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| Name | Class |
|---|---|
| Swiss National Science Foundation | OTHER |
| German Research Foundation | OTHER |
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This longitudinal study aims to countervail age-related cognitive and cerebral decline in healthy retired people through intensive piano / keyboard music practice in Switzerland and Germany.
Recent data suggest that music making might prevent cognitive decline in the elderly. However, experimental evidence remains sparse and no information on the neurophysiological basis has been provided, although cognitive decline is a major impediment to healthy aging. This study combines for the first time protocolled music practice in elderly with cutting-edge neuroimaging. The investigators propose a multi-site Hannover-Geneva longitudinal randomized intervention study in altogether 100 retired healthy elderly (64-76) years, 70 Geneva, 100 Hannover), offering either piano instruction or instruction on musical culture for one year. Participants will be tested at 3 time points on cognitive, perceptual and motor abilities as well as via wide-ranging functional and structural neuroimaging data (Magnetic Resonance Imaging, MRI). The research team expects positive transfer effects from intensive piano training not only on subjective well-being, but also on executive functions, working memory, hearing in noise and relationships of these behavioral features with morphological and functional brain plasticity. This study may therefore for the first time be demonstrate, that music making can provoke important societal impacts by diminishing cognitive and perceptual-motor decline underpinned by functional and structural brain plasticity.
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| Label | Type | Description | Intervention Names |
|---|---|---|---|
| musical practice | Experimental | Intensive weekly musical keyboard training over 12 months |
|
| music education | Active Comparator | Recreative weekly musical courses without practice over 12 months |
|
| Name | Type | Description | Arm Group Labels | Other Names |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| musical practice | Behavioral | Intensive weekly musical keyboard training over 12 months |
|
| Measure | Description | Time Frame |
|---|---|---|
| Continuous Echo-Planar Imaging (EPI) | Resting state functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), informs on functional connectivity | 18 months (4 measurements over time) |
| Magnetization-Prepared 2 Rapid Acquisition Gradient Echo (MP2RAGE) | Magnetic Resonance Imaging measure, allows to image gray matter | 18 months (4 measurements over time) |
| functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) | Functional Imaging of a tonal Working Memory task, allows to study involved networks | 18 months (4 measurements over time) |
| Magnetic Resonance Diffusion Tensor Imaging (MR-DTI) | Diffusion weighted echo-planar gradient echo sequence, allows to image white matter and structural connectivity | 18 months (4 measurements over time) |
| Magnetic Resonance Arterial Spin Labeling (MR-ASL) | Blood perfusion assessment | 18 months (4 measurements over time) |
| Behavioral Battery (cognitive function) | Comprehensive cognitive testing, full battery will be provided on request; involves Basic cognition, Executive Function, Fluid Intelligence, Verbal Memory | 18 months (4 measurements over time) |
| Measure | Description | Time Frame |
|---|---|---|
| Behavioral Battery (sensorimotor function) | Sensorimotor testing, full battery will be provided on request; involves manual dexterity and hearing tests | 18 months (4 measurements over time) |
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Inclusion Criteria:
Exclusion Criteria:
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| Name | Affiliation | Role |
|---|---|---|
| Eckart Altenmüller, PhD | Hochschule für Musik, Theater und Medien Hannover | Principal Investigator |
| Facility | Status | City | State | ZIP | Country | Contacts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| School of Health Sciences Geneva; HES-SO University of Applied Sciences and Arts Western Switzerland | Geneva | 1206 | Switzerland |
| PubMed Identifier | Type | Citation | Retractions |
|---|---|---|---|
| 39702118 | Derived | Losch H, Altenmuller E, Marie D, Passarotto E, Kretschmer CR, Scholz DS, Kliegel M, Kruger THC, Sinke C, Junemann K, James CE, Worschech F. Acquisition of musical skills and abilities in older adults-results of 12 months of music training. BMC Geriatr. 2024 Dec 19;24(1):1018. doi: 10.1186/s12877-024-05600-2. | |
| 39679985 | Derived |
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Raw (NIfTI format for MRI data) and preprocessed data will be made available to the scientific community, via an open source scientific data base.
December 2022
Scientific community only
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| ID | Term |
|---|---|
| D000092862 | Psychological Well-Being |
| ID | Term |
|---|---|
| D010549 | Personal Satisfaction |
| D001519 | Behavior |
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Longitudinal RCT (clinical trial) with an experimental group and an active control group
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| music education | Behavioral | Recreative weekly musical courses without practice over 12 months |
|
| Mack M, Marie D, Worschech F, Kruger THC, Sinke C, Altenmuller E, James CE, Kliegel M. Effects of a 1-year piano intervention on cognitive flexibility in older adults. Psychol Aging. 2025 Mar;40(2):218-235. doi: 10.1037/pag0000871. Epub 2024 Dec 16. |
| 33087078 | Derived | James CE, Altenmuller E, Kliegel M, Kruger THC, Van De Ville D, Worschech F, Abdili L, Scholz DS, Junemann K, Hering A, Grouiller F, Sinke C, Marie D. Train the brain with music (TBM): brain plasticity and cognitive benefits induced by musical training in elderly people in Germany and Switzerland, a study protocol for an RCT comparing musical instrumental practice to sensitization to music. BMC Geriatr. 2020 Oct 21;20(1):418. doi: 10.1186/s12877-020-01761-y. |