Music Therapy Awareness in the Lecture Hall: Effects of Mindfulness-based Breathing and Core Exercises on Stress, Endurance, and Relaxation in University Students (MT WİTH CORE)

November 25, 2025 updated by: Emine Merve Ersever, Ankara University
This study aims to evaluate the effects of music therapy awareness, mindfulness-based breathing, and core exercises on stress, resilience, and relaxation in university students. Stress is highly prevalent in this population and can negatively affect both academic performance and physical and psychological health. By combining music therapy with breathing and core exercises, the study seeks to provide a holistic approach to improving students' well-being

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Not yet recruiting

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Detailed Description

University students often experience high levels of stress due to academic and social responsibilities, which may lead to reduced cognitive performance, decreased endurance, and health problems. Effective stress management strategies are therefore essential to support academic achievement and quality of life.

Music therapy has been shown to reduce stress and promote relaxation. Mindfulness-based breathing exercises enhance body awareness, calmness, and resilience, while core exercises improve physical endurance, posture, and general well-being. In a university setting, the integration of these approaches may reduce stress levels and increase both psychological and physical resilience.

This study will recruit 80 healthy volunteers aged 18-30, consisting of university students or young adults. Participants must be willing to give informed consent and must not have severe musculoskeletal, neurological, or systemic health conditions that prevent exercise. Individuals with significant hearing loss, recent surgery, or psychiatric conditions that may interfere with participation will also be excluded.

The primary objective is to investigate the effects of music therapy awareness, mindfulness-based breathing, and core exercises on stress levels, resilience, and relaxation among students. The secondary objective is to explore the potential impact of these interventions on academic performance and social relationships.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Interventional

Enrollment (Estimated)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
80

Phase

Phase

The stage of a clinical trial studying a drug or biological product, based on definitions developed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The phase is based on the study's objective, the number of participants, and other characteristics. There are five phases: Early Phase 1 (formerly listed as Phase 0), Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3, and Phase 4. Not Applicable is used to describe trials without FDA-defined phases, including trials of devices or behavioral interventions.
  • Not Applicable

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Healthy university students or young adults aged 18-30 years.
  • Willing to participate voluntarily and able to provide written informed consent.
  • major physical health problems or musculoskeletal injuries that would prevent participation in the exercise program, based on preliminary health screening.
  • No significant hearing impairment that would interfere with participation in music-based sessions

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Acute or chronic musculoskeletal pain, injury, or disorders that limit exercise participation.
  • Serious cardiovascular, pulmonary, or other systemic diseases that restrict physical activity.
  • History of surgery within the past 3 months or medical advice to avoid exercise
  • Psychiatric or neurological disorders that may prevent compliance with the program.
  • Significant hearing impairment or other sensory deficits that could interfere with music therapy sessions

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Supportive Care
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: Double

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Participant Group / Arm

A group or subgroup of participants in a clinical trial that receives a specific intervention/treatment, or no intervention, according to the trial's protocol.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
No Intervention: control
Participants continue their usual activities without a structured program during the study period. Optionally, they may be offered the program after study completion
Experimental: Core exercise
Participants in the experimental group receive a combined intervention including mindfulness-based breathing exercises, core stabilization training, and music therapy sessions for stress reduction and relaxation.
Behavioral: core exercise
Participants will engage in a structured program combining mindfulness-based breathing exercises, core stability/strength exercises, and music therapy awareness sessions. Sessions will be delivered in a lecture-hall setting, approximately 2-3 times per week, lasting 45-60 minutes, for a total duration of 4-8 weeks.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Change in Perceived Stress Score assessed by the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS)
Time Frame: Baseline and 6 weeks

The Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) is a 10-item self-report questionnaire designed to measure the degree to which individuals perceive their lives as stressful. Each item is rated on a 5-point Likert scale ranging from 0 (never) to 4 (very often).

Total scores range from 0 to 40, with higher scores indicating greater perceived stress
Baseline and 6 weeks
Change in core muscle endurance assessed by the Plank Test
Time Frame: Baseline and 6 weeks

Core muscle endurance will be evaluated using the Plank Test. Participants are instructed to hold a standard prone plank position for as long as possible.

The time (in seconds) is recorded from the start of the position until loss of proper form or voluntary termination.
Baseline and 6 weeks
Change in core muscle endurance assessed by the Plank Test assessing by score
Time Frame: Baseline and 6 weeks
Core muscle endurance will be evaluated using the Plank Test. Scores range from 0 seconds (minimum) to the maximum duration the participant can maintain proper posture
Baseline and 6 weeks

Secondary Outcome Measures

Secondary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, a planned outcome measure that is not as important as the primary outcome measure for evaluating the effect of an intervention but is still of interest. Most clinical studies have more than one secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Change in relaxation/calmness assessed by 5-point Likert Scale questionnaire
Time Frame: Baseline and 6 weeks
Participants rate their perceived relaxation on a 5-point Likert Scale (1 = very tense, 5 = very relaxed). Higher scores indicate greater calmness and relaxation (better outcome)
Baseline and 6 weeks

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
Ankara University

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Estimated)

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
November 1, 2025

Primary Completion (Estimated)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
February 1, 2026

Study Completion (Estimated)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
April 1, 2026

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
September 30, 2025

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
November 25, 2025

First Posted (Actual)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
November 26, 2025

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
November 26, 2025

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
November 25, 2025

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
September 1, 2025

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • E-79176220-050.04-1961949
  • Ankara University (Other Identifier: ankara University)

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

YES

IPD Sharing Supporting Information Type

  • STUDY_PROTOCOL

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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