Musical Stimulation Intensity and Postural Control (MUSIC-POST) (MUSIC-POST)

The Role of Musical Stimulation Intensity on Postural Control in Athletes: A Virtual Reality-Based Posturography Study

This study aims to investigate the effects of musical stimulation intensity on postural control in athletes using a virtual reality-based (VR) static posturography system. Athletes from various sports disciplines will be exposed to low-, medium-, and high-intensity music during balance assessments. The study will analyze changes in postural stability parameters under different auditory stimulation levels to understand the interaction between auditory processing, proprioception, and motor control in athletes.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Adults; Athlete; Health Adult Subjects
• Intervention / Treatment: Device: Virtual Reality-Based Auditory Stimulation

Detailed Description

This experimental study aims to examine the role of musical stimulation intensity on postural control performance in athletes through a virtual reality (VR)-based static posturography system. The study will include athletes from different sports disciplines such as volleyball, football, swimming, tennis, and combat sports.

Participants will perform balance tests under three controlled auditory conditions: low-, medium-, and high-intensity music. The VR-based posturography device will provide immersive visual feedback and precise measurements of Center-of-Pressure (COP) displacement, reaction time, and directional control. The auditory stimuli will be delivered through headphones integrated into the VR headset to ensure standardized sound intensity levels.

The primary outcome measures include changes in stability indices, sensory organization, and Limits of Stability (LOS) parameters across the three music intensity conditions. Secondary outcomes will analyze the relationship between noise sensitivity scores and postural control metrics.

This study will contribute to understanding how auditory stimulation interacts with sensorimotor integration and balance control mechanisms in athletes. The findings may support the design of VR-based training and rehabilitation programs that integrate controlled auditory environments to optimize performance and postural stability.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 48
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• Turkey (Türkiye)
  • Battalgazi
    • Malatya, Battalgazi, Turkey (Türkiye), 44170
      • Malatya Training and Research Hospital
    • Malatya, Battalgazi, Turkey (Türkiye)
      • Malatya Training and Research Hospital

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

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

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Age between 18 and 35 years

Actively training in sports (minimum 3 sessions per week)

Normal hearing thresholds (≤20 dB HL at 0.5-8 kHz)

No history of vestibular, neurological, or musculoskeletal disorders

Voluntary participation and informed consent

Exclusion Criteria:

• Any diagnosed balance or vestibular disorder

History of ear surgery or chronic otitis media

Current use of medications affecting balance or cognition

Exposure to intense noise or ototoxic substances in the past month

Refusal to participate or inability to complete VR-based testing

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Basic Science
• Allocation: N/A
• Interventional Model: Sequential Assignment
• Masking: None (Open Label)

Number of Arms

1

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Auditory Stimulation Conditions; Participants completed balance assessments under three auditory intensity conditions: low (40 dB), medium (70 dB), and high (90 dB). Each condition was administered in a randomized crossover design using a virtual reality-based (VR) posturography system. Washout periods were included to prevent carryover effects.	Device: Virtual Reality-Based Auditory Stimulation; Participants performed postural control tasks using a virtual reality-based posturography system under three auditory intensity conditions (low, medium, high). Controlled auditory stimuli were delivered via headphones, and balance performance was recorded for each condition.; Other Names: BalanceVR Posturography

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Postural Stability Score measured by VR-based Static Posturography	Postural Stability Score (%) obtained from VR-based static posturography during balance tasks under low, medium, and high auditory intensity conditions. The score reflects overall postural steadiness based on center-of-pressure displacement metrics.	Assessed after each condition within one testing session (~30 minutes).

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Mean Velocity measured by VR-based Posturography	Mean velocity of center-of-pressure sway was recorded using a VR-based static posturography system under low (40 dB), medium (70 dB), and high (90 dB) auditory intensity conditions to examine auditory effects on dynamic postural adjustments.	Recorded immediately after each test condition within a single session (≈35 minutes per participant).
Reaction Time measured by VR-based Static Posturography	Motor reaction time to initiate movement toward visual targets was recorded using a VR-based static posturography system under low (40 dB), medium (70 dB), and high (90 dB) auditory intensity conditions to determine the influence of auditory intensity on movement initiation.	Recorded immediately after each test condition within a single session (≈35 minutes per participant).
Endpoint Excursion measured by VR-based Static Posturography	Maximum endpoint excursion toward visual targets was recorded using a VR-based static posturography system under low (40 dB), medium (70 dB), and high (90 dB) auditory intensity conditions to evaluate how musical stimulation intensity affected the accuracy of voluntary postural movements.	Recorded immediately after each test condition within a single session (≈35 minutes per participant).
Directional Control measured by VR-based Static Posturography	Directional control values reflecting movement efficiency toward visual targets were recorded using a VR-based static posturography system under low (40 dB), medium (70 dB), and high (90 dB) auditory intensity conditions to examine whether sound intensity influenced movement accuracy and postural strategy.	Recorded immediately after each test condition within a single session (≈35 minutes per participant).

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Hanifi Korkmaz
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Hanifi Korkmaz, pHD, Malatya Turgut Özal University, Vocational School of Health Services, Department of Child Care and Youth Services

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): May 9, 2025
• Primary Completion (Actual): October 1, 2025
• Study Completion (Actual): October 5, 2025

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: November 15, 2025
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: November 20, 2025
• First Posted (Estimated): December 3, 2025

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Estimated): December 3, 2025
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: November 20, 2025
• Last Verified: October 1, 2025

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: Virtual Reality; Postural Stability; Auditory Intensity
• Other Study ID Numbers: 2025/95 (Other Identifier: MTÜ Health Sciences Ethics Committee)

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: NO
• IPD Plan Description: Individual participant data (IPD) will not be shared due to privacy regulations and institutional data protection policies. The dataset includes sensitive personal information collected under specific ethical approval limited to the research team.

Drug and device information, study documents

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