Evaluating music therapy for irritability and impulsivity in Huntington's disease

Pilot Study Evaluating the Benefits of Music Therapy Combined With Conventional Treatment on Irritability and Impulsivity in Patients With Huntington's Disease (MUSIC-HD)

Not applicable Interventional Poitiers University Hospital · NCT06414967

This study is testing if music therapy can help reduce irritability and impulsivity in people with early-stage Huntington's disease.

Quick facts

PhaseNot applicable
Study typeInterventional
Enrollment15 (estimated)
Ages18 Years and up
SexAll
SponsorPoitiers University Hospital Academic / other
Locations1 site (Poitiers)
Trial IDNCT06414967 on ClinicalTrials.gov

What this trial studies

This clinical trial assesses the effectiveness of music therapy combined with standard care in reducing irritability and impulsivity among patients with early-stage Huntington's disease. The open-label study will involve 15 participants who will receive music therapy over a period of three months, with evaluations conducted at one, three, and six months post-intervention. Participants will complete various questionnaires to measure irritability, impulsivity, anxiety, and quality of life, while caregivers will provide additional assessments. The goal is to explore non-pharmacological approaches to manage psychobehavioral symptoms in Huntington's disease.

Who should consider this trial

Good fit: Ideal candidates are adults aged 18 and older with genetically confirmed Huntington's disease and mild symptoms.

Not a fit: Patients with significant cognitive impairment or severe hearing loss may not benefit from this study.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: If successful, this approach could provide a novel, non-drug treatment option to improve the quality of life for patients with Huntington's disease.

How similar studies have performed: While music therapy has been explored in various contexts, this specific application in Huntington's disease is relatively novel and has not been extensively tested.

Eligibility criteria

Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Inclusion Criteria:

* Age \>= 18 years
* Huntington disease genetically confirmed by the presence of at least 35 repeats of the CAG triplet in exon 1 of the HTT gene
* UHDRS (Unified Huntington's disease Rating Scale) score \<= 5 with a diagnostic confidence score =4
* Absence of significant cognitive impairment MoCA \>=24
* Stable drug therapy in the 28 days prior inclusion and during the study
* Without legal tutors or subordination
* Affiliated to a health insurance system as required by the French law on biomedical research
* Written informed consent for participation in the study

Exclusion Criteria:

* Inability to give free and informed consent for study participation
* Significant hearing impairment
* Participating to another study the day of enrollement
* Persons benefiting from enhanced protection, i.e.persons deprived of their liberty by a judicial or administrative decision, adults under legal and finally patients in a vital emergency situation.

Where this trial is running

Poitiers

Study contacts

How to participate

  1. Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
  2. Visit the official trial page on ClinicalTrials.gov for the most current contact information and recruitment status.
  3. Contact the listed study coordinator or principal investigator to request pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.
Conditions Huntington DiseaseMusic TherapyIrritabilityImpulsivity
Last reviewed 2026-06-13 by the Find a Trial editorial team. Information on this page is for educational purposes and is not medical advice. Always consult qualified healthcare professionals about clinical trial participation.