Listening to Calming Music

NCT ID: NCT06710886

Last Updated: 2025-08-11

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

100 participants

Study Classification

INTERVENTIONAL

Study Start Date

2024-12-04

Study Completion Date

2025-12-25

Brief Summary

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The goal of this clinical trial is to explore possible benefits and mechanisms through which listening to music can improve health and wellness. The main goals of the study are:

* To investigate whether pre-survey measures of autonomic reactivity relate to the overall functioning of participants.
* To examine the immediate effects of listening to the augmented music.
* To identify individual characteristics that influence the immediate effects of listening to the augmented music.

Participants will:

PHASE 1:

* Complete the online pre- and post-surveys
* Listen to the brief music demo
* Listen to the full 15-minutes music session

PHASE 2:

* Complete the online pre- and post-surveys.
* Heart rate data will be collected continuously for about 25 minutes. It will be collected for 5 minutes before and after the intervention, and for 15 minutes during the intervention.
* Provide pre- and post- music saliva samples (1.5mL).
* Listen to full 15-minutes music session.

Detailed Description

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The purpose of the current study is to explore the effects of listening to 15-minutes of sonic augmented music on subjective feelings of calmness and autonomic state.

Specific Aims:

Specific Aim 1: To investigate whether pre-intervention measures of ANS reactivity relate to the overall functioning of the participants.

•The investigators will examine measures of autonomic reactivity to prior mental health and medical adversity, embodiment, and emotional and physical health.

Specific Aim 2: To identify the immediate effects of listening to the music

•The investigators will explore whether listening to the music leads to improvements in the functioning. First, the investigators will compare the participants who opted to leave after the brief music demonstration to the participants who stayed for the additional 15-minutes of music. Next, the investigators will focus on improvements following listening to the music.

Specific Aim 3: To identify individual characteristics that influence the effectiveness of listening to the music immediately

•The investigators will explore the impact of specific vulnerability and resiliency factors (e.g., prior mental and medical adversity) on how well participants benefit from listening to the music immediately.

Specific Aim 4: To investigate levels of oxytocin and HRV after listening to calming music.

•The investigators will explore whether listening to music leads to changes in physiological and emotional responses, focusing on oxytocin as a marker of stress response. Specifically, we will compare the levels of salivary oxytocin before and after the intervention in two groups: participants who listen to 15 minutes of the Mozart theme and participants who listen to 15 minutes of the augmented theme. We will also measure heart rate (HR) using a wearable HR monitor to assess autonomic nervous system functioning and determine whether changes in HR are associated with changes in oxytocin levels following the music intervention. (Phase 2 only)

Experimental design

PHASE 1:

* Participation is limited to those attending the online workshop
* The participants will complete pre- and post-assessments that involve online measures.
* Music will be provided first in a brief music demo and then again in a 15-minute session.
* Between-subject analyses will compare those who listened only to the brief demo and withdrew participation against those who remained and listened to the 15-minutes of music to determine if those who listened to the 15-minutes of music exhibit greater improvements than those who did not. Within-subject analyses will determine the potential benefits of listening to the music for all participants.

PHASE 2:

* The participants will be randomly assigned to either the augmented music group or the control group featuring a Mozart composition.

* Augmented music group: The music is augmented by embedding the natural rhythms of bodily functions (e.g. breathing, heart rate variability, vascular tone, etc) that signal the body to calm.
* Control group: The selected Mozart composition consists of: Composition Eine kleine Nachtmusik, K. 525 (5 minutes 30 seconds), Andante from Piano Concerto No. 21, K. 467 (6 minutes 30 seconds), and Ave verum corpus, K. 618 (3 minutes). This composition is structured to serve as emotionally immersive, musically coherent control conditions in a 15-minute experimental paradigm.
* The control group will listen to 15 minutes of control music, and the augmented group will listen to 15 minutes of augmented music.
* At pre- and post-, the participants will complete online self-report surveys and provide 1.5mL of saliva.
* Heart rate data will be collected continuously for about 25 minutes. It will be collected for 5 minutes before and after the intervention, and for 15 minutes during the intervention. Markers will inserted to later separate the data into segments representing the 5 minutes before the music (baseline), time during the music, and 5 minutes after the administration of the music.
* Between-subject analyses will compare those who listened only to the augmented 15-minute music sample and those who listened to the control 15-minutes of music to determine if those who listened to the augmented music exhibit greater changes than those who did not. Subject analyses will determine the potential benefits of listening to music for all participants.

