DIYgenomics Music Therapy Study

DIYgenomics wiki homepage

Title: Measuring the Impact of Music Therapy

Resources: 

• Existing music therapy clinical trials (119 as of 7/29/12)
  
• Published journal articles regarding music therapy (3500 as of 7/29/12)
• American Music Therapy Association
• CPT codes for music therapy
  
• Institute for Music and Neurologic Function
• Muhammad Ali Parkinson Center
• American Parkinson Disease Association
• Mayo Clinic Deep Brain Stimulation program

Summary: A new era of quantified measurement tools are now starting to be available such that the impact of music therapy may be measured more effectively, and the overall impact of such therapies studied with greater rigor. This is a randomized control study with a minimum of n=100 Parkinson's disease patients to quantify the potential benefits of music therapy. If a positive affect may be measured and demonstrated, a standardized and easily-deployable therapy regimen may be developed. Further, the physical and mental benefits of listening to music may have a much wider application outside of the therapeutic realm in the general application of stress-reduction and empathy-increasing including reducing the one in four adults (26%) who suffer from a diagnosable mental disorder in a given year and one in ten (9.5%) who suffer from depression in any year.

Benefits of Music Therapy:  

• Brain wave shift into more meditative state
• Breathing and heart rate shifts
• Lower blood pressure
• Positive state of mind
  
• Overall relaxation and well-being

Study protocol: Minimum n=100 individuals diagnosed with Parkinson's disease. Participants are randomized into two groups: 

A: Control group: No intervention

B: Experimental group: one month of music therapy

Study conduct: The study will be conducted in a crowdsourced cohort recruited directly and through physicians. Enrollment will be open and ongoing, with at minimum 100 participants sought for the first phase of data analysis. Study recruitment and operation will be via the internet-based health collaboration community Genomera.

Potential study advisors:

Oliver Sacks, MD, author: Musicophilia

Christian Keysers, NeuroImaging Center, Groningen, the Netherlands, neurobiology of empathy, author: The Empathic Brain

A Raglio, PhD, Neuromoter Rehabilitation

Wolfgang Schmid, PhD, Home-Based Music Therapy

John Gruzelier, PhD, Goldsmith's London, music and EEG analysis, paper reference

Potential citizen ethicist review: (see Ethical Review Q&A)

Alexander Geryland, Biotechnology professional

Rebecca Hemenway, Life sciences professional

Amanda Kahn-Kirby, Biotechnology professional