The goal of this clinical trial is to evaluate whether a 4-week music therapy (MT) intervention can reduce chronic pain and improve psychosocial outcomes in youth with sickle cell disease (SCD).
The main questions it aims to answer are:
* Does MT reduce pain intensity, frequency of pain episodes, and improve health-related quality of life (HRQoL)? * Does MT alter immune cell composition and gene expression in inflammatory pathways, as measured by single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq)?
Researchers will compare participants randomized to music therapy versus a control condition to see if MT produces superior improvements in pain and psychosocial outcomes, and distinct molecular changes.
Diagnosed with SCD
English fluency (for survey completion)
Have access to a personal electronic device (e.g., phone, tablet) with access to the internet
Persistent or recurrent for ≥ 3 months
Major hearing deficiency or medical condition in which listening to music may be contraindicated (e.g., reflex epilepsy).
Emory University
Lead sponsor
National Institutes of Health (NIH)
Collaborator