N/A
N=53
Impact of Music Improvisation Training on Cognitive Function in Older Adults
Aging · Cognitive Aging · Cognitive Impairment · Cognitive Training · Cognitively Normal Older Adults
Bottom Line
View on ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT05980286 ↗Enrolled (actual)
53
Serious AEs
0.0%
Results posted
Dec 2025
Primary outcome: Primary: Retention in Study — 22; 21 Participants
Study Design & Population
- Study type
- Interventional
- Phase
- N/A
- Interventions
- Piano Improvisation (Behavioral); Music Listening (Behavioral)
- Age
- Adult, Older Adult · 60+ yrs
- Sex
- All
- Sponsor
- University of California, San Francisco
- Primary completion
- Jun 2023
Outcome Measures
| Outcome | Result | p-value |
|---|---|---|
| PRIMARY Retention in Study |
22; 21 | — |
| PRIMARY Adherence to Intervention |
21; 16 | — |
| PRIMARY Satisfaction With Intervention |
24; 27 | — |
| SECONDARY Short Self-Regulation Questionnaire |
-0.32; 0.95 | — |
| SECONDARY Florida Cognitive Activities Scale |
0.86; -1.95 | — |
| SECONDARY National Institutes of Health ToolBox Self-Efficacy |
-0.50; -0.63 | — |
| SECONDARY Short Grit Scale |
-0.86; -0.74 | — |
| SECONDARY Five Facets of Mindfulness |
0.23; 0.79 | — |
Summary
This project will develop and test the effects and mechanisms of a music improvisation training intervention on self-regulation of older adults with and without MCI. The investigator's overall hypothesis is that improvisation training will lead to improvements in self-regulation, compared to controls, and that improvisation training will be associated with specific changes in prefrontal brain networks and ultimately cognitive engagement.
Eligibility Criteria
Inclusion Criteria
- Age 60 and over
- Living independently in the community
- Sufficient visual and hearing acuity (age-related to normal hearing loss, with assistive devices) as measured by audiometer
- Less than three years of formal music training (as indicated by private music lessons does not include group or ensemble classes) and not currently reading or engaging in music performance
- English fluency rated fairly well to well
- Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) score of 22-30 or diagnosis of "mild cognitive impairment
- Not currently taking psychoactive medications, antidepressants, or sleep medications that could adversely affect cognitive abilities.
Exclusion criteria
- Medical diagnosis of dementia (any etiology)
- Inability to move the hands or use all 10 digits (extensive arthritis, neuropathy, missing digits)
- Score < 22 on Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA)
- Current (but not prior) severe psychiatric disorder, serious medical condition (e.g., stroke, TIA) that would interfere with participation in the study
- Poor English fluency
- Musician or previously trained in jazz improvisation, more than three years of formal music instruction or training and/or currently engaged in musical performance
- Plans to move out of the area within six months
Data sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT05980286). Outcome figures and adverse-event rates are extracted automatically from the registry's posted results and are provided for clinician reference, not as a substitute for the primary publication.