Trial Outcomes & Findings for Impact of Music Improvisation Training on Cognitive Function in Older Adults (NCT NCT05980286)
NCT ID: NCT05980286
Last Updated: 2025-12-17
Results Overview
This survey item was part of a longer feasibility and acceptability survey that was created for this study. This question measures the degree to which participants reported being satisfied with the intervention. This item was "Overall, how would you rate the quality of the sessions?" on a 5-point scale (1-poor, 2-fair, 3-good, 4-very good, or 5-excellent). Scores range from 1-5, with higher scores indicating better satisfaction. We report the percentage of participants who rated the intervention as good to excellent (scores of 3-5).
COMPLETED
NA
53 participants
12 weeks
2025-12-17
Participant Flow
Participant milestones
| Measure |
Piano Improvisation
This intervention will involve group piano improvisation training sessions once a week for 12 weeks, in addition to daily in-home practice for 4-5 days.
|
Music Listening
The music listening condition will involve group music listening sessions (led by a trained instructor) once a week for 12 weeks and daily in-home music listening practice.
|
|---|---|---|
|
Overall Study
STARTED
|
24
|
29
|
|
Overall Study
COMPLETED
|
22
|
19
|
|
Overall Study
NOT COMPLETED
|
2
|
10
|
Reasons for withdrawal
Withdrawal data not reported
Baseline Characteristics
Impact of Music Improvisation Training on Cognitive Function in Older Adults
Baseline characteristics by cohort
| Measure |
Piano Improvisation
n=24 Participants
This intervention will involve group piano improvisation training sessions once a week for 12 weeks, in addition to daily in-home practice for 4-5 days.
|
Music Listening
n=29 Participants
The music listening condition will involve group music listening sessions (led by a trained instructor) once a week for 12 weeks and daily in-home music listening practice.
|
Total
n=53 Participants
Total of all reporting groups
|
|---|---|---|---|
|
Age, Continuous
|
73.7 years
STANDARD_DEVIATION 5.8 • n=6 Participants
|
75.9 years
STANDARD_DEVIATION 8.8 • n=5 Participants
|
74.8 years
STANDARD_DEVIATION 7.3 • n=5 Participants
|
|
Sex: Female, Male
Female
|
20 Participants
n=6 Participants
|
25 Participants
n=5 Participants
|
45 Participants
n=5 Participants
|
|
Sex: Female, Male
Male
|
4 Participants
n=6 Participants
|
4 Participants
n=5 Participants
|
8 Participants
n=5 Participants
|
|
Race (NIH/OMB)
American Indian or Alaska Native
|
0 Participants
n=6 Participants
|
0 Participants
n=5 Participants
|
0 Participants
n=5 Participants
|
|
Race (NIH/OMB)
Asian
|
4 Participants
n=6 Participants
|
4 Participants
n=5 Participants
|
8 Participants
n=5 Participants
|
|
Race (NIH/OMB)
Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander
|
0 Participants
n=6 Participants
|
0 Participants
n=5 Participants
|
0 Participants
n=5 Participants
|
|
Race (NIH/OMB)
Black or African American
|
9 Participants
n=6 Participants
|
13 Participants
n=5 Participants
|
22 Participants
n=5 Participants
|
|
Race (NIH/OMB)
White
|
11 Participants
n=6 Participants
|
11 Participants
n=5 Participants
|
22 Participants
n=5 Participants
|
|
Race (NIH/OMB)
More than one race
|
0 Participants
n=6 Participants
|
1 Participants
n=5 Participants
|
1 Participants
n=5 Participants
|
|
Race (NIH/OMB)
Unknown or Not Reported
|
0 Participants
n=6 Participants
|
0 Participants
n=5 Participants
|
0 Participants
n=5 Participants
|
|
Ethnicity (NIH/OMB)
Hispanic or Latino
|
2 Participants
n=6 Participants
|
1 Participants
n=5 Participants
|
3 Participants
n=5 Participants
|
|
Ethnicity (NIH/OMB)
Not Hispanic or Latino
|
22 Participants
n=6 Participants
|
27 Participants
n=5 Participants
|
49 Participants
n=5 Participants
|
|
Ethnicity (NIH/OMB)
Unknown or Not Reported
|
0 Participants
n=6 Participants
|
1 Participants
n=5 Participants
|
1 Participants
n=5 Participants
|
|
Region of Enrollment
United States
|
24 Participants
n=6 Participants
|
29 Participants
n=5 Participants
|
53 Participants
n=5 Participants
|
|
Education
|
2 Participants
n=6 Participants
|
3 Participants
n=5 Participants
|
5 Participants
n=5 Participants
|
PRIMARY outcome
Timeframe: 12 weeksThis outcome is the proportion of participants who completed post-test assessments and remained in the study.
