Exploring the Effects of Sonic Augmentation Technology in Music

Exploring the Effects of Sonic Augmentation Technology in Music on Feelings and Biobehavioral State

Brief Summary:

It is the specific intent of this proposal to experimentally explore the possible benefits and mechanisms through which Sonic Augmentation Technology in music can influence emotional health, embodiment, and autonomic functioning. The main goals of the study are:

• To examine the immediate effects of listening to the music.
• To identify individual characteristics that influence the effectiveness of listening to the music.
• Phase 1 ONLY: To examine whether the participants who received the augmented theme reported more improvements than the participants who received the non-augmented theme.

Participants will be asked to attend a scheduled online Zoom meeting where they will:

• Listen to 15-minutes of music
• Complete a pre-music and post-music online survey
• Phase 1 ONLY: Attend the lecture/discussion with Dr. Porges and Anthony Gorry on theory and science underlying sonic augmentation technology and the experiences it aims to evoke.

Study Overview

• Status: Suspended
• Conditions: Sonic Augmentation Technology
• Intervention / Treatment: Behavioral: Augmented Music; Behavioral: Non-augmented Music

Detailed Description

Detailed Description:

It is the specific intent of this proposal to experimentally explore the possible benefits and mechanisms through which Sonic Augmentation Technology (SAT) in music can influence emotional health, embodiment, and autonomic functioning. This will be accomplished by our team by using well-validated self-report measures of mental health and autonomic reactivity.

Specific Aims:

Specific Aim 1: To examine the immediate effects of SAT in music

•The researchers will explore whether SAT in music leads to improvements in the functioning.

Specific Aim 2: To identify individual characteristics that influence the effectiveness of listening to the music.

• The researchers will explore the impact of specific vulnerability and resiliency factors (e.g., prior mental and medical adversity) on how well participants benefit from listening to the music.
• The researchers will explore the impact of wearing headphones on how well participants benefit from listening to the music.

Phase 1 Experimental design:

Participants will be randomly assigned to either a Sonic Augmentation Technology-enhanced music condition or a control condition featuring the same musical theme without the enhancement. Participants will be asked to attend one virtual session via Zoom where they will:

• Listen to 15-minutes of music
• Complete a pre-music and post-music online survey
• Attend the lecture/discussion with Dr. Porges and Anthony Gorry on theory and science underlying sonic augmentation technology and the experiences it aims to evoke.

Phase 2 Experimental design:

Participants will be asked to attend one virtual session via Zoom where they will:

• Listen to 15-minutes of music
• Complete a pre-music and post-music online survey
• At a later date, participants will be offered the opportunity to attend an optional meeting where results will be disseminated, and Dr. Stephen Porges will be offering insights into the theory and science underlying sonic augmentation technology and the experiences it aims to evoke.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Estimated): 76
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• United States
  • Florida
    • Jacksonville, Florida, United States, 32209
      • UF Health Jacksonville

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: Adult; Older Adult
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Between the ages of 18 and 89
• Proficient in English

Exclusion Criteria:

• Under the age of 18
• Over the age of 89
• Limited English Proficiency

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

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

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Augmented Group; Phase 1 & 2: Participants will first complete the pre-music survey. They will then listen to 15 minutes of augmented music. Afterward, participants will complete the post-music survey.	Behavioral: Augmented Music; Phase 1 & 2: The music is augmented by embedding the natural rhythms of bodily functions (e.g. breathing, heart rate variability, vascular tone, etc) that signal the body to calm.
Active Comparator: Non-augmented Group; Phase 1 ONLY: Participants will first complete the pre-music survey. They will then listen to 15-minutes of the same musical theme without the augmentation. Afterward, participants will complete the post-music survey.	Behavioral: Non-augmented Music; Phase 1 ONLY: Same melodic theme without the augmentation.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Assessing the Impact of Autonomic Reactivity using the Body Perceptions Inventory Short Form	This 20-item measure is scored on a 5-point Likert scale (never = 1, occasionally = 2, sometimes = 3, usually = 4, always = 5). Items are summed to determine total autonomic reactivity score, with the higher scores indicating greater autonomic reactivity	Baseline
Assessing the Impact of Adversity History	This measure assesses the impact of six types of traumatic experiences (childhood adverse experiences, childhood maltreatment, intimate partner maltreatment, other person maltreatment, life-threatening situations, sudden losses, and person health situations). Each item is scored on a 5-point Likert scale (did not occur = 0, occurred and no impact on my life = 1 to big impact on my life = 4). Items are summed to determine total impact scores.	Baseline
Measuring Change in subjective feelings of calmness and autonomic state using the Benefits List	This 20-item measure, which assesses subjective feelings of calmness and autonomic state was created for this study. Each item is scored on a 7-point Likert scale (0 = Not at all, 3 = Somewhat, 6 = Extremely). Higher scores on the scale generally represent increased feelings of calmness and a more balanced autonomic state.	From baseline through study completion, an average of 65 minutes

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: University of Florida
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Lourdes P Dale, BS, University of Florida

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): May 5, 2025
• Primary Completion (Estimated): August 29, 2026
• Study Completion (Estimated): August 29, 2026

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: March 18, 2025
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: March 18, 2025
• First Posted (Actual): March 30, 2025

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): February 12, 2026
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: February 9, 2026
• Last Verified: August 1, 2025

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: Relaxation; Polyvagal Theory; Autonomic Reactivity
• Other Study ID Numbers: IRB202500241

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: NO
• IPD Plan Description: IPD will not be available.

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No