months (4 measurements over time)
Primary	Magnetization-Prepared 2 Rapid Acquisition Gradient Echo (MP2RAGE)	Magnetic Resonance Imaging measure, allows to image gray matter	18 months (4 measurements over time)
Primary	functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI)	Functional Imaging of a tonal Working Memory task, allows to study involved networks	18 months (4 measurements over time)
Primary	Magnetic Resonance Diffusion Tensor Imaging (MR-DTI)	Diffusion weighted echo-planar gradient echo sequence, allows to image white matter and structural connectivity	18 months (4 measurements over time)
Primary	Magnetic Resonance Arterial Spin Labeling (MR-ASL)	Blood perfusion assessment	18 months (4 measurements over time)
Primary	Behavioral Battery (cognitive function)	Comprehensive cognitive testing, full battery will be provided on request; involves Basic cognition, Executive Function, Fluid Intelligence, Verbal Memory	18 months (4 measurements over time)
Secondary	Behavioral Battery (sensorimotor function)	Sensorimotor testing, full battery will be provided on request; involves manual dexterity and hearing tests	18 months (4 measurements over time)