Music ListeningNCT07772765
Following the Sound of Music
A study testing Music Listening with Attentional prompts, Music Listening and Tone listening with Attentional prompts in people with Music Listening and Auditory Processing, run by Northeastern University at 1 site in United States.
Trial summary
The proposed study will enroll healthy older adult participants to examine the effectiveness of music listening activities to promote hearing and cognition. Participants will be randomized into one of four experimental groups and can expect to participate for up to 21 hours of research distributed over 20 weeks. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 60 to 101 yearsHealthy volunteers can take part
- Conditions the study is for
- Music Listening, Auditory Processing, Attention
- What is being tested?
- Music Listening with Attentional prompts, Music Listening and Tone listening with Attentional prompts
- Type of treatment
- Pill or oral medicine, Lifestyle or therapy programme
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 216 participants
- Where
- 1 siteUnited States
- Study dates
- 19 Oct 2026to 31 Aug 2028
- 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 60 to 101 years
- All sexes
- Healthy volunteers accepted
- Adult, Older adult
Who may be able to join
- Age: 60+
- No self-reported auditory difficulties and normal or near-normal hearing sensitivity as measured by SRTs.
- Should have no more than typical hearing loss for their age and no evidence of dementia.
- Fluent in English and/or Spanish
- No more than two years of formal music training in childhood OR in the past 20 years
Who cannot join
- Abnormal vision or hearing prohibitive of training
- History of seizures, focal brain lesion, or head injury with loss of consciousness
- Physical handicap (motor or perceptual) that would impede training procedures
- Social, educational or economic hardship prohibitive to training schedule Concurrent enrollment in other cognitive training studies
- History of major psychiatric illness, including psychosis, bipolar disorder, depression, alcohol or substance abuse, recent bereavement
- Geriatric Depression Scale-15 (GDS-15) score of 6 or higher, indicating clinically significant depressive symptoms
Show all 9Show fewer
- Not being proficient enough in English or Spanish that would prevent following and understanding all instructions and completing all testing sessions
- Diagnosis of dementia or other neurological disease, including mild cognitive impairment (MCI)
- Telephone-Montreal Cognitive Assessment (t-MoCA) score of 16 or less
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
Northeastern University
Boston, Massachusetts, 02115
Audrey Carrillo, MA, 626-482-8091, a.carrillo@northeastern.edu
About this study
Official title: Comparing the Effects of Music vs. Non-Music Based Interventions on Auditory and Cognitive Processing in Older Adults
The proposed study will enroll healthy older adult participants to examine the effectiveness of music listening activities to promote hearing and cognition. Participants will be randomized into one of four experimental groups and can expect to participate for up to 21 hours of research distributed over 20 weeks.
- Conditions
- Music Listening, Auditory Processing, Attention
- Being tested
- Music Listening with Attentional prompts, Music Listening, Tone listening with Attentional prompts
- Keywords
- Cognitive Training, Auditory Training, Music, Aging
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Music Listening with Attentional promptsBehavioural
Participants will listen to musical excerpts, and guided instructions will be provided to tell the participants what aspect of the music to pay attention to and how to respond. Participants will log responses on an interactive tablet-based interface.
Music ListeningBehavioural
Participants will listen to musical excerpts and will be provided with guided instructions directing their attention to specific aspects of the music. Participants will report when they perceive a noticeable change in the music (e.g., changes in instrumentation, rhythm, texture, or intensity). Participants will log responses on an interactive tablet-based interface.
Tone listening with Attentional promptsBehavioural
Participants will be asked to attend to auditory stimuli and respond to them according to guided instructions. Participants will log responses on an interactive tablet-based interface.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Sound of Music Plus Attention | Experimental | Not described Receives: Behavioral: Music Listening with Attentional prompts |
| Sound of Music | Experimental | Not described Receives: Behavioral: Music Listening |
| Sound of Tones Plus Attention | Experimental | Not described Receives: Behavioral: Tone listening with Attentional prompts |
| Business as usual Control | No intervention | Not described |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Digits-in-Noise Task
The Digits-in-Noise (DIN) test presents trials of three sequential spoken digits against a broad-band, speech-shaped masker. Signal/noise ratio is varied adaptively to track 50% correct. The dependent variable is the threshold noise tolerance in dB. Lower scores indicate better performance.
