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HealthyNCT03094624

Auditory Deficits in Congenital Amusia (AMUSIE CONGENITALE)

A study testing Neuropsychological and neurophysiological tests, Experiment 1 and Experiment 2 in people with Healthy and Amusia, Congenital, run by Hospices Civils de Lyon at 1 site in France.

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 project studies auditory deficits in congenital amusia at the behavioral and neurophysiological levels. The auditory processes investigated are pitch discrimination, short-term memory, sound-induced emotions. Read more about this study

Who is it for?
Ages 18 to 70 yearsHealthy volunteers can take part
Conditions the study is for
Healthy, Amusia, Congenital
What is being tested?
Neuropsychological and neurophysiological tests, Experiment 1 and Experiment 2
Could I receive a placebo?
Yes, some participants may receive a placebo
How many people
230 participants
Where
1 siteFrance
Study dates
13 Jan 2013to 23 May 2019
Phase
Interventional
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 to 70 years
  • All sexes
  • Healthy volunteers accepted
  • Adult, Older adult

Who may be able to join

  • Aged from 18 to 70 years' old
  • French
  • Compatibility IRM / MEG (no metal in the body)
  • Motivation to participate effectively in the project
  • No neurological or psychiatric history
  • No severe hearing loss
Show all 9Show fewer
  • Informed consent to participate in the study
  • For Amusic participants: participant diagnosed amusic by the MBEA (Montreal Battery of Evaluation of Amusia)
  • For Control participants: matched in age, sex, education, music education, laterality, non-amusic (controlled with the MBEA)

Who cannot join

  • Age below 18 or above 70
  • Non-Francophone volunteers.
  • MRI scanning not possible: artificial cardiac pacemaker, insulin pump, metallic prosthesis, intra-cerebral clip, claustrophobia
  • MEG acquisition not possible: large heads, neurostimulator, metal in the head or the body.
  • Pregnant or breast-feeding women

Trial locations and contacts

1 site in 1 country.

France1 site
  • Hospices Civils de Lyon, Hôpital Edouard Herriot

    Lyon, 69003

Other trials in France

About this study

Official title: Auditory Perceptual and Memory Deficits in Congenital Amusia: Studies of Cerebral Correlates With MEG, Anatomical MRI and Functional MRI

The project studies auditory deficits in congenital amusia at the behavioral and neurophysiological levels.

The auditory processes investigated are pitch discrimination, short-term memory, sound-induced emotions. To characterize auditory deficits in the amusic population, neuropsychological assessments are combined with neurophysiological markers (Electro-encephalography: EEG, Magneto-encephalography: MEG, Magnetic Resonance Imaging: MRI).

Being tested
Neuropsychological and neurophysiological tests, Experiment 1, Experiment 2, Experiment 3, Experiment 4
Keywords
Amusia, Audition, Short-term memory, Emotions, EEG, MEG, MRI
Medical subject headings
Tune Deafness

What participants receive

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

  • Neuropsychological and neurophysiological testsOther

    Neuropsychological tests consist in listening to sounds in various contexts and providing behavioral responses with response-buttons. Neurophysiological tests consist in the recording of EEG and/or MEG signals or MRI images while realizing the neuropsychological tests, as well as anatomical MRI scanning to characterize the participants' brain anatomy and reconstruct the brain sources of surface EEG/MEG signals.

  • Experiment 1Other

    Experiment 1 are interested in perception and musical memory vs. Language and contribute to our understanding of the functional and structural organization of the brain to perceive and memorize music and language.

  • Experiment 2Other

    Experiment 2 focuses on perception and musical memory vs. Language and contribute to our understanding of the functional and structural organization of the brain to perceive and memorize music and language. The second experiment will also study short-term memory networks for musical and verbal materials, but the specificity will be the inclusion of a verbal material sung, thus representing the combination of both information. Experiment 2 is divided into two sub-parts. Indeed, the investigators will develop the musical and verbal materials during a first experimental part in experiment (experiment 2a) and then apply them in experimentation MEG (experiment 2b). Experiment 2a will allow us to test new equipment in a short term memory task under conditions that are less restrictive for the participants. Then the investigators will apply the optimal material that emerges for the MEG experiment.

  • Experiment 3Other

    Experiment 3 will use Discordant Negativity (MMN; Mismatch Negativity) protocols in coupled EEG-MEG (experiment 3a) and EEG alone (experiment 3b) to investigate memory traces of sensory information. The MMN is used to probe auditory sensory memory (pre-requisite for short- or long-term storage), and has the advantage of being measured without requiring an active task from the participant.

  • Experiment 4Other

    Experiment 4 will study the neural correlates of long-term memory for musical and verbal material with fMRI. The testimonies of the amusicians suggest a deficit of the "musical lexicon" which contrasts with that the musical lexicon elaborated of the non-musician listeners.

Study groups in NCT03094624
Study groupRoleWhat they receive
AmusiaExperimentalSince 2006, recruitment of amusia participants has been organized in the Lyon region, and some 20 participants (and their matched controls in terms of age, sex, laterality, musical practice, number of years of study) have already taken part various studies conducted at the CRNL. The recruitment of amusia participants and controls is continued in order to maintain a sufficient number of participants and compensate for the withdrawals within the cohort already constituted (lack of availability, geographical distance, etc.).
Receives: Other: Neuropsychological and neurophysiological tests; Other: Experiment 1; Other: Experiment 2; Other: Experiment 3; Other: Experiment 4
Matched controlsSham comparatorMatched controls of age, sex, laterality, musical practice, number of years of studies.
Receives: Other: Neuropsychological and neurophysiological tests; Other: Experiment 1; Other: Experiment 2; Other: Experiment 3; Other: Experiment 4

What is being measured

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

  1. Correct answers to the neuropsychological tests

    Percentages of correct responses

    Measured: Day 1

  2. Neuropsychological tests reaction times

    Neuropsychological tests reaction times

    Measured: Day 1

  3. Neurophysiological tests EEG

    Event-Related Potentials (EEG)

    Measured: Day 1

  4. Neurophysiological tests MEG

    Event-Related Fields (MEG)

    Measured: Day 1

  5. Neurophysiological tests MRI

    MRI images

    Measured: Day 1

Timeline

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

  1. First posted29 Mar 2017
  2. Study start13 Jan 2013
  3. Primary completion23 May 2019
  4. Study completion23 May 2019

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 N/A
Primary purpose
Basic science
Allocation
Non-randomised
Intervention model
Parallel groups
Masking
None (open label)
Enrolment
230 participants (actual)
IDs, dates and publications
ClinicalTrials.gov ID
NCT03094624
Sponsor's protocol ID
69HCL16_0662
Status last verified
Sep 2025
First submitted
20 Mar 2017
Last updated
10 Sep 2025
Results posted
No
FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
No

Publications

  • Albouy P, Peretz I, Bermudez P, Zatorre RJ, Tillmann B, Caclin A. Specialized neural dynamics for verbal and tonal memory: fMRI evidence in congenital amusia. Hum Brain Mapp. 2019 Feb 15;40(3):855-867. doi: 10.1002/hbm.24416. Epub 2018 Nov 1.

    PubMed 30381866

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

A study testing Neuropsychological and neurophysiological tests, Experiment 1 and Experiment 2 in people with Healthy and Amusia, Congenital, run by Hospices Civils de Lyon at 1 site in France.

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 9 inclusion and 5 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 10 Sep 2025. 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 France. 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. Some participants in this study may receive a placebo. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.

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?

Correct answers to the neuropsychological tests (time frame: Day 1). The study lists 5 primary outcomes in all. 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 NCT03094624, 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 10 Sep 2025.

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