Binaural Beats for Cognitive Function in Older Adults With Mild Cognitive Impairment in Nursing Homes (BB-MCI)

July 27, 2026 updated by: Yuhan Geng, China Medical University, China

The Effect of Binaural Beats on Cognitive Function in Older Adults With Mild Cognitive Impairment in Nursing Homes: A Randomized Controlled Trial

This study will evaluate whether binaural beats can improve cognitive function in older adults with mild cognitive impairment living in nursing homes. Participants will listen to 10-Hz alpha-frequency binaural beats through headphones once daily for 30 minutes for 14 consecutive days. Cognitive function, sleep quality, anxiety, and depressive symptoms will be assessed before the intervention, after the intervention, and at a 2-week follow-up after the intervention. The study aims to determine whether binaural beats are a safe, simple, and non-drug approach to support cognitive health in older adults with mild cognitive impairment.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
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.

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.
60

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

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Contact

Study Contact

The name and contact information for the person who can answer enrollment questions for a clinical study. Each location where the study is being conducted may also have a specific contact, who may be better able to answer those questions.
  • Name: Liu Yu Yu Liu, Professor
  • Phone Number: +8618640068209
  • Email: liuyu@cmu.edu.cn

Study Locations

  • China
    • Liaoning
      • Shenyang, Liaoning, China, 110030
        • Recruiting
        • Jintaiyang Jingguan Elderly Care Apartment
        • Contact:
      • Shenyang, Liaoning, China, 110031
        • Recruiting
        • Jintaiyang Elderly Care Center, Huanggu Branch
        • Contact:
      • Shenyang, Liaoning, China, 110042
        • Recruiting
        • Renai Changwan Elderly Care Home, Dadong District
        • Contact:

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
  • Older Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  1. Age 60 years or older.
  2. Not previously diagnosed with dementia.
  3. Meets the diagnostic criteria for mild cognitive impairment, with Montreal Cognitive Assessment scores adjusted by education level, Mini-Mental State Examination score >= 24, and Activities of Daily Living score < 23.
  4. Has lived in a nursing home for more than 2 months and plans to continue living there during the study period.
  5. No hearing impairment; Hearing Handicap Inventory for the Elderly-Screening Version score < 8, and able to hear binaural beats through both ears.
  6. Conscious and able to cooperate with questionnaires and scale assessments.
  7. Has not taken medications that may affect cognitive function within 3 to 6 months before the intervention.

Exclusion Criteria:

  1. Severe physical disease, major organ failure, or advanced malignant tumor.
  2. Diagnosed depression or other psychiatric disorders.

Withdrawal Criteria:

  1. Serious adverse events during the study, such as falls, disease recurrence, discomfort caused by the intervention audio, death, or other conditions making continued participation unsuitable.
  2. Voluntary withdrawal from the study.

Removal Criteria:

  1. Incomplete data resulting in missing information.
  2. Missing three or more intervention sessions within 2 weeks without following intervention instructions.
  3. Receiving other treatments or interventions related to cognitive function during the trial.

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: Treatment
  • 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.
Experimental: Binaural Beats Plus Old Songs Group
Participants will listen to old songs embedded with 10-Hz alpha-frequency binaural beats through headphones once daily for 30 minutes for 14 consecutive days.
Behavioral: Binaural Beats Embedded in Old Songs
Participants in the intervention group will listen to old songs embedded with 10-Hz alpha-frequency binaural beats through headphones once daily for 30 minutes for 14 consecutive days. The old songs will be selected according to older adults' music preferences.
Active Comparator: Old Songs Group
Participants will listen to the same type of old songs without binaural beats through headphones once daily for 30 minutes for 14 consecutive days.
Behavioral: Old Songs
Participants in the control group will listen to old songs without binaural beats through headphones once daily for 30 minutes for 14 consecutive days. The old songs will be selected according to older adults' music preferences.

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 Montreal Cognitive Assessment Score
Time Frame: Baseline, immediately after the 14-day intervention, and 2 weeks after the intervention
Cognitive function will be assessed using the Montreal Cognitive Assessment. The total score ranges from 0 to 30, with higher scores indicating better cognitive function.
Baseline, immediately after the 14-day intervention, and 2 weeks after the intervention
Change in Digit Span Test Score
Time Frame: Baseline, immediately after the 14-day intervention, and 2 weeks after the intervention
Baseline, immediately after the 14-day intervention, and 2 weeks after the intervention
Change in Stroop Color-Word Test Score
Time Frame: Baseline, immediately after the 14-day intervention, and 2 weeks after the intervention
Baseline, immediately after the 14-day intervention, and 2 weeks after the intervention
Change in Trail Making Test Score
Time Frame: Baseline, immediately after the 14-day intervention, and 2 weeks after the intervention
Baseline, immediately after the 14-day intervention, and 2 weeks after the intervention
Change in Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index Score
Time Frame: Baseline, immediately after the 14-day intervention, and 2 weeks after the intervention
Baseline, immediately after the 14-day intervention, and 2 weeks after the intervention
Change in Geriatric Anxiety Scale Score
Time Frame: Baseline, immediately after the 14-day intervention, and 2 weeks after the intervention
Baseline, immediately after the 14-day intervention, and 2 weeks after the intervention
Change in Geriatric Depression Scale-15 Score
Time Frame: Baseline, immediately after the 14-day intervention, and 2 weeks after the intervention
Baseline, immediately after the 14-day intervention, and 2 weeks after the intervention

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.
China Medical University, China

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 (Actual)

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.
June 15, 2026

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.
September 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.
September 20, 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).
July 27, 2026

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.
July 27, 2026

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.
July 30, 2026

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.
July 30, 2026

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.
July 27, 2026

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.
July 1, 2026

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.
  • Lunshen [2025] 239

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

UNDECIDED

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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