Measured: Pre-test (week 1), Mid-test (week 5), Post-test (week 10), Follow-up (week 18)
Spatial Release From Masking Task
Tests the ability to distinguish speech from competing speech. Collocated condition uses target and two competing maskers all located directly in front of the listener, and spatially separated condition uses two masking sentences sent from 45 degrees to the left and right of center. Sentences are correctly identified as part of a series of test trials in which TMR progressively reduced every two trials. The dependent variable is the threshold target-to-masker ratio (TMR) as estimated based on the number of sentences correctly identified. Lower scores indicate better performance.
Measured: Pre-test (week 1), Mid-test (week 5), Post-test (week 10), Follow-up (week 18)
Dichotic Sentence Identification Task
The DSI test simultaneously presents two nonsense sentences, one to each ear. Participants indicate two sentences heard from a list of alternatives. DSI sentences are presented at a comfortable listening level, usually 50 dB above pure-tone average of each ear. The dependent variable is the percentage of sentences correctly identified. Higher scores indicate better performance.
Measured: Pre-test (week 1), Mid-test (week 5), Post-test (week 10), Follow-up (week 18)
Secondary outcomes (9)
Revised Hearing Handicap Inventory for the Elderly (RHHI)
Survey that assesses the perceived level of hearing ability under different environmental or social situations, and participants also self-report ear surgeries or known ear pathologies. The dependent variable is total score (summed). Higher scores indicate greater perceived handicap.
Measured: Pre-test (week 1), Post-test (week 10), Follow-up (week 18)
Speech Recognition Threshold using Coordinate Response Measure
SRT stimuli from the Coordinate Response Measure are sentences that participants hear that contain a color and number (e.g., "Ready Charlie, go to blue three now"). Participants select one of 36 colored/numbered squares that matches the color-number combination of the sentence. The dependent variable is the threshold target-to-masker ratio (TMR) as estimated based on the number of sentences correctly identified as part of a series of 20 test trials in which TMR progressively reduced every two trials. Lower scores indicate better performance.
Measured: Pre-test (week 1), Mid-test (week 5), Post-test (week 10), Follow-up (week 18)
Gap Detection Task
Temporal sensitivity to silent gaps between pairs of brief (4 ms) bandlimited stimuli. The gap duration will start at 6 ms, and be reduced from there using a staircase procedure. The dependent variable is the threshold (in ms) at which participants stop responding accurately. Lower scores indicate better performance.
Measured: Pre-test (week 1), Post-test (week 10)
Spectrotemporal Sensitivity Task
Stimuli are either unmodulated or are spectrotemporally modulated in amplitude using two cycles/octave for the spectral modulation and 4 Hz for the temporal modulation. Modulation depth in decibels (dB) will be adaptively varied to estimate threshold. The dependent variable is the threshold (in dB) at which participants stop responding accurately. Lower scores indicate better performance.
Measured: Pre-test (week 1), Post-test (week 10)
Monaural and Binaural Sensitivity to Frequency Modulation Task
The stimulus is a pure tone that is modulated sinusoidally and varies at a rate of 2 Hz. The task is to detect differences between modulated and unmodulated tones, and the modulated "depth" in Hz is tracked adaptively. The BFM stimuli are identical to MFM except for presentation to both ears with increasing frequency in one ear and decreasing in the other. The dependent variable is the threshold (in Hz) at which participants stop responding accurately. Lower scores indicate better performance.
Measured: Pre-test (week 1), Post-test (week 10)
Audio Visual Divided Attention Task
Participants are presented with auditory sequences of spoken digits and visual sequences of written letters. Participants will be instructed to recall a particular sequence either in advance (assesses selective attention) or only afterwards (assesses divided attention). The dependent variable is the fall-off of reaction time and accuracy across a the single-stream task. Higher scores indicate better performance.
