Cognitive Effects of Music and Dance Training in Children

NCT03160391 | Completed

• 1 other identifier: YorkU-MD1
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 75
• Locations: 0 countries
• Sites: N/A

Brief Summary

The study used a randomized controlled trial to test the efficacy of two interventions (dance and musical training) for typically developing children. Interventions were run for three weeks in local community locations. Participants were tested before and after the intervention on a battery of cognitive and behavioural measures. They were compared across groups, and to a control group who do not receive the intervention. The purpose of the current study was to assess the influence of dance and musical training on cognitive development. Research has indicated that musical training is associated with improve cognitive functioning, although the direction of such an association is unclear. Further, it is uncertain whether any benefits are specific to musical training or can also be demonstrated with other training activities. The current study used a randomized controlled trial to assess the causal effects of dance and musical training.

Conditions

Cognitive Change

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (6)

• Change in visuospatial working memory

  Self-ordered pointing task (Cragg \& Nation, 2007)

  Before and after intervention (3 weeks gap)

• Change in interference control on flanker

  Flanker task (Bunge, Dudukovic, Thomason, Vaidya, \& Gabriela, 2002)

  Before and after intervention (3 weeks gap)

• Change in color-shape task switching

  color-shape task (Wiseheart, Viswanathan, \& Bialystok, 2015)

  Before and after intervention (3 weeks gap)

• Change in verbal working memory

  Digit span (Weschler, 2008)

  Before and after intervention (3 weeks gap)

• Change in interference control on Stroop

  Stroop task (Cepeda, Blackwell, \& Munakata, 2013)

  Before and after intervention (3 weeks gap)

• Change in quantity-identity task switching

  quantity-identity task (Cepeda, Cepeda, \& Kramer, 2000)

  Before and after intervention (3 weeks gap)

Secondary Outcomes (5)

• Change in processing speed using box completion

  Before and after intervention (3 weeks gap)

• Change in Non-verbal intelligence

  Before and after intervention (3 weeks gap)

• Change in Receptive vocabulary

  Before and after intervention (3 weeks gap)

• Change in processing speed using digit symbol

  Before and after intervention (3 weeks gap)

• Change in processing speed using symbol copy

  Before and after intervention (3 weeks gap)

Study Arms (3)

Music Training

EXPERIMENTAL

Music Training

Behavioral: Music Training

Dance Training

ACTIVE COMPARATOR

Dance Training

Behavioral: Dance Training

Passive control group

NO INTERVENTION

Passive control group

Interventions

Music Training BEHAVIORAL

Training curriculums were developed using guidelines set by the Ontario Ministry of Education (The Ontario Curriculum, 2009) for teaching music to grades 1 to 3. Music was delineated into duration, pitch, dynamics and other expressive controls, timbre, texture/harmony, and form. training included direct instruction and group activities. All training programs had the same structure: a warm-up period, following by instruction from a teacher, and then group activities to practically demonstrate the concepts learned. Both programs involved working towards a variety of ensembles.

Music Training

Dance Training BEHAVIORAL

As with music training, dance was operationally defined by fundamental concepts for the art form, namely elements for body, space, time, energy, and relationship. The intervention involved both individual and group activities, with a combination of instruction and practical activities, and preparation for a final performance.

Dance Training

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 6 Years - 9 Years
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Child (0-17)

You may qualify if:

• Monolingual

You may not qualify if:

• Developmental delays or learning disabilities
• Previous arts training (in dance, drama, or music)

Sponsors & Collaborators

• York University: lead

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: TRIPLE
• Who Masked: PARTICIPANT, CARE PROVIDER, OUTCOMES ASSESSOR
• Masking Details: Although the type of intervention provided was explicit (dance or music), participants, intervention providers, and outcomes assessors were not aware of the study hypotheses or predicted effects for each intervention. Hence they did not know whether they were in a treatment or control group.
• Purpose: BASIC SCIENCE
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Associate Professor

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: May 6, 2017
• First Posted: May 19, 2017
• Study Start: January 1, 2012
• Primary Completion: November 30, 2013
• Study Completion: November 30, 2013
• Last Updated: May 19, 2017

Record last verified: 2017-05