Exploring the Effects of Sonic Augmentation Technology in Music

NCT ID: NCT06902506

Last Updated: 2026-01-14

Basic Information

• Recruitment Status: ACTIVE_NOT_RECRUITING
• Clinical Phase: NA
• Total Enrollment: 76 participants
• Study Classification: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Start Date: 2025-05-05
• Study Completion Date: 2026-01-29

Brief Summary

Brief Summary:

It is the specific intent of this proposal to experimentally explore the possible benefits and mechanisms through which Sonic Augmentation Technology in music can influence emotional health, embodiment, and autonomic functioning. The main goals of the study are:

• To examine the immediate effects of listening to the music.
• To identify individual characteristics that influence the effectiveness of listening to the music.
• Phase 1 ONLY: To examine whether the participants who received the augmented theme reported more improvements than the participants who received the non-augmented theme.

Participants will be asked to attend a scheduled online Zoom meeting where they will:

• Listen to 15-minutes of music
• Complete a pre-music and post-music online survey
• Phase 1 ONLY: Attend the lecture/discussion with Dr. Porges and Anthony Gorry on theory and science underlying sonic augmentation technology and the experiences it aims to evoke.

Detailed Description

Detailed Description:

It is the specific intent of this proposal to experimentally explore the possible benefits and mechanisms through which Sonic Augmentation Technology (SAT) in music can influence emotional health, embodiment, and autonomic functioning. This will be accomplished by our team by using well-validated self-report measures of mental health and autonomic reactivity.

Specific Aims:

Specific Aim 1: To examine the immediate effects of SAT in music

•The researchers will explore whether SAT in music leads to improvements in the functioning.

Specific Aim 2: To identify individual characteristics that influence the effectiveness of listening to the music.

• The researchers 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.
• The researchers will explore the impact of wearing headphones on how well participants benefit from listening to the music.

Phase 1 Experimental design:

Participants will be randomly assigned to either a Sonic Augmentation Technology-enhanced music condition or a control condition featuring the same musical theme without the enhancement. Participants will be asked to attend one virtual session via Zoom where they will:

• Listen to 15-minutes of music
• Complete a pre-music and post-music online survey
• Attend the lecture/discussion with Dr. Porges and Anthony Gorry on theory and science underlying sonic augmentation technology and the experiences it aims to evoke.

Phase 2 Experimental design:

Participants will be asked to attend one virtual session via Zoom where they will:

• Listen to 15-minutes of music
• Complete a pre-music and post-music online survey
• At a later date, participants will be offered the opportunity to attend an optional meeting where results will be disseminated, and Dr. Stephen Porges will be offering insights into the theory and science underlying sonic augmentation technology and the experiences it aims to evoke.

Conditions

Sonic Augmentation Technology

Study Design

• Allocation Method: RANDOMIZED
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Primary Study Purpose: SUPPORTIVE_CARE
• Blinding Strategy: SINGLE

Study Groups

Augmented Group

Phase 1 \& 2: Participants will first complete the pre-music survey. They will then listen to 15 minutes of augmented music. Afterward, participants will complete the post-music survey.

Group Type: EXPERIMENTAL

Augmented Music

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

Phase 1 \& 2: 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.

Non-augmented Group

Phase 1 ONLY: Participants will first complete the pre-music survey. They will then listen to 15-minutes of the same musical theme without the augmentation. Afterward, participants will complete the post-music survey.

Group Type: ACTIVE_COMPARATOR

Non-augmented Music

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

Phase 1 ONLY: Same melodic theme without the augmentation.

Interventions

Augmented Music

Phase 1 \& 2: 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

Non-augmented Music

Phase 1 ONLY: Same melodic theme without the augmentation.

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion Criteria

• Between the ages of 18 and 89
• Proficient in English

Exclusion Criteria

• Under the age of 18
• Over the age of 89
• Limited English Proficiency

• Minimum Eligible Age: 18 Years
• Maximum Eligible Age: 89 Years
• Eligible Sex: ALL
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

Sponsors

University of Florida

OTHER

Sponsor Role: lead

Responsible Party

Responsibility Role: SPONSOR

Principal Investigators

Lourdes P Dale, BS

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

University of Florida

Locations

UF Health Jacksonville

Jacksonville, Florida, United States

Countries

United States

Other Identifiers

IRB202500241

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id