Mozart Music for Surgical Education

Overseen By Bianca Giglio, MSc

Age: 18+

Sex: Any

Trial Phase: Academic

Sponsor: McGill University

Disqualifiers: Prior use of NeuroVR

No Placebo Group All trial participants will receive the active study treatment (no placebo)

Compensation: Varies

Number of Visits: 4

40 Participants Needed

What You Need to Know Before You Apply

What is the purpose of this trial?

This trial explores whether listening to Mozart music can help medical students improve their surgical skills during simulation training. Researchers are testing if music affects students' learning and surgical performance in a risk-free environment, as well as its impact on their emotions and mental load. Participants will be divided into two groups: one will listen to Mozart while practicing on a surgical simulator, and the other will practice without music. The trial seeks medical students in their early years of study in Quebec who have not used the specific simulator before. As an unphased trial, this study offers a unique opportunity to explore innovative ways to enhance learning and performance in a supportive environment.

Do I have to stop taking my current medications for the trial?

The trial information does not specify whether you need to stop taking your current medications.

What prior data suggests that listening to Mozart music during surgical simulation is safe?

Research has shown that listening to Mozart music doesn't harm surgical skills and might even improve them. One study found that participants who listened to Mozart during training felt less stressed and concentrated more easily. Another study suggested that classical music like Mozart's benefits surgeons more than louder, more distracting sounds. Overall, using Mozart music in surgical training appears safe and might enhance learning and performance. ^{1 2 3 4 5}

Why are researchers excited about this trial?

Researchers are excited about the trial of using Mozart music during surgical education because it explores a unique way to enhance learning without traditional interventions like medication or intensive training programs. Unlike conventional methods that rely on repetition and practice, this approach leverages the potential cognitive benefits of listening to Mozart, such as improved concentration and reduced anxiety. By integrating music into a simulated surgical environment, the trial aims to see if this can boost performance and learning outcomes, offering a novel and accessible tool for medical training.

What evidence suggests that listening to Mozart music might be an effective method for improving surgical technical skills?

Research has shown that listening to music, such as Mozart, can enhance performance during surgery. Music boosts focus and efficiency, potentially leading to better learning during surgical training. In some tasks, music has improved performance by up to 30%. It also reduces negative feelings and eases concentration by lowering mental stress. In this trial, one group of participants will listen to Mozart while performing a simulated subpial brain tumor resection, while another group will perform the task without music. Overall, the positive effects of music suggest it could help trainees learn surgical skills more effectively. ^{1 2 6 7 8}

Who Is on the Research Team?

Rolando F. Del Maestro, MD, PhD

Principal Investigator

Neurosurgical Simulation and Artificial Intelligence Learning Centre

Are You a Good Fit for This Trial?

This trial is for medical students from four Quebec universities. It's designed to see if Mozart music affects their ability to learn surgical skills using a high-tech AI simulation system. Students must be eligible for neurosurgical training and willing to participate in the study, but specific inclusion and exclusion criteria are not detailed here.

Inclusion Criteria

Medical students who are actively enrolled in their preparatory, first, second year of medical school at any Quebec institution who do not fit the exclusion criteria.

Exclusion Criteria

Prior use of the NeuroVR (CAE Healthcare) simulator.

Timeline for a Trial Participant

Screening

Participants are screened for eligibility to participate in the trial

1 day

1 visit (in-person)

Training Session 1

Participants undergo a 90-minute training session on the NeuroVR simulator, performing practice tasks with or without music.

1 day

1 visit (in-person)

Training Session 2

Participants undergo a second 90-minute training session on the NeuroVR simulator, performing a complex realistic task with or without music.

1 day

1 visit (in-person)

Follow-up

Participants complete post-trial questionnaires to assess emotions and cognitive load.

1 day

1 visit (in-person)

What Are the Treatments Tested in This Trial?

Interventions

• Mozart music

Trial Overview The study tests whether playing Mozart music during surgical simulations helps students learn better compared to no music at all. Participants will be randomly placed into two groups: one with music (Mozart piano sonata) and one without, while they train on an AI-based system that gives feedback on their performance.

How Is the Trial Designed?

Group I: Mozart music group Experimental Treatment 1 Intervention

20 participants allocated. Participants will listen to Mozart music while performing a simulated subpial brain tumor resection on the NeuroVR simulator and receiving verbal feedback from the ICEMS tutor.

Group II: No music group Active Control 1 Intervention

20 participants allocated. Participants perform a simulated subpial brain tumor resection on the NeuroVR simulator without music while receiving verbal feedback from the ICEMS tutor.

Who Is Running the Clinical Trial?

McGill University

Lead Sponsor

Trials

421

Recruited

1,017,000+

Citations

1. clinicaltrials.gov clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT07111481

Effect of Music on Surgical Performance During Artificial ... Listening to a Mozart piano sonata during surgical simulation training will result in lower levels of negative emotions and cognitive load compared with no ...

2. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6684803/

The effect of music on simulated surgical performance Listening to activating music during surgical performance led to an increased heart rate compared to deactivating music and 'no music'. There ...

3. sciencedirect.com sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1743919119303334

The influence of music on the surgical task performance Music has both positive and negative effects on surgical performance. Various types of music have been shown to improve concentration and efficiency when ...

4. journals.sagepub.com journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/1553350612462482

The Mozart Effect on Task Performance in a Laparoscopic ... In 2 of the tasks, subjects exposed to the Dream Theater piece achieved approximately 30% more improvement (26.7 ± 8.3%) than those exposed to ...

5. onlinelibrary.wiley.com onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/ans.18877

The effect of music on the operating surgeon: a pilot ... A systematic review of 18 studies concluded that the positive effects of having background music, such as improved time efficiency, quality, and ...

6. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11292506/

Effect of noise on the performance of arthroscopic simulator Our study suggests that exposure to classical music and silence may confer greater benefits to the surgeon compared to the impact of hard rock and chatter.

7. withpower.com withpower.com/trial/phase-surgical-education-7-2025-0a5c4

Mozart Music for Surgical Education The aim of this study is to determine how listening to Mozart music during surgical simulation training influences learner technical skill acquisition and ...

8. onlinelibrary.wiley.com onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/ans.18877

The effect of music on the operating surgeon: a pilot ... In this pilot study, we tested the feasibility and reported the outcomes of measuring the effect of background music on intra-operative surgeon stress in the ...