Outcome measures
| Measure |
Piano Improvisation Training
n=24 Participants
This intervention will involve group piano improvisation training sessions once a week for 12 weeks, in addition to daily in-home practice for 4-5 days.
Piano Improvisation: Piano Improvisation taught by a professional instructor for 12 weeks.
|
Music Listening Training
n=29 Participants
The music listening condition will involve group music listening sessions (led by a trained instructor) once a week for 12 weeks and daily in-home music listening practice.
Music Listening: Music Listening facilitated by a professional instructor for 12 weeks.
|
|---|---|---|
|
Retention in Study
|
22 Participants
|
21 Participants
|
PRIMARY outcome
Timeframe: 12 weeksThis outcome will document participant adherence to the intervention. The percentage of participants who completed at least 6 out of 12 sessions.
Outcome measures
| Measure |
Piano Improvisation Training
n=24 Participants
This intervention will involve group piano improvisation training sessions once a week for 12 weeks, in addition to daily in-home practice for 4-5 days.
Piano Improvisation: Piano Improvisation taught by a professional instructor for 12 weeks.
|
Music Listening Training
n=29 Participants
The music listening condition will involve group music listening sessions (led by a trained instructor) once a week for 12 weeks and daily in-home music listening practice.
Music Listening: Music Listening facilitated by a professional instructor for 12 weeks.
|
|---|---|---|
|
Adherence to Intervention
|
21 Participants
|
16 Participants
|
PRIMARY outcome
Timeframe: 12 weeksThis survey item was part of a longer feasibility and acceptability survey that was created for this study. This question measures the degree to which participants reported being satisfied with the intervention. This item was "Overall, how would you rate the quality of the sessions?" on a 5-point scale (1-poor, 2-fair, 3-good, 4-very good, or 5-excellent). Scores range from 1-5, with higher scores indicating better satisfaction. We report the percentage of participants who rated the intervention as good to excellent (scores of 3-5).
Outcome measures
| Measure |
Piano Improvisation Training
n=24 Participants
This intervention will involve group piano improvisation training sessions once a week for 12 weeks, in addition to daily in-home practice for 4-5 days.
Piano Improvisation: Piano Improvisation taught by a professional instructor for 12 weeks.
|
Music Listening Training
n=29 Participants
The music listening condition will involve group music listening sessions (led by a trained instructor) once a week for 12 weeks and daily in-home music listening practice.
Music Listening: Music Listening facilitated by a professional instructor for 12 weeks.
|
|---|---|---|
|
Satisfaction With Intervention
|
24 Participants
|
27 Participants
|
SECONDARY outcome
Timeframe: Baseline and 12-weeksThe Short Self-Regulation Questionnaire is a 31-item measure of the ability to regulate behavior in order to achieve desired future outcomes. This is the short form of the Self-Regulation Questionnaire (SRQ) developed by Brown et al. in 1999. Each item was scored on a five-point Likert scale ranging from 1 (strongly disagree) to 5 (strongly agree). The questionnaire scores range from 31 to 155, with higher scores indicating better self-regulation behavior.
Outcome measures
| Measure |
Piano Improvisation Training
n=24 Participants
This intervention will involve group piano improvisation training sessions once a week for 12 weeks, in addition to daily in-home practice for 4-5 days.
Piano Improvisation: Piano Improvisation taught by a professional instructor for 12 weeks.
|
Music Listening Training
n=29 Participants
The music listening condition will involve group music listening sessions (led by a trained instructor) once a week for 12 weeks and daily in-home music listening practice.
Music Listening: Music Listening facilitated by a professional instructor for 12 weeks.
|
|---|---|---|
|
Short Self-Regulation Questionnaire
|
-0.32 units on a scale
Standard Deviation 10.02
|
0.95 units on a scale
Standard Deviation 11.93
|
SECONDARY outcome
Timeframe: Baseline and 12-weekThe Florida Cognitive Activities Scale is a self-report 25-item questionnaire (0-never to 5-daily) used to assess frequency of engagement in cognitive activity for older adults. A Total Cognitive Activity (TCA) score is calculated by summing scores on all 25 items, with scores ranging from 0-100. Higher scores indicate more frequent engagement in cognitive activity.
