Effect of Music Therapy on Cognitive Recovery

Seton Healthcare Family

Status: Withdrawn

Conditions: Epilepsy

Treatments: Behavioral: Music Therapy

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT01947088

CR-13-087

Details and patient eligibility

About

Participation in music therapy will result in improvement in cognitive functioning, as measured by neuropsychological testing 9-12 months following surgery.

Full description

Music therapy could have a significant impact on clinical outcomes for patients with epilepsy. One study found that epilepsy patients who received music therapy for six months or greater had a significant reduction in number of seizures and could potentially aid in decreasing medication dosage. The investigators would like to contribute to this sort of research, but focus on what effect music therapy has on a patient's cognitive recovery after undergoing epilepsy surgery. Although research exists regarding music therapy on memory and communication, its overall effect on this patient population is unclear.

The Dell Children's Epilepsy program hopes that this research project on memory and communication will have a positive effect on their patients with epilepsy.

Sex: All

Ages: 6 to 16 years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Between 6-16 years of age
• Will undergo either a brain resection or lobectomy

Exclusion criteria

• Pre-surgical Full Scale IQ below 70
• Primary language is not English
• Hearing or vision impairments
• Parental consent cannot be obtained

Trial design

Primary purpose: Supportive Care

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: None (Open label)

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0 participants in 2 patient groups

Music Therapy Arm

Experimental group

Description:

Music therapy evaluation prior to surgery (Baseline 1). These evaluations will also be given within 3 days of epilepsy surgery (Baseline 2), 8 weeks after surgery (Baseline 3), and 9-12 months after surgery (Baseline 4.) Pre-study and post-study scores from the neuropsychological assessments will be compared to determine if music therapy has a significant effect on the child's cognitive recovery. Will consist of meeting with the music therapists, Certified Child Life Specialists (CCLS), or Child Life Assistants (CLA) for music therapy (treatment group) for about 45 minutes, twice per week, for Weeks 1-8. CThe Music Therapy group will partake in interventions such as singing and playing musical instruments.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Music Therapy

Unstructured Play Arm

Active Comparator group

Description:

Child life programs provide children with opportunities to engage in normal play and recreational activities that promote growth, development and feelings of success and fulfillment.All brain surgery candidates receive a neuropsychological assessment before and after surgery (9-12 months after surgery). This is the standard of care for all brain surgery patients. The results of this assessment and will be used in this research study. In addition, patients who agree to participate in the study will receive cognitive screening and a music therapy evaluation prior to surgery (Baseline 1). These evaluations will also be given within 3 days of epilepsy surgery (Baseline 2), 8 weeks after surgery (Baseline 3), and 9-12 months after surgery (Baseline 4.)

Treatment:

Behavioral: Music Therapy