Cognitive ChangeNCT03160391
Cognitive Effects of Music and Dance Training in Children
A study testing Music Training and Dance Training in people with Cognitive Change, run by York University.
Trial summary
The study used a randomized controlled trial to test the efficacy of two interventions (dance and musical training) for typically developing children. Interventions were run for three weeks in local community locations. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 6 to 9 yearsHealthy volunteers can take part
- Conditions the study is for
- Cognitive Change
- What is being tested?
- Music Training and Dance Training
- Type of treatment
- Lifestyle or therapy programme
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 75 participants
- Where
- No sites listed yet
- Study dates
- 1 Jan 2012to 30 Nov 2013
- 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 6 to 9 years
- All sexes
- Healthy volunteers accepted
- Child
Who may be able to join
- Monolingual
Who cannot join
- Developmental delays or learning disabilities
- Previous arts training (in dance, drama, or music)
About this study
Official title: Cognitive Effects of Music and Dance Training in Children: A Randomized Controlled Trial
The study used a randomized controlled trial to test the efficacy of two interventions (dance and musical training) for typically developing children. Interventions were run for three weeks in local community locations. Participants were tested before and after the intervention on a battery of cognitive and behavioural measures. They were compared across groups, and to a control group who do not receive the intervention.
The purpose of the current study was to assess the influence of dance and musical training on cognitive development. Research has indicated that musical training is associated with improve cognitive functioning, although the direction of such an association is unclear. Further, it is uncertain whether any benefits are specific to musical training or can also be demonstrated with other training activities. The current study used a randomized controlled trial to assess the causal effects of dance and musical training.
Read the detailed description
Participants Monolingual children aged between six and nine years old were recruited from two local communities in Ontario, Canada. Children with developmental delays, learning disabilities, or previous arts training were excluded from the study.
Participants were randomly allocated to one of two groups
- Dance intervention group
- Music intervention group
To establish baseline performance levels and have a comparison, a passive control group was collected from the same towns using the same exclusion criteria.
Data analysis Difference scores were calculated for each measure by subtracting each participant's second testing session data from the first. When appropriate, iterative trimming with a 3 SD cutoff was used, by subject and by condition, to remove outliers. Results for each measure were analyzed using one-way ANOVAs (analysis of variance) for the between-subjects factor of training group (music, dance, or control).
- Conditions
- Cognitive Change
- Being tested
- Music Training, Dance Training
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Music TrainingBehavioural
Training curriculums were developed using guidelines set by the Ontario Ministry of Education (The Ontario Curriculum, 2009) for teaching music to grades 1 to 3. Music was delineated into duration, pitch, dynamics and other expressive controls, timbre, texture/harmony, and form. training included direct instruction and group activities. All training programs had the same structure: a warm-up period, following by instruction from a teacher, and then group activities to practically demonstrate the concepts learned. Both programs involved working towards a variety of ensembles.
Dance TrainingBehavioural
As with music training, dance was operationally defined by fundamental concepts for the art form, namely elements for body, space, time, energy, and relationship. The intervention involved both individual and group activities, with a combination of instruction and practical activities, and preparation for a final performance.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Music Training | Experimental | Music Training Receives: Behavioral: Music Training |
| Dance Training | Active comparator | Dance Training Receives: Behavioral: Dance Training |
| Passive control group | No intervention | Passive control group |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Change in visuospatial working memory
Self-ordered pointing task (Cragg \& Nation, 2007)
Measured: Before and after intervention (3 weeks gap)
Change in interference control on flanker
Flanker task (Bunge, Dudukovic, Thomason, Vaidya, \& Gabriela, 2002)
Measured: Before and after intervention (3 weeks gap)
Change in color-shape task switching
color-shape task (Wiseheart, Viswanathan, \& Bialystok, 2015)
Measured: Before and after intervention (3 weeks gap)
Change in verbal working memory
Digit span (Weschler, 2008)
Measured: Before and after intervention (3 weeks gap)
Change in interference control on Stroop
Stroop task (Cepeda, Blackwell, \& Munakata, 2013)
Measured: Before and after intervention (3 weeks gap)
Change in quantity-identity task switching
quantity-identity task (Cepeda, Cepeda, \& Kramer, 2000)
Measured: Before and after intervention (3 weeks gap)
Secondary outcomes (5)
Change in processing speed using box completion
Box completion (Salthouse, 1993)
Measured: Before and after intervention (3 weeks gap)
Change in Non-verbal intelligence
Kaufman Brief Intelligence Test (K-BIT-2; Kaufman \& Kaufman, 2004)
Measured: Before and after intervention (3 weeks gap)
Change in Receptive vocabulary
Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test (PPVT-IV; Dunn, Dunn, \& Lenhard, 2015)
Measured: Before and after intervention (3 weeks gap)
Change in processing speed using digit symbol
Digit symbol (Weschler, 1991)
Measured: Before and after intervention (3 weeks gap)
Change in processing speed using symbol copy
Symbol copy (Weschler, 1991)
Measured: Before and after intervention (3 weeks gap)
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted19 May 2017
- Study start1 Jan 2012
- Primary completion30 Nov 2013
- Study completion30 Nov 2013
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for Cognitive ChangeStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
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
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- Triple blind
- Who is masked
- Participant, Care provider, Outcomes assessor
- Enrolment
- 75 participants (actual)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- York University
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Principal investigator, Melody Wiseheart, York University
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT03160391
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- YorkU-MD1
- Status last verified
- May 2017
- First submitted
- 6 May 2017
- Last updated
- 19 May 2017
- Results posted
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- Undecided
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 19 May 2017. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Cognitive Effects of Music and Dance Training in Children: A Randomized Controlled Trial
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT03160391
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- YorkU-MD1
- Conditions
- Cognitive Change
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Completed
- Enrolment
- 75 participants (actual)
- Lead sponsor
- York UniversityUniversity, hospital or other
- Study start
- 1 Jan 2012 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 30 Nov 2013 (actual)
- Study completion
- 30 Nov 2013 (actual)
- First posted
- 19 May 2017 (actual)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
The study used a randomized controlled trial to test the efficacy of two interventions (dance and musical training) for typically developing children. Interventions were run for three weeks in local community locations. Participants were tested before and after the intervention on a battery of cognitive and behavioural measures. They were compared across groups, and to a control group who do not receive the intervention.
