Music Training and Child Development Study

Effects of Music Training on Neurodevelopment and Associated Health Outcomes

This proposed study aims to provide a definitive answer to whether music training benefits brain development, particularly brain inhibition control circuitry and its related health outcomes using a randomized control trial design.

In the study, 114 children between ages 6-8 from Los Angeles will be randomly assigned to a 24-month:(1) community-focused after school music training group focused on a traditional strings curriculum at the Colburn school in Los Angeles (MG) or (2) a control group (CG) after-school program comprising of visual arts, book club, ethnic and cultural studies and theater without specific focus on systematic music training or sports. Imaging data will be collected at before and after the intervention (24 months), behavioral assessments will be conducted before the intervention and yearly afterwards, and mid-intervention evaluations will be performed every six months throughout the study.

Study Overview

• Status: Active, not recruiting
• Conditions: Music
• Intervention / Treatment: Behavioral: Music Program; Behavioral: After School Enrichment Program

Detailed Description

The investigators will use an RCT design to investigate effects of a music training intervention on brain inhibition control circuitry. Throughout R61(N=40) and R33 (N=74) phases, 114 children between ages 6-8 from communities with limited resources in Los Angeles will be randomly assigned to a 24-month: (1) community-focused after school music training group focused on a traditional strings curriculum at the Colburn school in Los Angeles (MG) or (2) a control group (CG) after-school program comprising of visual arts, book club, ethnic and cultural studies and theater without specific focus on systematic music training or sports. Imaging data will be collected at before and after the intervention (24 months), behavioral assessments will be conducted before the intervention and yearly afterwards, and mid-intervention evaluations will be performed every six months throughout the study.

The investigators anticipate that the R61 phase will take 2 years and R33 will take 3 years to complete. The goal of the R61 phase is to evaluate the feasibility of executing the RCT. Comprehensive behavioral and imaging data will be collected at pre- and post-intervention, and mid-intervention evaluations will be performed every six months throughout the study. The combined R61/R33 phases will include 114 participants and will ultimately provide much needed guidance on the development of larger trials in the field.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Estimated): 114
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• United States
  • California
    • Los Angeles, California, United States, 90089
      • Brain and Creativity Institute

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 6 years to 8 years (Child)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• normal IQ (standard score of >85 in the Abbreviated Wechsler's Scale of Intelligence)
• Living in LA within 2 miles radius of the location of the music and the afterschool programs
• limited resources as defined by the Hollingshead Index cumulative score below 29
• ages 6-8

Exclusion Criteria:

• current diagnosis of neurological or psychiatric disorders
• prior engagement in formal and systematic music training for more than 6 months
• previous or current diagnosis of severe hearing loss defined as air conduction thresholds greater than 60 dB HL through 8 kHz or- severe vision loss that is not correctable with prescription eyeglasses or contact lenses
• non-removable, non-MRI compatible body parts
• Claustrophobia

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Basic Science
• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
• Masking: Double

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Active Comparator: After School Enrichment Group; 57 participants, aged 6-8 Participants will be enrolled in an after school program led by instructors and will include visual arts, theater, and general cultural studies. Students attend the program 3 days per week in the afternoon for 1 hour long lessons. Students will take part in an end of the year celebration to share their work with family and community members. Duration and frequency of the after-school program will be matched to the music intervention.	Behavioral: After School Enrichment Program; The afterschool program will be led by instructors and will include visual arts, theater, and general cultural studies. Students attend the program 3 days per week in the afternoon for 1 hour long lessons. Students will take part in an end of the year celebration to share their work with family and community members.
Experimental: Music; 57 participants, aged 6-8 Participants will be enrolled in a music training program led by professional trained music instructor of the Colburn School of Music. The music curriculum follows the standard Suzuki training method. Students attend the program 3 days per week, 2 weekday afternoons and one weekend morning. Each session lasts approximately 1 hour long. Each student will be given a string instrument to take home (often a viola or a violin). Each learning day focuses on development of musical elements including rhythm and meter, form, pitch, and performance. Students will take part in annual performances intended to give them a motivational goal, sense of mastery and to share their accomplishments with their peers, family, and community.	Behavioral: Music Program; The cohort of students entering the program at the Colburn school in Los Angeles will be a part of a traditional strings curriculum. Students will join the program on a full scholarship and will be provided all materials necessary for instruction, including an instrument. Students will attend Colburn twice a week in a group setting and will receive private instruction once a week. The program will last 2, 15-week semesters (fall, spring) for 2-years. There will be 2 groups of 10 students. Students will undergo group instruction for 1 hour, 2 times a week and private instruction for 45 minutes, once a week.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
brain inhibition control networks	The primary outcome will be %change in blood-oxygen-level-dependent signal in the brain frontal circuits including the DLPFC, ACC and pre-SMA/SMA evaluated during the two inhibition control tasks.	24 months

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
inhibition control as measured by reaction time	Stop signal reaction time during stop signal task	24 months
inhibition control as measured by delayed gratification	discounting rate from delay gratification task	24 months

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: University of Southern California
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Assal Habibi, University of Southern California

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): September 11, 2022
• Primary Completion (Estimated): October 1, 2027
• Study Completion (Estimated): October 1, 2027

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: August 10, 2022
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: August 12, 2022
• First Posted (Actual): August 16, 2022

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Estimated): November 13, 2025
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: November 11, 2025
• Last Verified: November 1, 2025

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: Children; Brain; Music training
• Other Study ID Numbers: UP-22-00056

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No
• product manufactured in and exported from the U.S.: No