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AgingCognitive functionLongevityHealthy volunteersHealthmaxxingDevice

What this study is

This is a Stage I randomized, sham-controlled trial on the effects of multimodal musical stimulation on working memory in aging. Neurologically healthy older and younger adults will be tested on working memory and electroencephalography in the first randomized controlled trial of music as a form of brain stimulation, with multimodal musical stimulation and control stimulation conditions. Results will test the causal role of oscillatory mechanisms of the brain on cognition, and will lay the groundwork to the first musical, neurophysiologically targeted, brain-stimulation device for reversing cognitive decline in aging.

What's being tested

  • Gamma

    Intervention · DEVICE

    For the OAg group, the visual component of multimodal stimulation will have the same properties as for the other group, except it will also be additionally amplitude-modulated in the gamma-band (30-60 Hz) range, resulting in a detectable flicker over-and-above the beat-level modulation.

  • Synchrony

    Intervention · DEVICE

    For the OA group, the lights will be tuned to delta-band frequencies (1-4 Hz) in the music, which corresponds to the beat-level frequency in most music. Thus, the lights automatically adapt to the rhythm of the music, pulsing on the beat and changing color on strong beats.

Study details

Sponsor
Northeastern University
Conditions
Aging
Enrolling
100 people
Starts
2022-12-11
Est. completion
2027-12-31
Design
Single-blind, randomized, parallel groups
Record
View on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