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Huntington's DiseasePhase 1NCT00178360

Effects of Music Therapy on Huntington's Disease

A Phase 1 study testing Music Therapy in people with Huntington's Disease, run by University of Rochester at 1 site in United States.

Completed

Finished. The study has ended and is not enrolling. Results may be posted on the official record.

Official record
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Trial summary

The purpose of this study is primarily to assess the ability of a music therapy program to improve holistically the psychological, somatic, and social symptoms of patients with Huntington 's disease (HD). Read more about this study

Who is it for?
Ages 18 years and older
Conditions the study is for
Huntington's Disease
What is being tested?
Music Therapy
Could I receive a placebo?
No, everyone receives an active treatment
How many people
11 participants
Where
1 siteUnited States
Study dates
Jul 2004to Jun 2010
Phase
Phase 1
Are there results?
None posted in the registry

Key requirements

Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.

  • Ages 18 years and older
  • All sexes
  • No healthy volunteers
  • Adult, Older adult

Who may be able to join

  • Diagnosis of HD
  • Over the age of 18
  • Patients must be ambulatory, use of a walker or human support is acceptable
  • Patients must be able to communicate their thoughts and feelings

Who cannot join

  • Anyone without the preceding characteristics

Trial locations and contacts

1 site in 1 country.

United States1 site
  • University of Rochester Medical Center

    Rochester, New York, 14642

Other trials in United States

About this study

Official title: The Effects of Music Therapy on Depression, Chorea and Other Symptoms of Huntington's Disease

The purpose of this study is primarily to assess the ability of a music therapy program to improve holistically the psychological, somatic, and social symptoms of patients with Huntington 's disease (HD). We hope to demonstrate the benefits of applying music therapy interventions to the management methods of HD, thus paving the way for the development of an effective music therapy program for individuals with HD.

Read the detailed description

ABSTRACT

Background: Recent studies show that music therapy helps improve the symptomatic manifestations of Parkinson's Disease. Few studies have looked at music therapy as a treatment for the psychiatric, cognitive and motor symptoms of patients with Huntington's disease (HD).

Objective: To examine the feasibility and tolerability of a treatment program of music therapy for patients with Huntington's disease. Also, to determine if music therapy improves the mood and motor features of HD while improving quality of life.

Methods: Subjects with HD were recruited to participate in a six-week study that included one individual, half-hour music therapy session and one hour-long group session per week. The music therapy protocols were adapted from the Colorado State University's Neurological Music Therapy program and were targeted to HD symptoms including balance and posture, fine motor skills, memory and attention, vocalizations, and mood. In particular the protocols included Rhythmic Auditory Stimulation (RAS), Pattern Sensory Enhancement (PSE), and Therapeutic Instrumental Music Playing (TIMP). Primary outcome of tolerability was to be assessed by the subjects' adherence to the therapeutic protocol, attendance, and the results of an exit survey inquiring about their feelings toward the use of music therapy in HD. A secondary outcome of the study was the change in the Unified Huntington's Disease Rating Scale (UHDRS) score between baseline and study completion.

Results: Five subjects were recruited for study participation (one female and four males). Music therapy was found to be a tolerable and feasible treatment for patients with HD (100% adherence and 98% attendance). Exit surveys demonstrated strongly positive feelings towards the music therapy treatment program in four of the five subjects (one survey was completed with contradictory answers by the subject). While there was improvement in UHDRS scores for finger tapping, pronation/supination and the Luria, these changes did not achieve statistical significance with the small sample size in this study.

Conclusions: Music therapy was well tolerated among subjects with HD in this small study. Future studies are now being planned to look at the efficacy of this intervention in a larger population of HD subjects.

Being tested
Music Therapy
Keywords
Huntington's Disease, Music Therapy, quality of life
Medical subject headings
Huntington Disease

What participants receive

What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.

  • Music TherapyBehavioural

    During individual Music Therapy sessions, subjects will participate in a variety of active music-making opportunities, including: playing musical instruments, singing, improvising, learning relaxation techniques, song writing, and/or lyric analysis. The activities for each session will be determined by both subject and therapist, and will be selected based on preference, emotional state, and desired goals for the day.

    Group music therapy sessions will focus on improving socialization, depression, and group dynamics. In this setting, the Music Therapist will choose from the following interventions:

    • Group singing
    • Group drumming
    • Music assisted relaxation
    • Group song writing
    • Lyric analysis
    • Improvisation
    • Music with art
Study groups in NCT00178360
Study groupRoleWhat they receive
Music TherapyExperimentalSubject will participate in one, individual, half-hour long music therapy session every other week and one hour-long group music therapy session each month, for a period of three months.
Receives: Behavioral: Music Therapy
Standard CareNo interventionDuring the Standard Care time period, participants will continue to receive all of the medical care that they would normally receive for the treatment of Huntington's Disease, without the addition of music therapy services.

What is being measured

The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.

  1. To examine the feasibility and tolerability of a treatment program of MT for subjects with HD.

    Measured: End of Study

Secondary outcomes (1)
  1. To determine if MT improves the mood and motor features of HD while improving quality of life.

    Measured: End of study

Timeline

From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.

  1. First posted15 Sep 2005 (estimated)
  2. Study startJul 2004
  3. Primary completionDec 2008
  4. Study completionJun 2010

Resources

More details

For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.

Study design
Study type
Interventional
Phase
Phase 1
Allocation
Randomised
Intervention model
Crossover
Masking
None (open label)
Enrolment
11 participants (actual)
IDs, dates and publications
ClinicalTrials.gov ID
NCT00178360
Sponsor's protocol ID
10336
Status last verified
Aug 2011
First submitted
12 Sep 2005
Last updated
22 Aug 2011
Results posted
No
Data monitoring committee
No

Publications

  • Hyson C, Oliva R, LaDonna KA, Akwaa F, Richards J, Sahler OJ. "A Pilot Study of Music Therapy in Huntington' Disease". Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery & Psychiatry 2005; 76:A29, Abstract P010.

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

A Phase 1 study testing Music Therapy in people with Huntington's Disease, run by University of Rochester at 1 site in United States.

The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.

Who may be eligible to take part?

The sponsor lists 4 inclusion and 1 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.

Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?

The record says: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 22 Aug 2011. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.

Where is the study taking place?

The record lists 1 site in United States. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.

What are the possible benefits and risks?

They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.

What does this phase mean?

Phase 1 studies test a treatment in a small group of people for the first time or in a new way, mainly to check safety and find the right dose.

Not every study follows the same path, and some studies (observational studies, device studies) have no phase.

Are results available for this study?

The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.

How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?

The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.

What does the primary outcome measure?

To examine the feasibility and tolerability of a treatment program of MT for subjects with HD. (time frame: End of Study). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.

Where can I read the original study information?

On the ClinicalTrials.gov record for NCT00178360, which also lists 1 linked publication.

Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?

No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.

How often is this information updated?

AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 22 Aug 2011.

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