Clinical trial NCT04573101: EEG Responses to Arabic Music Scales
Official title: An EEG-based Exploration of the Variables Affecting Cortical Responses to Arabic Music Scales for a Personalised and Effective Music Therapy in the Middle East: a Clinical Study
Study type: INTERVENTIONAL
Overall status: COMPLETED
Phase: NA
Conditions: Healthy
Keywords: Music
Emotions
Ethnicity
Culture
Music Preference
Lead sponsor: Weill Cornell Medical College in Qatar
Sponsor class: OTHER
First posted: 2020-10-05
Enrollment: 42
Sex: ALL
Minimum age (years): 18
Standard ages: ADULT
OLDER_ADULT
Accepts healthy volunteers: yes
Allocation: RANDOMIZED
Intervention model: CROSSOVER
Intervention model description: Each participants is exposed to 24 different audio recordings and asked to select emotion that best describes feeling after each auditory stimulus. The 24 audio stimuli are distributed in a random manner by computer. In addition, emotional assessment is performed before and after the session. This is a total of 26 arms.
Primary purpose: BASIC_SCIENCE

Brief summary: Recent studies showed that various factors can contribute to the efficiency of a music therapy such as the type of music used, the type of instrument, the ethnicity, musical preference of the subjects and many others. Investigators noticed that most of studies and clinical trials, while acknowledging the importance of ethnicity and musical preferences, use the Western Music type in their investigations and practice. While in the Middle East, Music Therapy played a tremendous role in the 10th century since the "scales theory" of the famous Scientists El Farabi and Avicenna, very little countries of the Middle East are investing in scientific studies using Arabic Music as a therapeutic tool. This study will be an electroencephalogram (EEG)-based investigation on correlations of multiple factors that can influence the cortical responses of the subject to the music and self-reported state of emotion and anxiety.

Detailed description: This is the first clinical study involving Music in Qatar and the Gulf region, and the first study to explore Arab Music Scales using a combination of EEG and self-reported assessements.

Using EEG, investigators will analyze the full brain activity of brainwaves produced by up to 100 subjects in response to the audio musical stimuli. 24 different audio recordings have been designed to investigate on different acoustic cues:

* with versus without quartertones
* known music versus improvisation
* Maqam Saba (sad) versus maqam Kurd (happy)
* 3 different Middle Eastern instruments: Ney, Oud and Qanun
* Two pitches: from Re or from Sol

The presentation of the audio stimuli clips will be randomized by the SuperLab5 software and EEG brainwaves will be recorded using the Power Lab (AD instrument). Between every audio clip, recording will be paused to ask the subjects to self-report on their emotional and anxiety states using a self-evaluation questionnaire. Subjects will be randomly assigned to morning of afternoon sessions of recording.

Using bioinformatic tools, investigators will perform a correlation study between EEG results, emotional self-report from the PANAS-X questionnaire, as well as answers to another questionnaire asking for their age, gender, ethnicity, right or left handedness, musical preferences, and if the subject plays an instrument.

The outcomes will have direct applications on the development of personalized Music Therapy in the region for treatment and management of mental health conditions, neurodegenerative diseases and other conditions that are of high prevalence in the region.

Eligibility criteria: Inclusion Criteria:

1. Age: 18 years old to or above (might include pregnant women)
2. Living in Qatar
3. Understand either English or arabic

Exclusion Criteria:

1. Individuals not meeting the inclusion criteria
2. Individuals with auditory impairments
3. Individuals with any known neurological condition (including epilepsy, Alzheimer, Parkinson, Autism etc)
4. Individuals not able to come to the site (WCMQ).
5. Adults not able to consent

Primary outcomes:
measure: Quantification of brain waves
timeFrame: During the intervention (an average of 30 minutes)
measure: Quantification of selected emotions
timeFrame: immediately before each intervention
measure: Quantification of selected emotions
timeFrame: immediately after each intervention
Secondary outcomes:
Other outcomes:
Locations:
city: Doha
country: Qatar
facility: Ghizlane Bendriss
Study officials:
affiliation: Weill Cornell Medicine Qatar
name: GHIZLANE BENDRISS, PhD
role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR
References: