Train the Brain With Music: Brain Plasticity and Cognitive Benefits Induced by Musical Practice in Elderly People

Study Results

Results pending

The study team has not published outcome measurements, participant flow, or safety data for this trial yet. Check back later for updates.

Basic Information

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Recruitment Status

COMPLETED

Clinical Phase

NA

Total Enrollment

150 participants

Study Classification

INTERVENTIONAL

Study Start Date

2018-04-01

Study Completion Date

2021-07-31

Brief Summary

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This longitudinal study aims to countervail age-related cognitive and cerebral decline in healthy retired people through intensive piano / keyboard music practice in Switzerland and Germany.

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Detailed Description

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Recent data suggest that music making might prevent cognitive decline in the elderly. However, experimental evidence remains sparse and no information on the neurophysiological basis has been provided, although cognitive decline is a major impediment to healthy aging. This study combines for the first time protocolled music practice in elderly with cutting-edge neuroimaging. The investigators propose a multi-site Hannover-Geneva longitudinal randomized intervention study in altogether 100 retired healthy elderly (64-76) years, 70 Geneva, 100 Hannover), offering either piano instruction or instruction on musical culture for one year. Participants will be tested at 3 time points on cognitive, perceptual and motor abilities as well as via wide-ranging functional and structural neuroimaging data (Magnetic Resonance Imaging, MRI). The research team expects positive transfer effects from intensive piano training not only on subjective well-being, but also on executive functions, working memory, hearing in noise and relationships of these behavioral features with morphological and functional brain plasticity. This study may therefore for the first time be demonstrate, that music making can provoke important societal impacts by diminishing cognitive and perceptual-motor decline underpinned by functional and structural brain plasticity.

Conditions

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Age-related Cognitive Decline

Study Design

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Allocation Method

RANDOMIZED

Intervention Model

PARALLEL

Longitudinal RCT (clinical trial) with an experimental group and an active control group

Primary Study Purpose

PREVENTION

Blinding Strategy

NONE

Study Groups

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musical practice

Intensive weekly musical keyboard training over 12 months

Group Type EXPERIMENTAL

musical practice

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Intensive weekly musical keyboard training over 12 months

music education

Recreative weekly musical courses without practice over 12 months

Group Type ACTIVE_COMPARATOR

music education

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Recreative weekly musical courses without practice over 12 months

Interventions

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musical practice

Intensive weekly musical keyboard training over 12 months

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

music education

Recreative weekly musical courses without practice over 12 months

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Eligibility Criteria

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Inclusion Criteria

* Healthy right-handed volunteers, between 64 and 76 years of age, native French speakers. No regular musical practice over the lifespan. Only retired individuals may participate.

Exclusion Criteria

* Impaired/not-corrected auditory or visual accuracy, neurological diseases in the present or the past, cardiovascular diseases, excessive hypertension, obesity, diabetes mellitus, beginning dementia, mild cognitive impairment, clinical depression.

Minimum Eligible Age

64 Years

Maximum Eligible Age

76 Years

Eligible Sex

ALL

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes