NCT04851028: MusiCare

MusiCare: Music Therapy & Innovative Technology

Completed NA Last updated 3 September 2025

What this trial tests

NA trial testing Music Therapy in Healthy Aging in 210 participants. Completed in 26 May 2024.

Timeline

1 April 2022

Primary endpoint
30 April 2024

26 May 2024

Quick facts

Lead sponsor	Middlesex University
Phase	NA
Status	Completed
Study type	INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation	randomized
Design	parallel
Masking	single
Primary purpose	treatment
Enrollment	210
Start date	1 April 2022
Primary completion	30 April 2024
Estimated completion	26 May 2024
Sites	1 location across United Kingdom

Drugs / interventions tested

• Music Therapy

Conditions studied

• Healthy Aging — all drugs for Healthy Aging →
• Cognitive Impairment — all drugs for Cognitive Impairment →

Sponsor

Middlesex University

Who can join

65 and older, any sex, with Healthy Aging or Cognitive Impairment. Patients with the condition only — healthy volunteers not accepted.

Sponsor's own description

The number of older people living with cognitive impairment or dementia has increased the need for simple, inexpensive interventions to improve the quality of life for such individuals and their families. Policy-makers sensitive to issues associated with mental health challenges in aging have embraced social prescribing, and a wealth of research has flourished to study non-pharmacological forms of preventative intervention. Can music-therapy(MT) be one of them? Different studies demonstrated that music stimulates a range of cognitive and social functions. However, scientific studies assessing the value of MT for those who need support in later life are limited, and rigorous research is required to generate robust scientific evidence. The focus of this study is on developing novel forms of intervention for older adults who are healthy or experiencing mild-to-moderate cognitive decline, aiming at \[i\]understanding whether MT could be used in preventive programs to support cognitive functions, \[ii\]identifying the best match between types of MT and levels of cognitive decline. Moreover, recent developments of Robotic-Assistance-Technologies offer opportunities to explore how such technologies may be used to contribute to older adults wellbeing when integrated within care routines to facilitate MT delivery.

Spanning across three-studies, the investigators will examine psychosocial benefits of 5-month MT interventions (one2one, small-group MT, large-group MT) in healthy older adults and impaired older adults in care homes, compared to standard care. This latter group will receive MT afterwards. Further, researchers will investigate whether Robotic-Assistance-Technologies may enrich MT interventions and have additional benefits for the participants and translatability for community-based services.

In order to measure these effects, psychological (cognitive functions, wellbeing, quality of life) and physiological (hormonal, cardiovascular \& brain activity) measures will be compared before/after the intervention.

The study will elucidate relationships between different types of MT and benefits to participants wellbeing, cognitive functions \& social engagement, as well as the impact of robotic assistive technologies in public health services and social care.

Publications & conference data

1 peer-reviewed publication reference this trial (live from Europe PMC):

1. A randomized controlled trial comparison of three music therapy formats on cognitive function and psychological well-being in normal aging.
   Mangiacotti A, Ward EV, Williams S, Barone C, et al · · 2026 · PMID 42161569 · DOI 10.1093/geronb/gbag070