Meaning in Music-Based Pain Modulation

Not Applicable

Not yet recruiting

• Conditions: The Focus of the Study is Healthy Volunteers

• Registration Number: NCT07036315
• Lead Sponsor: University of Virginia

Brief Summary

The overall goal of this project is to examine the impact of music's meaning on pain. Relationships between trait affect, meaning in life, and subjective qualities of meaningful music will be assessed. We will also conduct interviews with a subset of participants to determine which aspects of music are most meaningful and how this meaning increases or decreases pain sensations.

Detailed Description

Not available

Study Timeline

• Status Verified: 2025-06
• Study First Submitted: 2025-06-13
• Study First Submitted QC: 2025-06-23
• Last Update Submitted: 2025-06-23
• Study First Posted: 2025-06-25
• Last Update Posted: 2025-06-25
• Study Start: 2025-08-15
• Primary Completion: 2026-04-15
• Study Completion: 2026-08-15

Recruitment & Eligibility

• Status: NOT_YET_RECRUITING
• Sex: All
• Target Recruitment: 50

Inclusion Criteria

• 18-65 years old
• Absence of acute or chronic pain
• Normal hearing (either naturally or with assistance of hearing device)
• Must be able to wear an EEG
• Able to sign consent

Exclusion Criteria

• < 18 or > 65 years old
• Presence of acute pain (brief pain inventory score > 3)
• Pregnant women
• Participant reports that they experience pain on more days than not in the past 6 months (i.e., chronic

Study & Design

• Study Type: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Design: SINGLE_GROUP

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Pain Unpleasantness	Baseline/Pre-intervention and During the Intervention	Participants will be asked to report pain unpleasantness on a 1 - 100 visual analogue scale ranging from 0 (no sensation) to 100 (intolerable pain)
Pain Intensity	Baseline/Pre-intervention and During the Intervention	Participants will be asked to report pain intensity on a 1 - 100 visual analogue scale ranging from 0 (no sensation) to 100 (intolerable pain)

Secondary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Optional Micro-Phenomenological Interview	Immediately After the Intervention	The objective of the interview is to gain in-depth data on participants' thoughts and feelings about what makes music meaningful to them and how such meaning relates to their experience of pain.
The Multidimensional Meaning in Life Scale	Baseline/Pre-intervention	The multidimensional meaning in life scale is a 16 item validated questionnaire that measures judgments about life's meaning including three subscales of coherence, purpose and mattering. Participants respond to each item using a 7-point Likert scale (1 = Very strongly disagree, 7 = Very strongly agree). A higher score indicates a stronger sense of that dimension of meaning in life.
The Positive and Negative Affect Schedule-X (PANAS-X)	Baseline/Pre-Intervention	The Positive and Negative Affect Schedule-X (PANAS-X) is a 60-item measure assessing perceived intensity of various emotions, which are aggregated to form positive and negative affect scales, and a series of subscales. Scores are calculated by summing the numerical values of a 5-point Likert type scale (1 = Very slightly or not at all, 5 = extremely) for each item. Higher scores indicate higher levels of the specific affect being measured.
The Hedonic and Eudaimonic Motives for Activities Scale	Baseline/Pre-intervention	The Hedonic and Eudaimonic Motives for Activities scale is a 9 item survey used to assess how participants typically approach activities in daily life. Participants rate each item on a 7-point Likert type scale (1 = not at all, 7 = very much) with higher scores indicating more hedonic or eudaimonic motives for activities.
The Geneva Emotional Music Scale	During the Intervention	Participants will be asked to rate their affective responses to each music clip on a 9-point Likert-type scale. Higher scores indicate a greater experience of each emotion measured.