MusicNCT05502939
Music Training and Child Development Study
A study testing Music Program and After School Enrichment Program in people with Music, run by University of Southern California at 1 site in United States.
Trial summary
This proposed study aims to provide a definitive answer to whether music training benefits brain development, particularly brain inhibition control circuitry and its related health outcomes using a randomized control trial design. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 6 to 8 yearsHealthy volunteers can take part
- Conditions the study is for
- Music
- What is being tested?
- Music Program and After School Enrichment Program
- Type of treatment
- Lifestyle or therapy programme
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 114 participants
- Where
- 1 siteUnited States
- Study dates
- 11 Sep 2022to 1 Oct 2027
- Phase
- Interventional
- Are there results?
- Not yet: the study is under way
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 8 years
- All sexes
- Healthy volunteers accepted
- Child
Who may be able to join
- normal IQ (standard score of >85 in the Abbreviated Wechsler's Scale of Intelligence)
- Living in LA within 2 miles radius of the location of the music and the afterschool programs
- limited resources as defined by the Hollingshead Index cumulative score below 29
- ages 6-8
Who cannot join
- current diagnosis of neurological or psychiatric disorders
- prior engagement in formal and systematic music training for more than 6 months
- previous or current diagnosis of severe hearing loss defined as air conduction thresholds greater than 60 dB HL through 8 kHz or- severe vision loss that is not correctable with prescription eyeglasses or contact lenses
- non-removable, non-MRI compatible body parts
- Claustrophobia
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country.
United States1 site
Brain and Creativity Institute
Los Angeles, California, 90089
About this study
Official title: Effects of Music Training on Neurodevelopment and Associated Health Outcomes
This proposed study aims to provide a definitive answer to whether music training benefits brain development, particularly brain inhibition control circuitry and its related health outcomes using a randomized control trial design.
In the study, 114 children between ages 6-8 from Los Angeles will be randomly assigned to a 24-month:(1) community-focused after school music training group focused on a traditional strings curriculum at the Colburn school in Los Angeles (MG) or (2) a control group (CG) after-school program comprising of visual arts, book club, ethnic and cultural studies and theater without specific focus on systematic music training or sports. Imaging data will be collected at before and after the intervention (24 months), behavioral assessments will be conducted before the intervention and yearly afterwards, and mid-intervention evaluations will be performed every six months throughout the study.
Read the detailed description
The investigators will use an RCT design to investigate effects of a music training intervention on brain inhibition control circuitry. Throughout R61(N=40) and R33 (N=74) phases, 114 children between ages 6-8 from communities with limited resources in Los Angeles will be randomly assigned to a 24-month: (1) community-focused after school music training group focused on a traditional strings curriculum at the Colburn school in Los Angeles (MG) or (2) a control group (CG) after-school program comprising of visual arts, book club, ethnic and cultural studies and theater without specific focus on systematic music training or sports. Imaging data will be collected at before and after the intervention (24 months), behavioral assessments will be conducted before the intervention and yearly afterwards, and mid-intervention evaluations will be performed every six months throughout the study.
The investigators anticipate that the R61 phase will take 2 years and R33 will take 3 years to complete. The goal of the R61 phase is to evaluate the feasibility of executing the RCT. Comprehensive behavioral and imaging data will be collected at pre- and post-intervention, and mid-intervention evaluations will be performed every six months throughout the study. The combined R61/R33 phases will include 114 participants and will ultimately provide much needed guidance on the development of larger trials in the field.
- Conditions
- Music
- Being tested
- Music Program, After School Enrichment Program
- Keywords
- Brain, Music training, Children
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Music ProgramBehavioural
The cohort of students entering the program at the Colburn school in Los Angeles will be a part of a traditional strings curriculum. Students will join the program on a full scholarship and will be provided all materials necessary for instruction, including an instrument. Students will attend Colburn twice a week in a group setting and will receive private instruction once a week.
The program will last 2, 15-week semesters (fall, spring) for 2-years. There will be 2 groups of 10 students. Students will undergo group instruction for 1 hour, 2 times a week and private instruction for 45 minutes, once a week.
