Music Therapy for Sickle Cell Disease
What You Need to Know Before You Apply
What is the purpose of this trial?
The goal of this clinical trial is to evaluate whether a 4-week music therapy (MT) intervention can reduce chronic pain and improve psychosocial outcomes in youth with sickle cell disease (SCD).
The main questions it aims to answer are:
* Does MT reduce pain intensity, frequency of pain episodes, and improve health-related quality of life (HRQoL)?
* Does MT alter immune cell composition and gene expression in inflammatory pathways, as measured by single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq)?
Researchers will compare participants randomized to music therapy versus a control condition to see if MT produces superior improvements in pain and psychosocial outcomes, and distinct molecular changes.
Who Is on the Research Team?
Manoj Bhasin
Principal Investigator
Emory University
Are You a Good Fit for This Trial?
Inclusion Criteria
Timeline for a Trial Participant
Screening
Participants are screened for eligibility to participate in the trial
Treatment
Participants engage in 20-minute daily virtual music therapy sessions for 4 weeks using the Music Care© app
Follow-up
Participants are monitored for changes in pain characteristics, HRQoL, depressive symptoms, anxiety, and stress
What Are the Treatments Tested in This Trial?
Interventions
- Music Therapy
How Is the Trial Designed?
2
Treatment groups
Experimental Treatment
Placebo Group
The MT group will engage in 20-minute daily virtual music therapy sessions for 4 weeks, using the freely available Music Care© app (manufactured by MUSIC CARE) to independently participate in electronic music therapy following the U sequence. This app is voluntarily downloaded onto a participant's personal device, and participants will be instructed to complete daily MT sessions under optimal conditions (i.e., lying down, eyes closed, low lighting).
The control group will be asked to engage with educational material for 20 minutes daily. There will be no restrictions for research subjects in regards to listening to music under other conditions (e.g., phone, radio, concert, etc)
Find a Clinic Near You
Who Is Running the Clinical Trial?
Emory University
Lead Sponsor
National Institutes of Health (NIH)
Collaborator
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