Intentional music listening to support emotional recovery after stroke
Feasibility of a Music Listening Intervention for Mental Health Recovery in Chronic Stroke
This study tests whether intentionally listening to music for one hour a day can improve emotional well-being in people recovering from stroke.
Quick facts
| Phase | Not applicable |
|---|---|
| Study type | Interventional |
| Enrollment | 60 (estimated) |
| Ages | 50 Years to 90 Years |
| Sex | All |
| Sponsor | New York University Academic / other |
| Locations | 1 site (New York, New York) |
| Trial ID | NCT07127159 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
What this trial studies
This randomized, parallel-group feasibility trial compares a 4-week at-home intentional music listening program to audiobook listening in people with chronic stroke. Participants complete a 4-week pre-intervention period, then are randomized to one hour of daily listening for four weeks with all listening tracked using custom open-source software. Researchers collect mood questionnaires, cognitive tests, and multimodal biomarkers (functional and structural MRI, electrodermal activity, and heart rate) at baseline, post-intervention, and three-month follow-up. The primary focus is feasibility (retention, adherence, fidelity, acceptability, and burden) with secondary outcomes including recruitment and randomization rates.
Who should consider this trial
Good fit: Ideal participants are adults aged 50–90 with an ischemic or hemorrhagic stroke at least six months earlier who can undergo MRI, have adequate hearing and cognitive function, and do not have musical anhedonia or amusia.
Not a fit: Patients with significant hearing loss, severe cognitive impairment (MoCA <22 unless due to expressive aphasia), contraindications to MRI, or specific musical anhedonia/amusia are unlikely to benefit from or be eligible for this intervention.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the approach could offer a low-cost, non-drug way to improve mood and possibly cognition and brain function after stroke.
How similar studies have performed: Prior studies suggest music-based interventions can improve mood and quality of life after stroke, but this trial's randomized, remotely tracked listening protocol with multimodal biomarkers is relatively novel.
Eligibility criteria
Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Inclusion Criteria: * Participants aged 50 to 90 * Confirmed diagnosis of ischemic or hemorrhagic stroke occurring at least six months prior to enrollment. Exclusion Criteria: * Significant hearing loss, defined by a score \>26 on the Hearing Handicap Inventory for the Elderly Screening (HHIE-S; Ventry and Weinstein, 1982) * Contraindications for MRI * Significant cognitive impairment, defined as a Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA; Nasreddine et al., 2005) score below 22 (unless the lower score is attributable to expressive aphasia) * Specific musical anhedonia, defined as a score below 60 on the Barcelona Music Reward Questionnaire (BMRQ; Mas-Herrero et al., 2013) * Amusia, defined as a score below 70% on the Montreal Battery of Evaluation of Amusia (MBEA; Peretz et al., 2003). * Participants will not be excluded if currently taking medications that may affect brain function (e.g., antidepressants) or if engaged in other complementary therapies (e.g., mindfulness, yoga). Participants will be allowed to initiate new medications or therapies during the study period.
Where this trial is running
New York, New York
- New York University — New York, New York, United States (Recruiting)
Study contacts
- Principal investigator: Pablo Ripolles, PhD — New York University
- Study coordinator: Pablo Ripolles, PhD
- Email: pripolles@nyu.edu
- Phone: + 1212-998-5424
How to participate
- Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
- Visit the official trial page on ClinicalTrials.gov for the most current contact information and recruitment status.
- Contact the listed study coordinator or principal investigator to request pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.