The Effects of Music Therapy as a Complementary Intervention in the Treatment of Pediatric Asthma

Beth Israel Lahey Health

Status: Completed

Conditions: Asthma

Treatments: Other: Group music therapy; Other: One time music therapy

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT02201836

142-04

Details and patient eligibility

About

The onset of asthma is particularly frightening for children. When the symptoms of asthma decrease, children and parents forget about the maintenance and control of breath and lung volume. Because adherence is so poor, asthma is known as the emergency room illness. The playing of a wind instrument is a unique way to provide a creative means for children and teens to understand both the impact of diaphramatic breathing and their ability to control it as well. This study builds upon the evidence, though sparse, that suggest that the blowing of a wind instrument with clinical music therapy intervention strengthens the muscles of breathing and fortifies the incentive toward attending to the daily symptoms and general management of asthma.

Enrollment: 200 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 7 to 18 years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• between the ages of 7 and 18
• diagnosed with asthma

Exclusion criteria

• over 18

Trial design

Primary purpose: Supportive Care

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: Triple Blind

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200 participants in 3 patient groups

One time music therapy session

Active Comparator group

Description:

One time music therapy session which consists of music meditation, including as assessment/evaluation of confined body breathing function as expressed through drawing and coloring post music imagery session. This is followed by an entrainment wind playing/breath expansion music therapy intervention. At the end of the session, the subjects are given a donated wind instrument for play at home.

Treatment:

Other: One time music therapy

Weekly group music therapy intervention

Active Comparator group

Description:

The weekly group music therapy intervention consists of children and teens using guided visualization and expressing their fears and or fantasies related to breathing with one another. This is followed by creative music improvisations with part-playing on flutes, slide whistles, recorders and melodicas.

Treatment:

Other: Group music therapy

Control

No Intervention group