The Focus of the Study is Healthy VolunteersNCT07036315
Meaning in Music-Based Pain Modulation
A study testing Music intervention in people with The Focus of the Study is Healthy Volunteers, run by University of Virginia at 1 site in United States.
Trial 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. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 18 to 65 years
- Conditions the study is for
- The Focus of the Study is Healthy Volunteers
- What is being tested?
- Music intervention
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 50 participants
- Where
- 1 siteUnited States
- Study dates
- 25 Oct 2025to 15 Aug 2026
- 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 18 to 65 years
- All sexes
- No healthy volunteers
- Adult, Older adult
Who may be able to join
- 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
Who cannot join
- < 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
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country. Contact the study team or a site near you to ask about taking part.
United States1 site, 1 recruiting
- Recruiting
University of Virginia
Charlottesville, Virginia, 22903
Patrick Finan, Ph.D., 4349249514, finanlab@virginia.edu
Patrick Finan, Ph.D.
About this study
Official title: An Investigation of the Intersection of Affect and Meaning in Music-Based Pain Modulation
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.
- Being tested
- Music intervention
- Keywords
- Music, Pain, Meaning
- Medical subject headings
- Pain
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Music interventionOther
Participants will be asked to select different music clips based on meaning, enjoyment and preference.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Pain-Modulation | Experimental | Participants will be exposed to different music clips. Receives: Other: Music intervention |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Pain Unpleasantness
Participants will be asked to report pain unpleasantness on a 1 - 100 visual analogue scale ranging from 0 (no sensation) to 100 (intolerable pain)
Measured: Baseline/Pre-intervention and During the Intervention
Pain Intensity
Participants will be asked to report pain intensity on a 1 - 100 visual analogue scale ranging from 0 (no sensation) to 100 (intolerable pain)
Measured: Baseline/Pre-intervention and During the Intervention
Secondary outcomes (5)
The Multidimensional Meaning in Life Scale
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.
Measured: Baseline/Pre-intervention
The Positive and Negative Affect Schedule-X (PANAS-X)
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.
Measured: Baseline/Pre-Intervention
The Hedonic and Eudaimonic Motives for Activities Scale
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.
Measured: Baseline/Pre-intervention
The Geneva Emotional Music Scale
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.
Measured: During the Intervention
Optional Micro-Phenomenological Interview
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.
Measured: Immediately After the Intervention
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted25 Jun 2025
- Study start25 Oct 2025
- Primary completion15 Jun 2026 (estimated)
- Study completion15 Aug 2026 (estimated)
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for The Focus of the Study is Healthy VolunteersStudies 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
- Not applicable
- Intervention model
- Single group
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Enrolment
- 50 participants (estimated)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- University of Virginia
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH)
- Responsible party
- Principal investigator, Patrick Finan, PhD, University of Virginia
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07036315
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- HSR 230193
- Other IDs
- U24AT012601
- Status last verified
- Nov 2025
- First submitted
- 13 Jun 2025
- Last updated
- 25 Nov 2025
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- Yes
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- No
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 25 Nov 2025. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- An Investigation of the Intersection of Affect and Meaning in Music-Based Pain Modulation
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07036315
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- HSR 230193
- Keywords
- Music, Pain, Meaning
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Recruiting
- Enrolment
- 50 participants (estimated)
- Lead sponsor
- University of VirginiaUniversity, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH)
- Study start
- 25 Oct 2025 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 15 Jun 2026 (estimated)
- Study completion
- 15 Aug 2026 (estimated)
- First posted
- 25 Jun 2025 (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 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.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Basic science
- Allocation
- Not applicable
- Intervention model
- Single group
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Number of arms
- 1
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Pain-Modulation | Experimental | Other: Music interventionParticipants will be exposed to different music clips. |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 18 to 65 years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Not accepted
- Age groups
- Adult, Older adult
Key inclusion criteria (5 listed)
- 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
Key exclusion criteria (4 listed)
- < 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
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 interventionParticipants will be asked to select different music clips based on meaning, enjoyment and preference. | Other | Pain-Modulation |
Primary outcome
Pain Unpleasantness
Time frame: 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
Time frame: 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)
5 secondary outcomes
The Multidimensional Meaning in Life Scale
Time frame: Baseline/Pre-intervention
The Positive and Negative Affect Schedule-X (PANAS-X)
Time frame: Baseline/Pre-Intervention
The Hedonic and Eudaimonic Motives for Activities Scale
Time frame: Baseline/Pre-intervention
The Geneva Emotional Music Scale
Time frame: During the Intervention
Optional Micro-Phenomenological Interview
Time frame: Immediately After the Intervention
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 25 Nov 2025.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: No
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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.
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 intervention in people with The Focus of the Study is Healthy Volunteers, run by University of Virginia 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 5 inclusion and 4 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: looking for participants now, as of the sponsor's last update on 25 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?
Contact Claudia Denoue, MD (4342436744, TTC8WZ@uvahealth.org), or a site near the patient. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Pain Unpleasantness (time frame: Baseline/Pre-intervention and During the Intervention). The study lists 2 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 25 Nov 2025.