Outcome measures
| Measure |
Piano Improvisation Training
n=24 Participants
This intervention will involve group piano improvisation training sessions once a week for 12 weeks, in addition to daily in-home practice for 4-5 days.
Piano Improvisation: Piano Improvisation taught by a professional instructor for 12 weeks.
|
Music Listening Training
n=29 Participants
The music listening condition will involve group music listening sessions (led by a trained instructor) once a week for 12 weeks and daily in-home music listening practice.
Music Listening: Music Listening facilitated by a professional instructor for 12 weeks.
|
|---|---|---|
|
Florida Cognitive Activities Scale
|
0.86 units on a scale
Standard Deviation 9.90
|
-1.95 units on a scale
Standard Deviation 12.04
|
SECONDARY outcome
Timeframe: Baseline and 12-weekThe NIH Toolbox Self-Efficacy Scale is a 10-item self-reported measure that assesses belief in one's capacity to manage and have control over meaningful events in life. Scores for each item range from 1 to 5 (never to very often) with scores ranging from 10-50. Higher scores indicate higher self-efficacy.
Outcome measures
| Measure |
Piano Improvisation Training
n=24 Participants
This intervention will involve group piano improvisation training sessions once a week for 12 weeks, in addition to daily in-home practice for 4-5 days.
Piano Improvisation: Piano Improvisation taught by a professional instructor for 12 weeks.
|
Music Listening Training
n=29 Participants
The music listening condition will involve group music listening sessions (led by a trained instructor) once a week for 12 weeks and daily in-home music listening practice.
Music Listening: Music Listening facilitated by a professional instructor for 12 weeks.
|
|---|---|---|
|
National Institutes of Health ToolBox Self-Efficacy
|
-0.50 units on a scale
Standard Deviation 4.41
|
-0.63 units on a scale
Standard Deviation 5.06
|
SECONDARY outcome
Timeframe: Baseline and 12-weekThe Short Grit Scale (Grit-S) is a self-report, 8-item questionnaire that measures the extent to which individuals are able to maintain focus and interest and persevere in obtaining long-term goals. The Short Grit Scale (Grit-S) retains the 2-factor structure of the original Grit Scale (Duckworth, Peterson, Matthews, \& Kelly, 2007) with 4 fewer items and improved psychometric properties. Scores for each item range from 1 to 5, with overall scores being calculated by added up all points and dividing by 8. Scores range from 1-5. Higher scores indicate a higher level of "grit," or perseverance.
Outcome measures
| Measure |
Piano Improvisation Training
n=24 Participants
This intervention will involve group piano improvisation training sessions once a week for 12 weeks, in addition to daily in-home practice for 4-5 days.
Piano Improvisation: Piano Improvisation taught by a professional instructor for 12 weeks.
|
Music Listening Training
n=29 Participants
The music listening condition will involve group music listening sessions (led by a trained instructor) once a week for 12 weeks and daily in-home music listening practice.
Music Listening: Music Listening facilitated by a professional instructor for 12 weeks.
|
|---|---|---|
|
Short Grit Scale
|
-0.86 units on a scale
Standard Deviation 3.62
|
-0.74 units on a scale
Standard Deviation 2.40
|
SECONDARY outcome
Timeframe: Baseline and 12-weekMeasures components of mindfulness, which is a tendency to attend to the present moment with a non-judgemental attitude. Scores for each item range from 1 to 5 (never to always true), with higher scores representing lower non-judgemental attitude.The Total FFMQ can be divided by 39 to get an average item score. Total score ranges from 39 to 195, and higher scores suggest a better mindful self-awareness.
Outcome measures
| Measure |
Piano Improvisation Training
n=24 Participants
This intervention will involve group piano improvisation training sessions once a week for 12 weeks, in addition to daily in-home practice for 4-5 days.
Piano Improvisation: Piano Improvisation taught by a professional instructor for 12 weeks.
|
Music Listening Training
n=29 Participants
The music listening condition will involve group music listening sessions (led by a trained instructor) once a week for 12 weeks and daily in-home music listening practice.