After School Enrichment ProgramBehavioural
The afterschool program will be led by instructors and will include visual arts, theater, and general cultural studies. Students attend the program 3 days per week in the afternoon for 1 hour long lessons. Students will take part in an end of the year celebration to share their work with family and community members.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Music | Experimental | 57 participants, aged 6-8
Participants will be enrolled in a music training program led by professional trained music instructor of the Colburn School of Music. The music curriculum follows the standard Suzuki training method. Students attend the program 3 days per week, 2 weekday afternoons and one weekend morning. Each session lasts approximately 1 hour long. Each student will be given a string instrument to take home (often a viola or a violin). Each learning day focuses on development of musical elements including rhythm and meter, form, pitch, and performance. Students will take part in annual performances intended to give them a motivational goal, sense of mastery and to share their accomplishments with their peers, family, and community. Receives: Behavioral: Music Program |
| After School Enrichment Group | Active comparator | 57 participants, aged 6-8
Participants will be enrolled in an after school program led by instructors and will include visual arts, theater, and general cultural studies. Students attend the program 3 days per week in the afternoon for 1 hour long lessons. Students will take part in an end of the year celebration to share their work with family and community members. Duration and frequency of the after-school program will be matched to the music intervention. Receives: Behavioral: After School Enrichment Program |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
brain inhibition control networks
The primary outcome will be %change in blood-oxygen-level-dependent signal in the brain frontal circuits including the DLPFC, ACC and pre-SMA/SMA evaluated during the two inhibition control tasks.
Measured: 24 months
Secondary outcomes (2)
inhibition control as measured by reaction time
Stop signal reaction time during stop signal task
Measured: 24 months
inhibition control as measured by delayed gratification
discounting rate from delay gratification task
Measured: 24 months
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted16 Aug 2022
- Study start11 Sep 2022
- Primary completion1 Oct 2027 (estimated)
- Study completion1 Oct 2027 (estimated)
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Publications (1)Papers the sponsor has linked to this study.
- Other trials for MusicStudies 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
- Double blind
- Who is masked
- Investigator, Outcomes assessor
- Enrolment
- 114 participants (estimated)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- University of Southern California
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Principal investigator, Assal Habibi, University of Southern California
- Investigators
- Assal Habibi, Principal investigator, University of Southern California
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT05502939
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- UP-22-00056
- Status last verified
- Nov 2025
- First submitted
- 10 Aug 2022
- Last updated
- 13 Nov 2025
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- Yes
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
Publications
Jamey K, Herschel E, Noel C, Villanueva J, Reyes M, Hsu E, Ilari B, Mack W, Luo S, Habibi A. Tune In or Take the Stage? A Randomized Controlled Trial Comparing After-School Music and Theatre Training with Neuroimaging Outcomes for Youth. medRxiv [Preprint]. 2026 Jun 5:2026.06.03.26354844. doi: 10.64898/2026.06.03.26354844.
PubMed 42282169
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 13 Nov 2025. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Effects of Music Training on Neurodevelopment and Associated Health Outcomes
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT05502939
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- UP-22-00056
- Conditions
- Music
- Keywords
- Brain, Music training, Children
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Active, not recruiting
- Enrolment
- 114 participants (estimated)
- Lead sponsor
- University of Southern CaliforniaUniversity, hospital or other
- Study start
- 11 Sep 2022 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 1 Oct 2027 (estimated)
- Study completion
- 1 Oct 2027 (estimated)
- First posted
- 16 Aug 2022 (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.
This proposed study aims to provide a definitive answer to whether music training benefits brain development, particularly brain inhibition control circuitry and its related health outcomes using a randomized control trial design.
In the study, 114 children between ages 6-8 from Los Angeles will be randomly assigned to a 24-month:(1) community-focused after school music training group focused on a traditional strings curriculum at the Colburn school in Los Angeles (MG) or (2) a control group (CG) after-school program comprising of visual arts, book club, ethnic and cultural studies and theater without specific focus on systematic music training or sports. Imaging data will be collected at before and after the intervention (24 months), behavioral assessments will be conducted before the intervention and yearly afterwards, and mid-intervention evaluations will be performed every six months throughout the study.
Detailed description
The investigators will use an RCT design to investigate effects of a music training intervention on brain inhibition control circuitry. Throughout R61(N=40) and R33 (N=74) phases, 114 children between ages 6-8 from communities with limited resources in Los Angeles will be randomly assigned to a 24-month: (1) community-focused after school music training group focused on a traditional strings curriculum at the Colburn school in Los Angeles (MG) or (2) a control group (CG) after-school program comprising of visual arts, book club, ethnic and cultural studies and theater without specific focus on systematic music training or sports. Imaging data will be collected at before and after the intervention (24 months), behavioral assessments will be conducted before the intervention and yearly afterwards, and mid-intervention evaluations will be performed every six months throughout the study.
