Examining the Effects of Processed Music on Chronic Pain

Brief summary (from the registry)

Chronic pain is a common ailment in aging populations and often co-occurs with altered regulation of the autonomic nervous system. Nociceptive pathways (i.e., those that transmit pain signals) are integrated with autonomic circuits throughout the body and therapies that are successful in reducing pain concurrently alter autonomic functions, even when they are not directly designed to do so. It is possible that interventions that target the autonomic circuits that regulate pain responses may help reduce pain in chronic pain sufferers. The proposed study will examine whether an intervention that targets the autonomic nervous system via filtered music can reduce pain, a hypothesis derived from the Polyvagal Theory. The Polyvagal Theory describes how function and structure of the vertebrate autonomic nervous system changed during evolution. The theory is named for the vagus, a major cranial nerve that regulates bodily state. An evolutionary "old" branch of this nerve innervates structures below the diaphragm and its dysfunction is linked to lower body organ and tissue pain. Regulation of the vagus nerve is linked with specific auditory cues based on our evolutionary heritage and the physics of the middle ear. This study is designed to test whether processed music designed to stimulate vagal function can decrease chronic pain. The Listening Project Protocol, the processed music used in this intervention, has previously been shown to effectively stimulate the function of the vagus nerve (see stimulus description below). Specific Aims: Aim I: To examine whether The Listening Project Protocol, a non-invasive audio intervention, can be effective for reducing chronic pain in a sample of older adults. Hypothesis: Five 1-hour sessions of the Listening Project Protocol will reduce pain Aim II: To examine whether increased regulation via the autonomic nervous system accounts for the decrease in pain if the intervention is successful. Hypothesis: Pain reduction will coincide with …

Study details

Official title

Examining the Effects of Processed Music on Chronic Pain

Conditions

• Pain

Interventions

• Other: Safe and Sound Protocol

Sponsor

Indiana University

Start date

2017-06-22

Primary completion

2019-08-28

Sex

All

Results posted

No results posted in this snapshot

Countries

United States

Total sites listed

1

Eligibility criteria