Occupational StressNCT06875882
Evaluating Occupational Stress in Surgeons and Musicians: A Multi-modal Pilot Study Using Wearable EEG, Biomarker Analysis and Validated Questionnaires
An observational study of Occupational Stress, run by M.D. Anderson Cancer Center at 1 site in United States.
Trial summary
To learn about occupational stress among surgeons and musicians by integrating psychological assessments, neurophysiological measures, and biomarkers. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 18 years and olderHealthy volunteers can take part
- Conditions the study is for
- Occupational Stress
- What is being tested?
- Occupational Stress in Surgeons and Musicians
- Type of treatment
- Lifestyle or therapy programme
- How many people
- 20 participants
- Where
- 1 siteUnited States
- Study dates
- 17 Mar 2025to 31 Mar 2028
- Phase
- Observational
- 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 years and older
- All sexes
- Healthy volunteers accepted
- Adult, Older adult
Study population: MD Anderson Cancer Center
Who may be able to join
- Adults aged 18 years and older
- Professional musicians (i.e., those with academic or orchestral appointments) or MD Anderson Neurosurgeons
- For Musicians only: You will have a musical performance within three months of study enrollment.
- For Neurosurgeons only: You will perform a surgical procedure within three months of study enrollment.
Who cannot join
- Individuals who are unable to provide informed consent
- Individuals diagnosed with severe cognitive impairments, severe psychiatric disorders, or hearing or visual impairments that could affect participation
- Individuals previously enrolled in the study
- Non-English-speaking musicians and/or surgeons
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
MD Anderson Cancer Center
Houston, Texas, 77030
Mei Rui, DMA, 713-597-1690, mrui@mdanderson.org
About this study
To learn about occupational stress among surgeons and musicians by integrating psychological assessments, neurophysiological measures, and biomarkers.
Read the detailed description
Primary Objectives • To assess the change in occupational stress among surgeons and musicians by measuring physiological and psychological stress markers.
Endpoints:
- Changes in salivary cortisol levels (before and after surgeries for surgeons and live public performances for musicians).
- Changes in State-Trait Anxiety Inventory-Short (STAI-S) scores (administered pre- and post-surgery/performance).
SECONDARY OBJECTIVES AND ENDPOINTS
- Assessing and comparing anxiety and burnout, based on the MBI, STAI-T, M-PAS, and SCAT, in surgeons and musicians
Endpoints:
- Baseline levels of anxiety and burnout measured using the MBI, M-PAS, STAI-T, and SCAT.
- Emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and personal accomplishment from the MBI in both groups.
- Conditions
- Occupational Stress
- Being tested
- Occupational Stress in Surgeons and Musicians
- Medical subject headings
- Occupational Stress
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Occupational Stress in Surgeons and MusiciansBehavioural
Participants will complete 5 questionnaires about participants demographics, burnout rates, and anxiety levels after participants consent to this study. These questionnaires will be sent to participants via email and should take about 15-20 minutes to complete.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Occupational Stress | This research study is to learn about occupational stress among surgeons and musicians by integrating psychological assessments, neurophysiological measures, and biomarkers. Researchers want to assess and compare factors associated with occupational stress, among surgeons and musicians, such as changes in stress biomarkers before and after surgery or music performance, anxiety, burnout, demographic factors, and brainwave activity linked to stress. It is hoped the information learned in this study can be used to help promote better health outcomes and enhance the well-being of these workforce members. Participants will undergo saliva sample collections and complete questionnaires before and after the performance or surgery. Receives: Behavioral: Occupational Stress in Surgeons and Musicians | |
| Optional Procedure | Participants may optionally have a surgery or performance recorded and undergo an EEG while watching the recording. These participants will undergo saliva sample collections and complete questionnaires before and after the EEG recording session. Receives: Behavioral: Occupational Stress in Surgeons and Musicians |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Safety and Adverse Events (AEs).
Measured: Through study completion; an average of 1 year.
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted13 Mar 2025
- Study start17 Mar 2025
- Primary completion31 Mar 2028 (estimated)
- Study completion31 Mar 2028 (estimated)
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for Occupational StressStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- More trials run by M.D. Anderson Cancer CenterThe sponsor's other registered studies.