Conditions

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Music Autonomic State

Study Design

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Allocation Method

RANDOMIZED

Intervention Model

PARALLEL

In Phase 1: The participants will listen to the brief music demo together after completing the pre-assessment. After the demo is completed, participants will listen to the 15-minutes of music. For those who opt out of listening to the 15-minutes of music, they will be asked to complete the post-assessment. Following the 15-minute music session, the remaining participants will be asked to complete the post-assessment.

In Phase 2: Participants will be randomly assigned to the augmented or control music group. Both groups will complete a pre-survey and provide a saliva sample. Then, they will be equipped with a HR band (polar exercise band) and baseline HR will be established within 5 minutes. Following the 15-minutes of music, participants will provide 5 minutes of HR information post-intervention, provide a saliva sample, and complete a post-survey.
Primary Study Purpose

SUPPORTIVE_CARE

Blinding Strategy

SINGLE

Participants
Phase 2: Participants will be randomly assigned via a random number generator to either the augmented group or the control group. The participant will be blinded to the group they are assigned to.

Study Groups

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Augmented Theme

In phase 1:

Participants complete the pre-survey. After that, the participants will listen to a brief demo followed by the 15-minutes of augmented music. After completion of the music, the participants will complete the post-survey.

In phase 2:

Participants complete the pre-survey, and provide 1.5-2mL of saliva. Then, they will be equipped with a HR band (polar exercise band). After that, the participants in the augmented group will receive 15-minutes of augmented music. After completion of the music, Study Staff will have the participants provide 1.5-2mL of saliva and remove the HR belt. Following removal of the HR belt, the participants will complete the post-survey.

Group Type EXPERIMENTAL

Augmented Theme

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

The music is augmented by embedding the natural rhythms of bodily functions (e.g. breathing, heart rate variability, vascular tone, etc) that signal the body to calm.

Mozart Theme

In phase 2:

Participants complete the pre-survey, and provide 1.5-2mL of saliva. Then, they will be equipped with a HR band (polar exercise band). After that, the participants will receive 15-minutes of the control music featuring a Mozart composition. After completion of the music, Study Staff will have the participants provide 1.5-2mL of saliva and remove the HR belt. Following removal of the HR belt, the participants will complete the post-survey.

Group Type ACTIVE_COMPARATOR

Mozart Theme

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

The selected Mozart composition consists of: Composition Eine kleine Nachtmusik, K. 525 (5 minutes 30 seconds), Andante from Piano Concerto No. 21, K. 467 (6 minutes 30 seconds), and Ave verum corpus, K. 618 (3 minutes).

Interventions

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Augmented Theme

The music is augmented by embedding the natural rhythms of bodily functions (e.g. breathing, heart rate variability, vascular tone, etc) that signal the body to calm.

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Mozart Theme

The selected Mozart composition consists of: Composition Eine kleine Nachtmusik, K. 525 (5 minutes 30 seconds), Andante from Piano Concerto No. 21, K. 467 (6 minutes 30 seconds), and Ave verum corpus, K. 618 (3 minutes).

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Eligibility Criteria

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Inclusion Criteria

* Between the ages of 18 and 89
* Proficient in English
* Attendees of an online workshop session


* Between the ages of 18 and 45
* Proficient in English

Exclusion Criteria

\- Over the age of 89

Phase 2:


\- Over the age of 45
Minimum Eligible Age

18 Years

Maximum Eligible Age

89 Years

Eligible Sex

ALL

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Sponsors

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University of Florida

OTHER

Sponsor Role lead

Responsible Party

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Responsibility Role SPONSOR

Principal Investigators

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Lourdes P Dale, PhD

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

University of Florida

John P Williamson, PhD

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

University of Florida

Locations

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University of Florida McKnight Brain Institution

Gainesville, Florida, United States

Site Status RECRUITING

UF Health Jacksonville

Jacksonville, Florida, United States

Site Status COMPLETED

Countries

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United States

Central Contacts

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Lourdes P Dale, PhD

Role: CONTACT

9042448998

Audrey N Dana

Role: CONTACT

Facility Contacts

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John Williamson, PhD

Role: primary

352-294-4903

Carrie Lee, BS

Role: backup

(352) 294-4903

Other Identifiers

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IRB202401783

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id

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