Clinical trial NCT00178360: Effects of Music Therapy on Huntington's Disease
Official title: The Effects of Music Therapy on Depression, Chorea and Other Symptoms of Huntington's Disease
Study type: INTERVENTIONAL
Overall status: COMPLETED
Phase: PHASE1
Conditions: Huntington's Disease
Keywords: Huntington's Disease, Music Therapy, quality of life
Lead sponsor: University of Rochester
Sponsor class: OTHER
First posted: 2005-09-15
Enrollment: 11
Sex: ALL
Minimum age (years): 18
Standard ages: ADULT
OLDER_ADULT
Accepts healthy volunteers: no
Allocation: RANDOMIZED
Intervention model: CROSSOVER

Brief summary: The purpose of this study is primarily to assess the ability of a music therapy program to improve holistically the psychological, somatic, and social symptoms of patients with Huntington 's disease (HD). We hope to demonstrate the benefits of applying music therapy interventions to the management methods of HD, thus paving the way for the development of an effective music therapy program for individuals with HD.

Detailed description: ABSTRACT

Background: Recent studies show that music therapy helps improve the symptomatic manifestations of Parkinson's Disease. Few studies have looked at music therapy as a treatment for the psychiatric, cognitive and motor symptoms of patients with Huntington's disease (HD).

Objective: To examine the feasibility and tolerability of a treatment program of music therapy for patients with Huntington's disease. Also, to determine if music therapy improves the mood and motor features of HD while improving quality of life.

Methods: Subjects with HD were recruited to participate in a six-week study that included one individual, half-hour music therapy session and one hour-long group session per week. The music therapy protocols were adapted from the Colorado State University's Neurological Music Therapy program and were targeted to HD symptoms including balance and posture, fine motor skills, memory and attention, vocalizations, and mood. In particular the protocols included Rhythmic Auditory Stimulation (RAS), Pattern Sensory Enhancement (PSE), and Therapeutic Instrumental Music Playing (TIMP). Primary outcome of tolerability was to be assessed by the subjects' adherence to the therapeutic protocol, attendance, and the results of an exit survey inquiring about their feelings toward the use of music therapy in HD. A secondary outcome of the study was the change in the Unified Huntington's Disease Rating Scale (UHDRS) score between baseline and study completion.

Results: Five subjects were recruited for study participation (one female and four males). Music therapy was found to be a tolerable and feasible treatment for patients with HD (100% adherence and 98% attendance). Exit surveys demonstrated strongly positive feelings towards the music therapy treatment program in four of the five subjects (one survey was completed with contradictory answers by the subject). While there was improvement in UHDRS scores for finger tapping, pronation/supination and the Luria, these changes did not achieve statistical significance with the small sample size in this study.

Conclusions: Music therapy was well tolerated among subjects with HD in this small study. Future studies are now being planned to look at the efficacy of this intervention in a larger population of HD subjects.

Eligibility criteria: Inclusion Criteria:

* Diagnosis of HD
* Over the age of 18
* Patients must be ambulatory, use of a walker or human support is acceptable
* Patients must be able to communicate their thoughts and feelings

Exclusion Criteria:

* Anyone without the preceding characteristics

Primary outcomes:
measure: To examine the feasibility and tolerability of a treatment program of MT for subjects with HD.
timeFrame: End of Study
Secondary outcomes:
measure: To determine if MT improves the mood and motor features of HD while improving quality of life.
timeFrame: End of study
Other outcomes:
Locations:
city: Rochester
country: United States
facility: University of Rochester Medical Center
state: New York
Study officials:
affiliation: University of Rochester
name: Frederick J Marshall, MD
role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR
References:
citation: Hyson C, Oliva R, LaDonna KA, Akwaa F, Richards J, Sahler OJ. "A Pilot Study of Music Therapy in Huntington' Disease". Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery & Psychiatry 2005; 76:A29, Abstract P010.