Cognitive Effects of Music and Dance Training in Children

York University

Status: Completed

Conditions: Cognitive Change

Treatments: Behavioral: Dance Training; Behavioral: Music Training

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT03160391

YorkU-MD1

Details and patient eligibility

About

The study used a randomized controlled trial to test the efficacy of two interventions (dance and musical training) for typically developing children. Interventions were run for three weeks in local community locations. Participants were tested before and after the intervention on a battery of cognitive and behavioural measures. They were compared across groups, and to a control group who do not receive the intervention.

The purpose of the current study was to assess the influence of dance and musical training on cognitive development. Research has indicated that musical training is associated with improve cognitive functioning, although the direction of such an association is unclear. Further, it is uncertain whether any benefits are specific to musical training or can also be demonstrated with other training activities. The current study used a randomized controlled trial to assess the causal effects of dance and musical training.

Full description

Participants Monolingual children aged between six and nine years old were recruited from two local communities in Ontario, Canada. Children with developmental delays, learning disabilities, or previous arts training were excluded from the study.

Participants were randomly allocated to one of two groups

1. Dance intervention group
2. Music intervention group

To establish baseline performance levels and have a comparison, a passive control group was collected from the same towns using the same exclusion criteria.

Data analysis Difference scores were calculated for each measure by subtracting each participant's second testing session data from the first. When appropriate, iterative trimming with a 3 SD cutoff was used, by subject and by condition, to remove outliers. Results for each measure were analyzed using one-way ANOVAs (analysis of variance) for the between-subjects factor of training group (music, dance, or control).

Enrollment: 75 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 6 to 9 years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Monolingual

Exclusion criteria

• Developmental delays or learning disabilities
• Previous arts training (in dance, drama, or music)

Trial design

Primary purpose: Basic Science

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: Triple Blind

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75 participants in 3 patient groups

Music Training

Experimental group

Description:

Music Training

Treatment:

Behavioral: Music Training

Dance Training

Active Comparator group

Description:

Dance Training

Treatment:

Behavioral: Dance Training

Passive control group

No Intervention group

Description:

Passive control group