- 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
- Observational
- Observational model
- Other
- Time perspective
- Prospective
- Enrolment
- 20 participants (estimated)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- M.D. Anderson Cancer Center
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Sponsor
- Investigators
- Mei Rui, DMA, Principal investigator, M.D. Anderson Cancer Center
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT06875882
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- 2024-1393
- Other IDs
- NCI-2025-01927
- Status last verified
- Oct 2026
- First submitted
- 10 Mar 2025
- Last updated
- 6 Oct 2026
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 6 Oct 2026. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Evaluating Occupational Stress in Surgeons and Musicians: A Multi-modal Pilot Study Using Wearable EEG, Biomarker Analysis and Validated Questionnaires
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT06875882
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- 2024-1393
- Conditions
- Occupational Stress
- Study type
- Observational
- Recruitment status
- Recruiting
- Enrolment
- 20 participants (estimated)
- Lead sponsor
- M.D. Anderson Cancer CenterUniversity, hospital or other
- Study start
- 17 Mar 2025 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 31 Mar 2028 (estimated)
- Study completion
- 31 Mar 2028 (estimated)
- First posted
- 13 Mar 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.
To learn about occupational stress among surgeons and musicians by integrating psychological assessments, neurophysiological measures, and biomarkers.
Detailed description
Primary Objectives • To assess the change in occupational stress among surgeons and musicians by measuring physiological and psychological stress markers.
Endpoints:
- Changes in salivary cortisol levels (before and after surgeries for surgeons and live public performances for musicians).
- Changes in State-Trait Anxiety Inventory-Short (STAI-S) scores (administered pre- and post-surgery/performance).
SECONDARY OBJECTIVES AND ENDPOINTS
- Assessing and comparing anxiety and burnout, based on the MBI, STAI-T, M-PAS, and SCAT, in surgeons and musicians
Endpoints:
- Baseline levels of anxiety and burnout measured using the MBI, M-PAS, STAI-T, and SCAT.
- Emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and personal accomplishment from the MBI in both groups.
Study design
- Observational model
- Other
- Time perspective
- Prospective
- Number of arms
- 2
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Occupational Stress | – | Behavioral: Occupational Stress in Surgeons and MusiciansThis research study is to learn about occupational stress among surgeons and musicians by integrating psychological assessments, neurophysiological measures, and biomarkers. Researchers want to assess and compare factors associated with occupational stress, among surgeons and musicians, such as changes in stress biomarkers before and after surgery or music performance, anxiety, burnout, demographic factors, and brainwave activity linked to stress. It is hoped the information learned in this study can be used to help promote better health outcomes and enhance the well-being of these workforce members. Participants will undergo saliva sample collections and complete questionnaires before and after the performance or surgery. |
| Optional Procedure | – | Behavioral: Occupational Stress in Surgeons and MusiciansParticipants may optionally have a surgery or performance recorded and undergo an EEG while watching the recording. These participants will undergo saliva sample collections and complete questionnaires before and after the EEG recording session. |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 18 years and older
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Accepted
- Age groups
- Adult, Older adult
- Study population
- MD Anderson Cancer Center
Key inclusion criteria (4 listed)
- Adults aged 18 years and older
- Professional musicians (i.e., those with academic or orchestral appointments) or MD Anderson Neurosurgeons
- For Musicians only: You will have a musical performance within three months of study enrollment.
- For Neurosurgeons only: You will perform a surgical procedure within three months of study enrollment.
Key exclusion criteria (4 listed)
- Individuals who are unable to provide informed consent
- Individuals diagnosed with severe cognitive impairments, severe psychiatric disorders, or hearing or visual impairments that could affect participation
- Individuals previously enrolled in the study
- Non-English-speaking musicians and/or surgeons
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Occupational Stress in Surgeons and MusiciansParticipants will complete 5 questionnaires about participants demographics, burnout rates, and anxiety levels after participants consent to this study. These questionnaires will be sent to participants via email and should take about 15-20 minutes to complete. | Behavioural | Occupational Stress, Optional Procedure |
Primary outcome
Safety and Adverse Events (AEs).
Time frame: Through study completion; an average of 1 year.
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 6 Oct 2026.
- MD Anderson Cancer CenterLink provided by the sponsor.
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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.
Mei Rui, DMA principal investigator
M.D. Anderson Cancer Center
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
An observational study of Occupational Stress, run by M.D. Anderson Cancer Center 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 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 6 Oct 2026. 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 Mei Rui, DMA ((713) 597-1690, mrui@mdanderson.org), or a site near the patient. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Safety and Adverse Events (AEs). (time frame: Through study completion; an average of 1 year.). 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 6 Oct 2026.