Using music to help children on mechanical ventilation feel less pain and stress
Official title: Music listening interventions for children receiving mechanical ventilation: A mechanistic trial
Funded at University of Pittsburgh at Pittsburgh · NIH-10845283 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This study is looking at how listening to music can make kids on breathing machines feel less pain and stress, helping them recover better without needing as many medications.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Pittsburgh at Pittsburgh NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Pittsburgh, United States) |
| Project start | September 5, 2022 |
| Project end | June 30, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2024 |
| Award (this year) | $131,658 |
| NIH project number | 5K23HD106011-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-10845283 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates for this research are children aged 0-11 years who are receiving mechanical ventilation in a critical care setting.
✕Less likely to help
Patients who are not receiving mechanical ventilation or are outside the age range of 0-11 years may not benefit from this research.
What this research studies
This research investigates how listening to music can help reduce pain and stress in children who are receiving mechanical ventilation. The study aims to understand the mechanisms behind music's effects on comfort and how it may decrease the need for sedatives and pain medications. By focusing on non-drug interventions, the research seeks to improve the overall recovery experience for pediatric patients in critical care. The approach includes monitoring changes in stress levels, pain symptoms, and medication use during music listening sessions.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could lead to improved comfort and reduced pain for children undergoing mechanical ventilation, enhancing their recovery and long-term health outcomes.
How similar studies have gone: Previous studies have shown promising results for music listening interventions in adults during mechanical ventilation, indicating potential for similar success in pediatric populations.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Pittsburgh at Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Jarvis, Jessica — University of Pittsburgh at Pittsburgh
- Study coordinator: Jarvis, Jessica
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
Advancing Acute Respiratory Infection Care for Kids on Home Ventilators
This grant aims to improve how doctors and families manage acute respiratory infections in children who rely on invasive long-term home ventilation.
-
A Tablet-Based Emotion Regulation Program for Surrogate Decision-Makers of ICU Patients on Ventilation
A randomized trial tests a brief tablet program to help people who decide for ICU patients on ventilation feel less anxious and make better decisions.
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Optimizing pain relief for children on mechanical ventilation
A large, multi-site trial tests whether adding non-opioid pain medicines to standard opioid care can reduce pain and lower opioid use in children on breathing machines in PICUs.
-
Role of titin in diaphragm weakness during mechanical ventilation
This grant studies how the diaphragm’s core proteins work together, especially titin and myosin, to understand why diaphragm weakness happens during mechanical ventilation.
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Time-limited trials to guide invasive ventilation decisions
A scientific team is testing how short, structured trials of life-support in ICU patients with acute respiratory failure can help patients and families choose the best path.
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How breathing machines can harm the kidneys
Doctors will look at how ventilators change kidney filtering and salt handling in people who are critically ill to help prevent kidney damage.
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.