Telehealth music therapy for cognitive difficulties in blood cancer survivors
Official title: Pilot Trial of Telehealth Music Therapy for Cognitive Dysfunction in Hematologic Cancer Survivors (PRELUDE)
Run by Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center · NCT07052916 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This program will test whether telehealth music therapy can help adults who survived leukemia, lymphoma, or myeloma and who are having trouble with memory, attention, or thinking.
Quick facts
| Study type | Interventional |
|---|---|
| Ages | 18 Years and up |
| Sex | All |
| Enrollment | 60 (estimated) |
| Sponsor | Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center Academic / other |
| Drugs / interventions | CAR T, chemotherapy, immunotherapy, radiation |
| Locations | 7 sites (Basking Ridge, New Jersey and 6 other locations) |
| Status | Recruiting |
| Started | June 27, 2025 |
| Main results expected | December 27, 2026 |
| Study ends | December 27, 2026 |
| Registry record updated | May 26, 2026 |
| Trial ID | NCT07052916 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
Is this trial a fit for you?
✓Likely a good fit
Ideal candidates are English-speaking adults (18+) with a diagnosis of lymphoma, leukemia, or myeloma, stable disease or no evidence of disease, a FACT-Cog PCI score under 54, an expected life expectancy of at least one year, ability to complete study assessments independently, and who are at least three months from recent major treatments (or six months on continuous therapy).
✕Probably not a fit
Patients who are within three months of major treatment (or within required treatment windows), have active unstable disease, cannot complete assessments independently, are non-English speakers, or have limited life expectancy are unlikely to benefit from participation.
A plain-English reading of the study's rules. Only the study team can confirm whether you qualify.
What this trial studies
Adults with leukemia, lymphoma, or myeloma who report cognitive difficulties are randomized to receive either telehealth-delivered music therapy or a therapist-attention music education control. Interventions are delivered remotely with standardized sessions and follow-up assessments of cognitive function using patient-reported measures (including FACT-Cog) and symptom scales for anxiety, depression, and fatigue. Eligibility requires English proficiency, stable oncologic status or no evidence of disease, and a low FACT-Cog PCI score, with recent intensive cancer treatments excluded for a defined period. The trial tests both feasibility of telehealth delivery and whether music-based activities produce measurable improvements in cognition and common survivorship symptoms.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this approach could offer survivors an accessible, non-drug way to improve memory, attention, and reduce anxiety, depression, and fatigue.
How similar studies have gone: Prior small studies in cancer and neurologic populations have shown music-based interventions can improve attention and mood, but telehealth music therapy specifically for blood cancer survivors with cognitive complaints is relatively untested.
Who can join: the full rules
Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Inclusion Criteria: * English-proficient, aged 18 or older * Diagnosis of lymphoma, leukemia, or myeloma * Stable oncologic disease or no evidence of disease as indicated in the medical chart or by the oncology team * Score of \<54 on the FACT-Cog PCI subscale * Minimum life expectancy of one year as per clinician assessment * Patient should be able to understand and complete all study assessments on their own. * Eligible patient should be able to understand informed consent and provide signed informed consent in English. Exclusion Criteria: * Less than 3 months since completion of surgery, radiation, induction chemotherapy (for newly diagnosed or relapsed disease), transplantation, or immunotherapy (e.g., CAR T-Cell, bispecific antibodies) * If there is a defined treatment period, the patient must be at least 3 months from treatment completion * If the patient is on continuous therapy, patient must have completed at least 6 months of the therapy * Maintenance therapies are allowed * Received music therapy (MT) in the past year * Current music training, \>6 months of music training in the past 10 years, or plan to initiate music training during the study * No access to an internet-connected device * Active suicidal ideation, bipolar, schizophrenia, or substance abuse * BOMC score ≥10 (indicative of dementia) * Uncorrectable visual, auditory, or motor impairments * Initiation or altered dose of sedative, stimulant, or anti-cholinergic medications in the past month or plan to initiate these medications during the study, as these are known to impact cognitive function * Initiation of any other interventions for CRCD (e.g., cognitive rehabilitation) in the past month or plan to initiate these interventions during the study, as these are known to impact cognitive function
Where it's running
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Memorial Sloan Kettering Basking Ridge (All protocol activities)
Basking Ridge, New Jersey, United States Recruiting -
Memorial Sloan Kettering Monmouth (All protocol activities)
Middletown, New Jersey, United States Recruiting -
Memorial Sloan Kettering Bergen (All protocol activities)
Montvale, New Jersey, United States Recruiting -
Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center Suffolk - Commack (All protocol activities)
Commack, New York, United States Recruiting -
Memorial Sloan Kettering Westchester (All protocol activities)
Harrison, New York, United States Recruiting -
Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (All protocol activities)
New York, New York, United States Recruiting
Show 1 more location
-
Memorial Sloan Kettering Nassau (All protocol activities)
Uniondale, New York, United States Recruiting
Study contacts
- Principal investigator: Kevin Liou, MD — Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
- Study coordinator: Kevin Liou, MD
- Email: liouk@mskcc.org
- Phone: 646-608-8563
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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.