Effectiveness of Music Therapy on Level of Consciousness

Condition(s) studied

Investigational drug(s) / intervention(s)

Music Stimulation: Patients wear headphones for 30 minutes/day over a period of four weeks and listen to their preferred music.

Alternative Stimulation: Patients wear headphones for 30 minutes/day over a period of four weeks and listen to an audio book.

No Auditory Stimulation: Patients wear headphones for 30 minutes/day over a period of four weeks and hear silence.

Study summary

It is known that even in patients with severe disorders of consciousness (DOC), the perception of known stimuli triggers emotional reactions that can be interpreted as an expression of a residual function of consciousness. Music therapy has a long tradition in neurological rehabilitation. Frequently, active therapies with own music making and singing are implemented in clinical settings. In DOC patients, it is more likely to use passive music listening. However, findings on effectiveness are limited, as only a few studies have systematically investigated the effects of music therapy in this population. Therefore, the investigators want to investigate the effectiveness of passive listening to preferred music on the level of consciousness.

Eligibility

Primary outcome measure(s)

• Change in level of consciousness — 4 weeks
  Level of consciousness is measured with the Coma-Recovery-Scale-Revised (Range: 0 to 23) before and after treatment.

Trial sites (1)

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