Train the Brain With Music: Brain Plasticity and Cognitive Benefits Induced by Musical Practice in Elderly People

Not Applicable

Completed

• Conditions: Age-related Cognitive Decline
• Interventions: Behavioral: musical practice; Behavioral: music education

• Registration Number: NCT03674931
• Lead Sponsor: School of Health Sciences Geneva

Brief Summary

This longitudinal study aims to countervail age-related cognitive and cerebral decline in healthy retired people through intensive piano / keyboard music practice in Switzerland and Germany.

Detailed Description

Recent data suggest that music making might prevent cognitive decline in the elderly. However, experimental evidence remains sparse and no information on the neurophysiological basis has been provided, although cognitive decline is a major impediment to healthy aging. This study combines for the first time protocolled music practice in elderly with cutting-edge neuroimaging. The investigators propose a multi-site Hannover-Geneva longitudinal randomized intervention study in altogether 100 retired healthy elderly (64-76) years, 70 Geneva, 100 Hannover), offering either piano instruction or instruction on musical culture for one year. Participants will be tested at 3 time points on cognitive, perceptual and motor abilities as well as via wide-ranging functional and structural neuroimaging data (Magnetic Resonance Imaging, MRI). The research team expects positive transfer effects from intensive piano training not only on subjective well-being, but also on executive functions, working memory, hearing in noise and relationships of these behavioral features with morphological and functional brain plasticity. This study may therefore for the first time be demonstrate, that music making can provoke important societal impacts by diminishing cognitive and perceptual-motor decline underpinned by functional and structural brain plasticity.

Study Timeline

• Study Start: 2018-04-01
• Study First Submitted: 2018-07-06
• Study First Submitted QC: 2018-09-14
• Study First Posted: 2018-09-18
• Primary Completion: 2021-07-31
• Study Completion: 2021-07-31
• Status Verified: 2022-05
• Last Update Submitted: 2022-05-10
• Last Update Posted: 2022-05-11

Recruitment & Eligibility

• Status: COMPLETED
• Sex: All
• Target Recruitment: 150

Inclusion Criteria

• Healthy right-handed volunteers, between 64 and 76 years of age, native French speakers. No regular musical practice over the lifespan. Only retired individuals may participate.

Exclusion Criteria

• Impaired/not-corrected auditory or visual accuracy, neurological diseases in the present or the past, cardiovascular diseases, excessive hypertension, obesity, diabetes mellitus, beginning dementia, mild cognitive impairment, clinical depression.

Study & Design

• Study Type: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Design: PARALLEL

Arm && Interventions

Group	Intervention	Description
musical practice	musical practice	Intensive weekly musical keyboard training over 12 months
music education	music education	Recreative weekly musical courses without practice over 12 months

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Continuous Echo-Planar Imaging (EPI)	18 months (4 measurements over time)	Resting state functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), informs on functional connectivity
Magnetization-Prepared 2 Rapid Acquisition Gradient Echo (MP2RAGE)	18 months (4 measurements over time)	Magnetic Resonance Imaging measure, allows to image gray matter
Magnetic Resonance Diffusion Tensor Imaging (MR-DTI)	18 months (4 measurements over time)	Diffusion weighted echo-planar gradient echo sequence, allows to image white matter and structural connectivity
functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI)	18 months (4 measurements over time)	Functional Imaging of a tonal Working Memory task, allows to study involved networks
Magnetic Resonance Arterial Spin Labeling (MR-ASL)	18 months (4 measurements over time)	Blood perfusion assessment
Behavioral Battery (cognitive function)	18 months (4 measurements over time)	Comprehensive cognitive testing, full battery will be provided on request; involves Basic cognition, Executive Function, Fluid Intelligence, Verbal Memory

Secondary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Behavioral Battery (sensorimotor function)	18 months (4 measurements over time)	Sensorimotor testing, full battery will be provided on request; involves manual dexterity and hearing tests

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

School of Health Sciences Geneva; HES-SO University of Applied Sciences and Arts Western Switzerland; 🇨🇭 Geneva, Switzerland