Multimodal Musical Stimulation for Healthy Neurocognitive Aging

ConditionAging

Trial statusRecruiting

Trial phaseNot applicable

Trial typeInterventional

Biological sexAll

Age18-95

SponsorNortheastern University

About this trial

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.

Eligibility criteria

This trial accepts healthy volunteers

Qualifiers

normal or corrected-to-normal vision

no more than mild hearing loss

no recent history of neurological or psychiatric disorders, including mood disorders or use of medications that may affect cognition or responsiveness to music.

Disqualifiers

moderate or severe hearing loss (40+ dB)

visual impairment (including color blindness) that cannot be corrected with glasses or contacts

recently changed dosage of cholinesterase inhibitors or psychotropic medication

recent history of psychotic or schizophrenic episodes

Trial design

Design model

Parallel

Treatments tested in this trial

Gamma
Device
For the OAg group, the visual component of multimodal stimulation will have the same properties as for the other group, except it will also be additionally amplitude-modulated in the gamma-band (30-60 Hz) range, resulting in a detectable flicker over-and-above the beat-level modulation.
Synchrony
Device
For the OA group, the lights will be tuned to delta-band frequencies (1-4 Hz) in the music, which corresponds to the beat-level frequency in most music. Thus, the lights automatically adapt to the rhythm of the music, pulsing on the beat and changing color on strong beats.

Treatment groups

100 Participants

are divided into 2 treatment groups

Group A: Older Adults (OA)Sham comparator 1 intervention

Group B: Older Adults Gamma (OAg)Experimental treatment 1 intervention

Trial outcomes

Primary outcomes

EEG

Delta, theta, and gamma frequencies

Time frame

8 weeks

Secondary outcomes

Working Memory

delayed-matched-to-sample task

Time frame

8 weeks

Sponsors and contacts

Click on the lead sponsor to view all of their trials.

Northeastern University

Lead sponsor

Source ClinicalTrials.gov

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