The Effects of Music Therapy as a Complementary Intervention in the Treatment of Pediatric Asthma

Not Applicable

Completed

• Conditions: Asthma
• Interventions: Other: One time music therapy; Other: Group music therapy

• Registration Number: NCT02201836
• Lead Sponsor: Beth Israel Medical Center

Brief Summary

The onset of asthma is particularly frightening for children. When the symptoms of asthma decrease, children and parents forget about the maintenance and control of breath and lung volume. Because adherence is so poor, asthma is known as the emergency room illness. The playing of a wind instrument is a unique way to provide a creative means for children and teens to understand both the impact of diaphramatic breathing and their ability to control it as well. This study builds upon the evidence, though sparse, that suggest that the blowing of a wind instrument with clinical music therapy intervention strengthens the muscles of breathing and fortifies the incentive toward attending to the daily symptoms and general management of asthma.

Detailed Description

Not available

Study Timeline

• Study Start: 2006-01
• Primary Completion: 2012-01
• Study Completion: 2012-01
• Status Verified: 2014-07
• Study First Submitted: 2014-07-24
• Study First Submitted QC: 2014-07-24
• Last Update Submitted: 2014-07-24
• Study First Posted: 2014-07-28
• Last Update Posted: 2014-07-28

Recruitment & Eligibility

• Status: COMPLETED
• Sex: All
• Target Recruitment: 200

Inclusion Criteria

• between the ages of 7 and 18
• diagnosed with asthma

Exclusion Criteria

• over 18

Study & Design

• Study Type: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Design: PARALLEL

Arm && Interventions

Group	Intervention	Description
One time music therapy session	One time music therapy	One time music therapy session which consists of music meditation, including as assessment/evaluation of confined body breathing function as expressed through drawing and coloring post music imagery session. This is followed by an entrainment wind playing/breath expansion music therapy intervention. At the end of the session, the subjects are given a donated wind instrument for play at home.
Weekly group music therapy intervention	Group music therapy	The weekly group music therapy intervention consists of children and teens using guided visualization and expressing their fears and or fantasies related to breathing with one another. This is followed by creative music improvisations with part-playing on flutes, slide whistles, recorders and melodicas.

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Quality of Life	6 months	The Juniper Questionnaire is a stringent quality of life measure that provides interview for children and teens and their parents. It is one of the few scales that requires these interviews to occur separately, so that children and parents do not feel compelled to answer what they think the other desires to hear. We also used take home journals and a comprehensive medical assessment to learn of ER visits, missed school days, avoidance of medication, and allergens in the home, as well as socio-economic status - these factors are known in the literature to effect outcomes and exacerbations with this population.

Secondary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Increase volume capacity	6 months	Spirometry enabled us to analyze the possible effects of wind playing on the child's breathing

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

Beth Israel Medical Center; 🇺🇸 New York, New York, United States