Measured: Pre-test (week 1), Mid-test (week 5), Post-test (week 10), Follow-up (week 18)
Paced Serial Addition Task
Participants are shown a series of numbers one at a time. Their goal is to add the last two numbers presented and select the answer that correctly adds the two numbers. Participants are shown single digit numbers and are required to answer on a number pad . The dependent variable is the total number of correct responses. Higher scores indicate better performance.
Measured: Pre-test (week 1), Post-test (week 10), Follow-up (week 18)
Letter-Number Sequencing Task
The participant is presented with a mixed order of letters and numbers and must remember and sort them numerically and alphabetically. Set size starts at 2 and increases until the participants fail to recall both trials at a given set size. The dependent variable is Score (total number of correct trials). Higher scores indicate better performance.
Measured: Pre-test (week 1), Post-test (week 10), Follow-up (week 18)
Auditory N-back Task
Participants are presented with a consecutive stream of tones through headphones, and are asked to tap on the screen every time the currently presented item matches the one presented N items earlier. The dependent variable consists of accuracy on each of the levels calculated as hits/(hits+misses+false alarms). Higher scores indicate better performance.
Measured: Pre-test (week 1), Post-test (week 10), Follow-up (week 18)
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted19 Aug 2026
- Study start19 Oct 2026 (estimated)
- Primary completion31 May 2028 (estimated)
- Study completion31 Aug 2028 (estimated)
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for Music ListeningStudies 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
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- Double blind
- Who is masked
- Participant, Outcomes assessor
- Enrolment
- 216 participants (estimated)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- Northeastern University
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Principal investigator, Susanne Jaeggi, Northeastern University
- Investigators
- Susanne Jaeggi, PhD, Principal investigator, Northeastern UniversityAaron Seitz, PhD, Principal investigator, Northeastern University
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07772765
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- 26-06-08
- Status last verified
- Aug 2026
- First submitted
- 14 Aug 2026
- Last updated
- 7 Oct 2026
- Results posted
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- Yes: All individual participant data (anonymized)
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 7 Oct 2026. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Comparing the Effects of Music vs. Non-Music Based Interventions on Auditory and Cognitive Processing in Older Adults
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07772765
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- 26-06-08
- Conditions
- Music Listening, Auditory Processing, Attention
- Keywords
- Cognitive Training, Auditory Training, Music, Aging
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Recruiting
- Enrolment
- 216 participants (estimated)
- Lead sponsor
- Northeastern UniversityUniversity, hospital or other
- Study start
- 19 Oct 2026 (estimated)
- Primary completion
- 31 May 2028 (estimated)
- Study completion
- 31 Aug 2028 (estimated)
- First posted
- 19 Aug 2026 (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 proposed study will enroll healthy older adult participants to examine the effectiveness of music listening activities to promote hearing and cognition. Participants will be randomized into one of four experimental groups and can expect to participate for up to 21 hours of research distributed over 20 weeks.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Basic science
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- Double blind (participant, outcomes assessor)
- Number of arms
- 4
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Sound of Music Plus Attention | Experimental | Behavioral: Music Listening with Attentional prompts |
| Sound of Music | Experimental | Behavioral: Music Listening |
| Sound of Tones Plus Attention | Experimental | Behavioral: Tone listening with Attentional prompts |
| Business as usual Control | No intervention | – |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 60 to 101 years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Accepted
- Age groups
- Adult, Older adult
Key inclusion criteria (5 listed)
- Age: 60+
- No self-reported auditory difficulties and normal or near-normal hearing sensitivity as measured by SRTs.
- Should have no more than typical hearing loss for their age and no evidence of dementia.