The purpose of the current study was to assess the influence of dance and musical training on cognitive development. Research has indicated that musical training is associated with improve cognitive functioning, although the direction of such an association is unclear. Further, it is uncertain whether any benefits are specific to musical training or can also be demonstrated with other training activities. The current study used a randomized controlled trial to assess the causal effects of dance and musical training.
Detailed description
Participants Monolingual children aged between six and nine years old were recruited from two local communities in Ontario, Canada. Children with developmental delays, learning disabilities, or previous arts training were excluded from the study.
Participants were randomly allocated to one of two groups
- Dance intervention group
- Music intervention group
To establish baseline performance levels and have a comparison, a passive control group was collected from the same towns using the same exclusion criteria.
Data analysis Difference scores were calculated for each measure by subtracting each participant's second testing session data from the first. When appropriate, iterative trimming with a 3 SD cutoff was used, by subject and by condition, to remove outliers. Results for each measure were analyzed using one-way ANOVAs (analysis of variance) for the between-subjects factor of training group (music, dance, or control).
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Basic science
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- Triple blind (participant, care provider, outcomes assessor)
- Number of arms
- 3
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Music Training | Experimental | Behavioral: Music TrainingMusic Training |
| Dance Training | Active comparator | Behavioral: Dance TrainingDance Training |
| Passive control group | No intervention | –Passive control group |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 6 to 9 years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Accepted
- Age groups
- Child
Key inclusion criteria (1 listed)
- Monolingual
Key exclusion criteria (2 listed)
- Developmental delays or learning disabilities
- Previous arts training (in dance, drama, or music)
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| Music TrainingTraining curriculums were developed using guidelines set by the Ontario Ministry of Education (The Ontario Curriculum, 2009) for teaching music to grades 1 to 3. Music was delineated into duration, pitch, dynamics and other expressive controls, timbre, texture/harmony, and form. training included direct instruction and group activities. All training programs had the same structure: a warm-up period, following by instruction from a teacher, and then group activities to practically demonstrate the concepts learned. Both programs involved working towards a variety of ensembles. | Behavioural | Music Training |
| Dance TrainingAs with music training, dance was operationally defined by fundamental concepts for the art form, namely elements for body, space, time, energy, and relationship. The intervention involved both individual and group activities, with a combination of instruction and practical activities, and preparation for a final performance. | Behavioural | Dance Training |
Primary outcome
Change in visuospatial working memory
Time frame: Before and after intervention (3 weeks gap)
Self-ordered pointing task (Cragg \& Nation, 2007)
Change in interference control on flanker
Time frame: Before and after intervention (3 weeks gap)
Flanker task (Bunge, Dudukovic, Thomason, Vaidya, \& Gabriela, 2002)
Change in color-shape task switching
Time frame: Before and after intervention (3 weeks gap)
color-shape task (Wiseheart, Viswanathan, \& Bialystok, 2015)
Change in verbal working memory
Time frame: Before and after intervention (3 weeks gap)
Digit span (Weschler, 2008)
Change in interference control on Stroop
Time frame: Before and after intervention (3 weeks gap)
Stroop task (Cepeda, Blackwell, \& Munakata, 2013)
Change in quantity-identity task switching
Time frame: Before and after intervention (3 weeks gap)
quantity-identity task (Cepeda, Cepeda, \& Kramer, 2000)
5 secondary outcomes
Change in processing speed using box completion
Time frame: Before and after intervention (3 weeks gap)
Change in Non-verbal intelligence
Time frame: Before and after intervention (3 weeks gap)
Change in Receptive vocabulary
Time frame: Before and after intervention (3 weeks gap)
Change in processing speed using digit symbol
Time frame: Before and after intervention (3 weeks gap)
Change in processing speed using symbol copy
Time frame: Before and after intervention (3 weeks gap)
Results and safety
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 19 May 2017.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: Undecided
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Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part. This study is not recruiting at the moment.
The record lists no contact. Use the official record to reach the sponsor.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing Music Training and Dance Training in people with Cognitive Change, run by York University.
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 1 inclusion and 2 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 19 May 2017. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
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.
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?
Change in visuospatial working memory (time frame: Before and after intervention (3 weeks gap)). The study lists 6 primary outcomes in all. It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
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 19 May 2017.