The investigators anticipate that the R61 phase will take 2 years and R33 will take 3 years to complete. The goal of the R61 phase is to evaluate the feasibility of executing the RCT. Comprehensive behavioral and imaging data will be collected at pre- and post-intervention, and mid-intervention evaluations will be performed every six months throughout the study. The combined R61/R33 phases will include 114 participants and will ultimately provide much needed guidance on the development of larger trials in the field.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Basic science
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- Double blind (investigator, outcomes assessor)
- Number of arms
- 2
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Music | Experimental | Behavioral: Music Program57 participants, aged 6-8 Participants will be enrolled in a music training program led by professional trained music instructor of the Colburn School of Music. The music curriculum follows the standard Suzuki training method. Students attend the program 3 days per week, 2 weekday afternoons and one weekend morning. Each session lasts approximately 1 hour long. Each student will be given a string instrument to take home (often a viola or a violin). Each learning day focuses on development of musical elements including rhythm and meter, form, pitch, and performance. Students will take part in annual performances intended to give them a motivational goal, sense of mastery and to share their accomplishments with their peers, family, and community. |
| After School Enrichment Group | Active comparator | Behavioral: After School Enrichment Program57 participants, aged 6-8 Participants will be enrolled in an after school program led by instructors and will include visual arts, theater, and general cultural studies. Students attend the program 3 days per week in the afternoon for 1 hour long lessons. Students will take part in an end of the year celebration to share their work with family and community members. Duration and frequency of the after-school program will be matched to the music intervention. |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 6 to 8 years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Accepted
- Age groups
- Child
Key inclusion criteria (4 listed)
- normal IQ (standard score of >85 in the Abbreviated Wechsler's Scale of Intelligence)
- Living in LA within 2 miles radius of the location of the music and the afterschool programs
- limited resources as defined by the Hollingshead Index cumulative score below 29
- ages 6-8
Key exclusion criteria (5 listed)
- current diagnosis of neurological or psychiatric disorders
- prior engagement in formal and systematic music training for more than 6 months
- previous or current diagnosis of severe hearing loss defined as air conduction thresholds greater than 60 dB HL through 8 kHz or- severe vision loss that is not correctable with prescription eyeglasses or contact lenses
- non-removable, non-MRI compatible body parts
- Claustrophobia
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 ProgramThe cohort of students entering the program at the Colburn school in Los Angeles will be a part of a traditional strings curriculum. Students will join the program on a full scholarship and will be provided all materials necessary for instruction, including an instrument. Students will attend Colburn twice a week in a group setting and will receive private instruction once a week. The program will last 2, 15-week semesters (fall, spring) for 2-years. There will be 2 groups of 10 students. Students will undergo group instruction for 1 hour, 2 times a week and private instruction for 45 minutes, once a week. | Behavioural | Music |
| After School Enrichment ProgramThe afterschool program will be led by instructors and will include visual arts, theater, and general cultural studies. Students attend the program 3 days per week in the afternoon for 1 hour long lessons. Students will take part in an end of the year celebration to share their work with family and community members. | Behavioural | After School Enrichment Group |
Primary outcome
brain inhibition control networks
Time frame: 24 months
The primary outcome will be %change in blood-oxygen-level-dependent signal in the brain frontal circuits including the DLPFC, ACC and pre-SMA/SMA evaluated during the two inhibition control tasks.
2 secondary outcomes
inhibition control as measured by reaction time
Time frame: 24 months
inhibition control as measured by delayed gratification
Time frame: 24 months
Results and safety
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 13 Nov 2025.
- Derived from this study: PubMed 42282169Jamey K, Herschel E, Noel C, Villanueva J, Reyes M, Hsu E, Ilari B, Mack W, Luo S, Habibi A. Tune In or Take the Stage? A Randomized Controlled Trial Comparing After-School Music and Theatre Training with Neuroimaging Outcomes for Youth. medRxiv [Preprint]. 2026 Jun 5:2026.06.03.26354844. doi: 10.64898/2026.06.03.26354844.
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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.
Assal Habibi principal investigator
University of Southern California
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing Music Program and After School Enrichment Program in people with Music, run by University of Southern California 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 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: under way, not looking for participants, as of the sponsor's last update on 13 Nov 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 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.
Are results available for this study?
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
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?
brain inhibition control networks (time frame: 24 months). 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 NCT05502939, 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 13 Nov 2025.