- Fluent in English and/or Spanish
- No more than two years of formal music training in childhood OR in the past 20 years
Key exclusion criteria (9 listed)
- Abnormal vision or hearing prohibitive of training
- History of seizures, focal brain lesion, or head injury with loss of consciousness
- Physical handicap (motor or perceptual) that would impede training procedures
- Social, educational or economic hardship prohibitive to training schedule Concurrent enrollment in other cognitive training studies
- History of major psychiatric illness, including psychosis, bipolar disorder, depression, alcohol or substance abuse, recent bereavement
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 Listening with Attentional promptsParticipants will listen to musical excerpts, and guided instructions will be provided to tell the participants what aspect of the music to pay attention to and how to respond. Participants will log responses on an interactive tablet-based interface. | Behavioural | Sound of Music Plus Attention |
| Music ListeningParticipants will listen to musical excerpts and will be provided with guided instructions directing their attention to specific aspects of the music. Participants will report when they perceive a noticeable change in the music (e.g., changes in instrumentation, rhythm, texture, or intensity). Participants will log responses on an interactive tablet-based interface. | Behavioural | Sound of Music |
| Tone listening with Attentional promptsParticipants will be asked to attend to auditory stimuli and respond to them according to guided instructions. Participants will log responses on an interactive tablet-based interface. | Behavioural | Sound of Tones Plus Attention |
Primary outcome
Digits-in-Noise Task
Time frame: Pre-test (week 1), Mid-test (week 5), Post-test (week 10), Follow-up (week 18)
The Digits-in-Noise (DIN) test presents trials of three sequential spoken digits against a broad-band, speech-shaped masker. Signal/noise ratio is varied adaptively to track 50% correct. The dependent variable is the threshold noise tolerance in dB. Lower scores indicate better performance.
Spatial Release From Masking Task
Time frame: Pre-test (week 1), Mid-test (week 5), Post-test (week 10), Follow-up (week 18)
Tests the ability to distinguish speech from competing speech. Collocated condition uses target and two competing maskers all located directly in front of the listener, and spatially separated condition uses two masking sentences sent from 45 degrees to the left and right of center. Sentences are correctly identified as part of a series of test trials in which TMR progressively reduced every two trials. The dependent variable is the threshold target-to-masker ratio (TMR) as estimated based on the number of sentences correctly identified. Lower scores indicate better performance.
Dichotic Sentence Identification Task
Time frame: Pre-test (week 1), Mid-test (week 5), Post-test (week 10), Follow-up (week 18)
The DSI test simultaneously presents two nonsense sentences, one to each ear. Participants indicate two sentences heard from a list of alternatives. DSI sentences are presented at a comfortable listening level, usually 50 dB above pure-tone average of each ear. The dependent variable is the percentage of sentences correctly identified. Higher scores indicate better performance.
9 secondary outcomes
Revised Hearing Handicap Inventory for the Elderly (RHHI)
Time frame: Pre-test (week 1), Post-test (week 10), Follow-up (week 18)
Speech Recognition Threshold using Coordinate Response Measure
Time frame: Pre-test (week 1), Mid-test (week 5), Post-test (week 10), Follow-up (week 18)
Gap Detection Task
Time frame: Pre-test (week 1), Post-test (week 10)
Spectrotemporal Sensitivity Task
Time frame: Pre-test (week 1), Post-test (week 10)
Monaural and Binaural Sensitivity to Frequency Modulation Task
Time frame: Pre-test (week 1), Post-test (week 10)
Audio Visual Divided Attention Task
Time frame: Pre-test (week 1), Mid-test (week 5), Post-test (week 10), Follow-up (week 18)
Paced Serial Addition Task
Time frame: Pre-test (week 1), Post-test (week 10), Follow-up (week 18)
Letter-Number Sequencing Task
Time frame: Pre-test (week 1), Post-test (week 10), Follow-up (week 18)
Auditory N-back Task
Time frame: Pre-test (week 1), Post-test (week 10), Follow-up (week 18)
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 7 Oct 2026.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: Yes. All individual participant data (anonymized)
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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.
Susanne Jaeggi, PhD principal investigator
Northeastern University
Aaron Seitz, PhD principal investigator
Northeastern University
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 Listening with Attentional prompts, Music Listening and Tone listening with Attentional prompts in people with Music Listening and Auditory Processing, run by Northeastern University 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 9 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 7 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 Audrey Carrillo, MA (626-482-8091, a.carrillo@northeastern.edu), or a site near the patient. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Digits-in-Noise Task (time frame: Pre-test (week 1), Mid-test (week 5), Post-test (week 10), Follow-up (week 18)). The study lists 3 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 7 Oct 2026.