Cardiovascular Effects of Music Versus Guided Mindfulness

NCT ID: NCT07338500

Last Updated: 2026-01-14

Basic Information

• Recruitment Status: NOT_YET_RECRUITING
• Clinical Phase: NA
• Total Enrollment: 30 participants
• Study Classification: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Start Date: 2026-01-31
• Study Completion Date: 2026-08-31

Brief Summary

The purpose of this study is to examine how listening to music compares to guided mindfulness in affecting blood pressure, heart rate, and feelings of anxiety in healthy adults. The investigators aim to determine whether one of these approaches is more effective in reducing these variables. Additionally, the study will explore whether personal traits or preferences, measured using questionnaires, influence how participants respond to music or mindfulness. Based on previous clinical findings, the researchers hypothesize that listening to music will lead to greater reductions in blood pressure and heart rate compared to guided mindfulness.

Detailed Description

Music and mindfulness-based practices, such as meditation and breathing exercises, are well-established non-pharmacological interventions known to positively influence both physiological and psychological health. They are utilized for their ability to reduce stress and promote relaxation by modulating autonomic nervous system activity, which in turn influences the cardiovascular system. This modulation has been associated with reductions in markers of physiological stress, such as blood pressure and heart rate.

Cardiovascular influences of music and mindfulness have been leveraged in numerous medical procedures for enhancing comfort and tolerability, as well as mental well-being. However, despite the widespread use and documented physiological effects of music and mindfulness-based interventions, there is a lack of research directly comparing their effects. Furthermore, there is a relative lack of high-quality randomized trials examining the effects of music and mindfulness on parameters such as blood pressure and heart rate.

This randomized crossover study will examine the cardiovascular impact of listening to a curated music playlist versus participating in a guided mindfulness session in a healthy population to determine whether music produces greater reductions in blood pressure and heart rate than guided mindfulness.

Each participant will attend a single 3-hour study visit, during which they will take part in two sessions. One session involves listening to a carefully selected music playlist, and the other involves participating in a guided mindfulness exercise. The order of the sessions will be random. Blood pressure and heart rate will be measured throughout the study visit, and participants will be asked to complete questionnaires measuring anxiety, experience with music and mindfulness, tendency to become deeply engaged, and enjoyment of each session.

The primary aim is to compare changes in systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, and heart rate between curated music playlist and guided mindfulness interventions, using an automated oscillometric upper arm blood pressure monitor with measurements taken at 5-minute intervals.

By investigating the physiological effects of music versus guided mindfulness on hemodynamic responses in a healthy population, this study will provide critical insight into the distinct and shared autonomic effects of these two non-pharmacological interventions. Understanding the cardiovascular effects of music and guided mindfulness will inform evidence-based guidelines for integrating these interventions into clinical and research protocols. As non-invasive therapeutic tools, both music and mindfulness hold promise for enhancing patient care across diverse settings.

Conditions

Music Listening Intervention; Mindfulness-based Intervention

Study Design

• Allocation Method: RANDOMIZED
• Intervention Model: CROSSOVER
• Primary Study Purpose: BASIC_SCIENCE
• Blinding Strategy: NONE

Study Groups

Music Intervention First

Participants randomized to this arm will receive a 40-minute Music Listening intervention in the first period, followed by a 20-minute washout period, and then receive a 40-minute Guided Mindfulness intervention in the second period.

Group Type: EXPERIMENTAL

Music

Intervention Type: OTHER

Participants will listen to a 40-minute playlist, curated by the research team, through noise-cancelling headphones. The playlist will simultaneously be played in the room through speakers.

Mindfulness

Intervention Type: OTHER

Participants will engage in a structured mindfulness session led by a member of the research team with experience in mindfulness-based practices. To ensure consistency across sessions, a standardized script will be used, which incorporates body scan meditation, breath coherence, and a guided emotional awareness exercise.

Mindfulness Intervention First

Participants randomized to this arm will receive a 40-minute Guided Mindfulness intervention in the first period, followed by a 20-minute washout period, and then receive a 40-minute Music Listening intervention in the second period.

Group Type: EXPERIMENTAL

Music

Intervention Type: OTHER

Participants will listen to a 40-minute playlist, curated by the research team, through noise-cancelling headphones. The playlist will simultaneously be played in the room through speakers.

Mindfulness

Intervention Type: OTHER

Participants will engage in a structured mindfulness session led by a member of the research team with experience in mindfulness-based practices. To ensure consistency across sessions, a standardized script will be used, which incorporates body scan meditation, breath coherence, and a guided emotional awareness exercise.

Interventions

Music

Participants will listen to a 40-minute playlist, curated by the research team, through noise-cancelling headphones. The playlist will simultaneously be played in the room through speakers.

Intervention Type: OTHER

Mindfulness

Participants will engage in a structured mindfulness session led by a member of the research team with experience in mindfulness-based practices. To ensure consistency across sessions, a standardized script will be used, which incorporates body scan meditation, breath coherence, and a guided emotional awareness exercise.

Intervention Type: OTHER

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion Criteria

• Normal baseline blood pressure (systolic BP < 120 mmHg and diastolic BP < 80mmHg).
• Abstention from caffeine intake for at least 12 hours before the study session and throughout the session, as caffeine may influence cardiovascular measurements.
• Abstention from using nicotine or tobacco products for at least 1 hour before the study session and throughout the session, as these substances may influence cardiovascular measurements.

Exclusion Criteria

• Significant hearing impairments that cannot be improved with hearing aids or sound amplification.
• Current use of medications that could affect blood pressure.
• History of hypertension or cardiovascular disease.
• Diagnosis of active substance use disorder, or reported patterns of alcohol, cannabis, or recreational/non-prescribed substance use likely to affect cardiovascular function.

• Minimum Eligible Age: 18 Years
• Maximum Eligible Age: 75 Years
• Eligible Sex: ALL
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

Sponsors

Sir Mortimer B. Davis - Jewish General Hospital

OTHER

Sponsor Role: lead

Responsible Party

Kyle Greenway

Psychiatrist

Responsibility Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Principal Investigators

Kyle Greenway, MD

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Sir Mortimer B. Davis - Jewish General Hospital, McGill University

Locations

Jewish General Hospital

Montreal, Quebec, Canada

Countries

Canada

Central Contacts

Elizabeth Misener, BSc

Role: CONTACT

elizabeth.misener@mail.mcgill.ca

6138127874

Sara de la Salle, PhD

Role: CONTACT

sara.delasalle@mail.mcgill.ca

Facility Contacts

Elizabeth Misener, BSc

Role: primary

elizabeth.misener@mail.mcgill.ca

6138127874

Sara de la Salle, PhD

Role: backup

sara.delasalle@mail.mcgill.ca

Other Identifiers

2026-4674

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id