Music Listening: Music Listening facilitated by a professional instructor for 12 weeks.
|
|---|---|---|
|
Five Facets of Mindfulness
|
0.23 units on a scale
Standard Deviation 5.36
|
0.79 units on a scale
Standard Deviation 4.73
|
Adverse Events
Piano Improvisation
Music Listening
Serious adverse events
Adverse event data not reported
Other adverse events
| Measure |
Piano Improvisation
n=24 participants at risk
This intervention will involve group piano improvisation training sessions once a week for 12 weeks, in addition to daily in-home practice for 4-5 days.
|
Music Listening
n=29 participants at risk
The music listening condition will involve group music listening sessions (led by a trained instructor) once a week for 12 weeks and daily in-home music listening practice.
|
|---|---|---|
|
Musculoskeletal and connective tissue disorders
Musculoskeletal fatige
|
8.3%
2/24 • Number of events 2 • up to 14 weeks, which represented the week when the baseline assessment was done, the 12-week intervention, and the week when the post-intervention assessment was done.
Adverse events were graded from mild to severe.Potential mild adverse effects while completing a questionnaire could include boredom, fatigue, frustration, and loss of confidentiality. Potential mild adverse events related to piano improvisation training may include frustration, stress, and mild musculoskeletal fatigue. Moderate adverse events may include the falls and moderate musculoskeletal fatigue or pain. Severe adverse events might include cardiovascular events and death.
|
0.00%
0/29 • up to 14 weeks, which represented the week when the baseline assessment was done, the 12-week intervention, and the week when the post-intervention assessment was done.
Adverse events were graded from mild to severe.Potential mild adverse effects while completing a questionnaire could include boredom, fatigue, frustration, and loss of confidentiality. Potential mild adverse events related to piano improvisation training may include frustration, stress, and mild musculoskeletal fatigue. Moderate adverse events may include the falls and moderate musculoskeletal fatigue or pain. Severe adverse events might include cardiovascular events and death.
|
|
General disorders
Frustration with learning new skill
|
8.3%
2/24 • Number of events 2 • up to 14 weeks, which represented the week when the baseline assessment was done, the 12-week intervention, and the week when the post-intervention assessment was done.
Adverse events were graded from mild to severe.Potential mild adverse effects while completing a questionnaire could include boredom, fatigue, frustration, and loss of confidentiality. Potential mild adverse events related to piano improvisation training may include frustration, stress, and mild musculoskeletal fatigue. Moderate adverse events may include the falls and moderate musculoskeletal fatigue or pain. Severe adverse events might include cardiovascular events and death.
|
0.00%
0/29 • up to 14 weeks, which represented the week when the baseline assessment was done, the 12-week intervention, and the week when the post-intervention assessment was done.
Adverse events were graded from mild to severe.Potential mild adverse effects while completing a questionnaire could include boredom, fatigue, frustration, and loss of confidentiality. Potential mild adverse events related to piano improvisation training may include frustration, stress, and mild musculoskeletal fatigue. Moderate adverse events may include the falls and moderate musculoskeletal fatigue or pain. Severe adverse events might include cardiovascular events and death.
|
|
General disorders
Frustration with participants' attendance
|
0.00%
0/24 • up to 14 weeks, which represented the week when the baseline assessment was done, the 12-week intervention, and the week when the post-intervention assessment was done.
Adverse events were graded from mild to severe.Potential mild adverse effects while completing a questionnaire could include boredom, fatigue, frustration, and loss of confidentiality. Potential mild adverse events related to piano improvisation training may include frustration, stress, and mild musculoskeletal fatigue. Moderate adverse events may include the falls and moderate musculoskeletal fatigue or pain. Severe adverse events might include cardiovascular events and death.
|
6.9%
2/29 • Number of events 2 • up to 14 weeks, which represented the week when the baseline assessment was done, the 12-week intervention, and the week when the post-intervention assessment was done.
Adverse events were graded from mild to severe.Potential mild adverse effects while completing a questionnaire could include boredom, fatigue, frustration, and loss of confidentiality. Potential mild adverse events related to piano improvisation training may include frustration, stress, and mild musculoskeletal fatigue. Moderate adverse events may include the falls and moderate musculoskeletal fatigue or pain. Severe adverse events might include cardiovascular events and death.
|
Additional Information
Julene Johnson, Professor
University of California, San Francisco
Results disclosure agreements
- Principal investigator is a sponsor employee
- Publication restrictions are in place