Museum visits to improve neurocognitive well-being
Official title: Effects of Museum Visits on Neurocognitive Well-being
Run by University Hospital, Caen · NCT06515041 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This trial will test whether visiting a museum can improve brain-related well-being in healthy French-speaking adults aged 18–65.
Quick facts
| Study type | Interventional |
|---|---|
| Ages | 18 Years to 65 Years |
| Sex | All |
| Enrollment | 200 (estimated) |
| Sponsor | University Hospital, Caen Academic / other |
| Locations | 1 site (Caen) |
| Status | Recruiting |
| Started | July 17, 2024 |
| Main results expected | June 30, 2028 |
| Study ends | June 30, 2029 |
| Registry record updated | July 24, 2025 |
| Trial ID | NCT06515041 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
Is this trial a fit for you?
✓Likely a good fit
Healthy French-speaking adults aged 18–65 who can walk in a museum, view paintings without glasses, listen to conversations, and provide informed consent.
✕Probably not a fit
People with current or past psychiatric disorders, neurological injuries, significant chronic illnesses, mobility or balance problems, or those who do not speak French are unlikely to benefit or be eligible.
A plain-English reading of the study's rules. Only the study team can confirm whether you qualify.
What this trial studies
Researchers will recruit healthy volunteers in the Caen region, screen them by phone, and complete an in-person inclusion visit with consent, questionnaires, and a MoCA for participants over 55. During museum visits participants will wear near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS), eye-tracking glasses, and a skin conductance bracelet while physiological and behavioral responses to artworks are recorded alongside self-report measures. The protocol compares these measurements to baseline data to see short-term effects of art exposure on neurocognitive markers and subjective well-being. The study excludes people with psychiatric, neurological, significant chronic illnesses, or mobility issues that would interfere with museum participation.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could support museum visits as an accessible, low-cost way to enhance cognitive and emotional aspects of brain well-being in healthy adults.
How similar studies have gone: Prior observational and longitudinal studies have reported links between museum attendance and improved well-being, but controlled interventional evidence on physiological neurocognitive effects remains limited.
Who can join: the full rules
Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Inclusion Criteria: * Adults with good mental and brain health * Participants (18-65 years old inclusive) * Good brain health: Having a MoCA score (screening tool for mild neurocognitive impairments) of 26 or above for those over 55 years old. * Fluent in French (native language) * Person who has given informed consent to participate in the study * Declare being able to comfortably view a painting during a museum visit without wearing glasses * Declare being able to listen to a conversation Exclusion Criteria: * History or presence of a psychiatric disorder such as mood disorders, psychotic disorders, personality disorders, addictions, that have required or currently require medical follow-up and/or are in an acute phase. * Mobility difficulties, postural or balance disorders preventing the participant from easily moving around the museum and using stairs * History or presence of brain injuries such as TBI, stroke, neurological diseases * Chronic or long-term illnesses that could make standing uncomfortable for the participant * Taking medication that affects cognitive functioning * General anesthesia in the past six months * Vision impairment requiring glasses or resulting in poor detail perception at a distance of 2 to 6 meters * Person who has visited the permanent collection of the Caen Museum of Fine Arts at least once in the past ten years (Participants are thus either first-time visitors or people who visited the permanent collection more than ten years ago) * Unable to reach the museum independently * Hearing impairment (decibel level above 20) not using a hearing aid or whose hearing aid does not sufficiently correct the impairment * Speech disorder with difficulty communicating with others
Where it's running
-
Caen University Hospital
Caen, France Recruiting
Study contacts
- Principal investigator: Denis Vivien, phD — Caen Normandie University Hospital
- Study coordinator: Denis Vivien, PhD
- Email: vivien@cyceron.fr
- Phone: 0231470166
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How to take part
- Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
- Check the official listing on ClinicalTrials.gov for the latest contact details and recruitment status.
- Contact the study coordinator or principal investigator to ask for pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.