Clinical trials

RESONATE is a cluster-randomised crossover trial focusing on reducing school dropout rates and fostering belonging through co-created music-based activites, by combining music therapy (MT), psychology, and social sciences. About 200 participants will be recruited in the area of Bergen, Norway. They will be randomized into the following intervention arms: group music activity followed by usual school schedule or usual school schedule followed by group music activity.

This project, called Memory for Music, focuses on the increasing number of people worldwide living with dementia, especially Alzheimer's disease (AD). AD typically starts with memory problems and eventually affects daily activities. Active music interventions, especially singing, have shown positive effects on mood, behavior, and quality of life for people with dementia, but their impact on cognition is not well understood. The project aims to address this gap by studying the effects of learning new songs on cognitive, behavioral, and brain functioning. The study will involve home-dwelling adults aged 65 or older with AD from Argentina, Austria, and Norway. Participants will undergo 5 months of intensive musical training (twice a week) and 5 months of minimal training (once a month) in a random order, with a 2-month break in between. The interventions include learning new songs with a personal music teacher. General cognition will be measured using the Alzheimer's Disease Assessment Scale - Cognitive (ADAS-cog), and memory for music will be assessed through various methods, including behavioral tasks and brain responses (EEG). Mood will also be evaluated in each session. The goal is to include 113 participants to ensure reliable detection of meaningful effects. The study will explore how mood and memory for music contribute to changes in cognitive abilities, and whether these effects vary based on factors such as sex, age, AD stage, or previous musical training and general education. The project emphasizes collaboration between researchers, service providers, and users to ensure the study's relevance and applicability.

FALCO is a parallel pragmatic randomized control trial addressing long-term effects of music therapy (MT) on substance use disorder (SUD). 600 participants will be recruited from multiple European countries (see Locations). They will be randomized into one of the following intervention arms: Active Music Group (AMG), Music Listening Group (MLG) or Treatment as Usual (TAU) as offered locally.