Self-administered ONe-of-a Kind Approach to Epilepsy Therapy Through a Web-based Music Application

NCT ID: NCT06425029

Last Updated: 2026-01-16

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

RECRUITING

Clinical Phase

NA

Total Enrollment

24 participants

Study Classification

INTERVENTIONAL

Study Start Date

2025-07-22

Study Completion Date

2026-12-01

Brief Summary

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This is a prospective, placebo-controlled, double-blinded randomized study of self-administered auditory intervention in a naturalistic home environment.

Detailed Description

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This study aims to replicate and extend findings from prior electrophysiological studies that demonstrated a reduction in epileptiform discharges and seizures in patients living with drug-resistant (medications are not effective) epilepsy after listening to specific music.

It is believed to be the first study to examine the effect of daily, self-administered musical stimuli in reduction of epileptiform event detections over days to weeks. The study will enroll a cohort of patients already implanted with NeuroPace Responsive Neurostimulator (RNS) device to treat their epilepsy. This device uses continuous, outpatient electrocorticographic recording data to provide immediate (or 'responsive') closed loop neurostimulation.

Primary hypothesis is that patients with drug resistant epilepsy, implanted with RNS, will have fewer epileptic activity episodes (RNS 'long episodes') during the weeks of experimental music intervention. The study team expect to see improvement with daily listening to specific music intervention (experimental, Music A), but not with active comparators (Music B or C). The effect, if any, of music intervention is expected to last at least one week after the intervention period (block) (for each music piece) ends.

Secondary hypothesis is that the music listening every day will be associated with improved self-report of mood, quality of life, and self-reported measures of cognition. The study team suspects that this effect will not be limited to just one specific musical piece.

This study will also look to determine the feasibility of an at-home, self-administered auditory intervention in drug resistant epilepsy.

Conditions

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Epilepsy Refractory Epilepsy Music

Study Design

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Allocation Method

RANDOMIZED

Intervention Model

CROSSOVER

The primary endpoint is to assess the reduction in epileptiform activity (as defined by change in normalized RNS 'long episode' detection frequency) during the 14-day stimulus presentation block for three music pieces. 1) Music piece (A) previously shown to reduce interictal epileptiform discharges (IEDs)). 2) Music piece (B) (previously shown to not reduce IEDs in the same population despite rhythmic similarities), and 3) Music piece (C) - a selection from the participant's preferred musical style that is also matched for musical characteristics.
Primary Study Purpose

BASIC_SCIENCE

Blinding Strategy

DOUBLE

Participants Investigators
Participants will not be informed of their group assignment. The study team will have no knowledge of randomization sequence until all participants complete the study.

Study Groups

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Music Piece A

Participants will be asked to listen to a musical excerpt previously shown to have a positive effect on epileptic activity in human brain.

Group Type EXPERIMENTAL

Experimental Intervention (Music A)

Intervention Type OTHER

Participants will be asked to listen to Music A on their personal device daily, at a time most convenient for them.

Music Piece B

Participants will be asked to listen to a musical except very similar to the experimental stimuli that has not been shown to have a positive effect on epileptic activity.

Group Type ACTIVE_COMPARATOR

Active Comparator Intervention (Music B)

Intervention Type OTHER

Participants will be asked to listen to music B on their personal device daily, at a time most convenient for them.

Music Piece C

Participants will select a preferred excerpt from several popular musical genres. This piece is modified to have some similarities to the experimental musical excerpt.

Group Type ACTIVE_COMPARATOR

Active Comparator Intervention (Music C)

Intervention Type OTHER

Participants will be asked to listen to music C on their personal device daily, at a time most convenient for them.

Interventions

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Experimental Intervention (Music A)

Participants will be asked to listen to Music A on their personal device daily, at a time most convenient for them.

Intervention Type OTHER

Active Comparator Intervention (Music B)

Participants will be asked to listen to music B on their personal device daily, at a time most convenient for them.

Intervention Type OTHER

Active Comparator Intervention (Music C)

Participants will be asked to listen to music C on their personal device daily, at a time most convenient for them.

Intervention Type OTHER

Eligibility Criteria

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Inclusion Criteria

* Adults with medication-refractory focal epilepsy who have undergone RNS implantation at least six months prior and are in the judgement of the treating physician on a stable RNS regimen in terms of stimulation
* Willing to attend all study visits and complete all required study procedures
* Access to private or public wireless data service at regular intervals
* Access to personal mobile device

Exclusion Criteria

* Documentation of a musicogenic, or auditory-triggered focal seizure semiology
* Participant is unable to reasonably participate in study tasks as determined by the investigator
* Inability to obtain informed consent from the patient or legally authorized representative
Minimum Eligible Age

18 Years

Eligible Sex

ALL

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Sponsors

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Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center

OTHER

Sponsor Role lead

Dartmouth College

OTHER

Sponsor Role collaborator

University of Massachusetts, Worcester

OTHER

Sponsor Role collaborator

Responsible Party

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Brian Fidali, MD

Principal Investigator

Responsibility Role PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Principal Investigators

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Brian C Fidali, MD

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center

Locations

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University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School

Worcester, Massachusetts, United States

Site Status NOT_YET_RECRUITING

Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center

Lebanon, New Hampshire, United States

Site Status RECRUITING

Countries

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United States

Central Contacts

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Anastasia Kanishcheva, MPH

Role: CONTACT

603-650-0260

Brian C Fidali, MD

Role: CONTACT

603-650-5104

Facility Contacts

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CJ Hill

Role: primary

Natalie Erlich-Malona, MD

Role: backup

Anastasia Kanishcheva, MPH

Role: primary

603-650-0260

Brian C Fidali, MD

Role: backup

603-650-5104

References

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Quon RJ, Casey MA, Camp EJ, Meisenhelter S, Steimel SA, Song Y, Testorf ME, Leslie GA, Bujarski KA, Ettinger AB, Jobst BC. Musical components important for the Mozart K448 effect in epilepsy. Sci Rep. 2021 Sep 16;11(1):16490. doi: 10.1038/s41598-021-95922-7.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 34531410 (View on PubMed)

Feng Y, Quon RJ, Jobst BC, Casey MA. Evoked responses to note onsets and phrase boundaries in Mozart's K448. Sci Rep. 2022 Jun 10;12(1):9632. doi: 10.1038/s41598-022-13710-3.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 35688855 (View on PubMed)

Other Identifiers

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STUDY02002411

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id

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