NCT03533985

Brief Summary

This study examines the effects of 6 different music therapy interventions on outcomes for neonates diagnosed with Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome.

Trial Health

57
Monitor

Trial Health Score

Automated assessment based on enrollment pace, timeline, and geographic reach

Trial has exceeded expected completion date
Enrollment
200

participants targeted

Target at P75+ for not_applicable

Timeline
Completed

Started Nov 2017

Longer than P75 for not_applicable

Geographic Reach
1 country

6 active sites

Status
recruiting

Health score is calculated from publicly available data and should be used for screening purposes only.

Trial Relationships

Click on a node to explore related trials.

Study Timeline

Key milestones and dates

Study Start

First participant enrolled

November 1, 2017

Completed
6 months until next milestone

First Submitted

Initial submission to the registry

May 11, 2018

Completed
12 days until next milestone

First Posted

Study publicly available on registry

May 23, 2018

Completed
7.6 years until next milestone

Primary Completion

Last participant's last visit for primary outcome

December 31, 2025

Completed
Same day until next milestone

Study Completion

Last participant's last visit for all outcomes

December 31, 2025

Completed
Last Updated

February 24, 2025

Status Verified

February 1, 2025

Enrollment Period

8.2 years

First QC Date

May 11, 2018

Last Update Submit

February 21, 2025

Conditions

Keywords

Neonatal Abstinence SyndromeMusic therapyAttachmentMusic medicineMulti-modal stimulation

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (7)

  • Heart Rate

    up to 2 weeks

  • Respiratory Rate

    up to 2 weeks

  • O2 sats

    Oxygen saturation levels (O2 sats)

    up to 2 weeks

  • Activity level

    The neonatologist or nurse will assess and mark as active/alert, active to stimulation, flaccid, hypertonic, hypotonic, irritable, jittery, lethargic, paralyzed\&medicated, quiet, sedated, or tremors

    up to 2 weeks

  • Sleep category

    The neonatologist or nurse will assess and mark as quiet sleep, active sleep, drowsy state, alert inactivity, fussing or crying.

    up to 2 weeks

  • Feeding (sucking and absorption) category

    The neonatologist or nurse will rate feeding (sucking/absorption) from 1 (active/perpetual) to 12 (none/gavage)

    up to 2 weeks

  • Neonatal Abstinence Scoring (NAS)

    The NAS score lists 21 symptoms that are most frequently observed in opiate-exposed infants. Each symptom and its associated degree of severity are assigned a score and the total abstinence score is determined by totalling the score assigned to each symptom over the scoring period. Please provide the full scale info (example 0 (no symptoms) to 10 (severe symptoms)

    up to 2 weeks

Secondary Outcomes (1)

  • Postpartum Bonding Questionnaire (PBQ )

    Baseline

Study Arms (6)

Song of Kin

EXPERIMENTAL

Voice (with or without guitar)- lullaby/ Holding meter

Behavioral: Song of Kin

Gato box

EXPERIMENTAL

Simple rhythms using Remo Gato box will be played by the MT-BC using a 3rd to comfort, engage or sedate

Other: Gato box

Ocean disc

EXPERIMENTAL

Creating a consistent womb-like sound soundscape to comfort, engage or sedate

Other: Ocean disc

Contingent singing

EXPERIMENTAL

Provision of communicative vocalization-"parantese" to engage with infants, prosodic responses to infant cues (eye contact, body position)

Other: Contingent singing

Tonal Vocal holding

EXPERIMENTAL

Providing a 'blanket of tone' to comfort, engage or sedate

Other: Tonal Vocal holding

Muted shaker

EXPERIMENTAL

If infant is awake, the muted shaker will be used to entrain to the infant's vital signs-to comfort, soothe or sedate

Other: Muted shaker

Interventions

Song of KinBEHAVIORAL

Music therapists will assess meaningful song/theme (of choice/culture) and provide musical elements in a way that nurtures parents. They will then develop a simplified part of the theme into a soothing lullaby for their infants to be utilized directly by the parent/s and/or the music therapist to comfort, engage or sedate.

Also known as: Music psychotherapy with parent/s
Song of Kin

Depending on the time of intervention and need of the infant the music therapist will provide rhythmic entrainment that follows the heart rate or suck patterns of the infant

Also known as: Rhythmic entrainment
Gato box

Depending on the time of intervention and needs of the infant the music therapist will provide a whoosh sound using the Remo Ocean disc. It will be entrained to the infant's respiratory rate.

Also known as: Timbre entrainment
Ocean disc

Depending on the state of the infant, the music therapist will provide short segments of conversant prosody, to enhance quiet-alert, or stimulate relaxation/sleep

Contingent singing

Music therapist will provide a vowel, long held tone, sung without vibrato

Tonal Vocal holding

If infant is awake, the muted shaker will be used to entrain to the infant's vital signs-to comfort, soothe or sedate

Muted shaker

Eligibility Criteria

Age28 Weeks+
Sexall
Healthy VolunteersNo
Age GroupsChild (0-17), Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

  • Admitted to the NICU immediately postpartum
  • Gestational age 28 weeks or older
  • No identified hearing disorder
  • Do not have a diagnosed developmental disability (i.e. Down Syndrome)
  • Do not have Fetal Alcohol Syndrome
  • Medically cleared to participate in the study by nurse or neonatologist
  • Parent or legal guardian able/willing to give consent \& complete the PBQ (Postpartum Bonding Questionnaire)

You may not qualify if:

  • Admitted to the NICU at any time other than immediately postpartum
  • Gestational age \<28 weeks old
  • Has an identified hearing disorder
  • Has diagnosed developmental disability (i.e. Down syndrome)
  • Has Fetal Alcohol Syndrome
  • Is not medically cleared to participate in the study by the nurse or neonatologist
  • Parent or legal guardian unable/unwilling to give consent

Contact the study team to confirm eligibility.

Sponsors & Collaborators

Study Sites (6)

Tulane University Hospital

New Orleans, Louisiana, 70112, United States

RECRUITING

Joseph M. Sanzari Children's Hospital

Hackensack, New Jersey, 07601, United States

RECRUITING

Northwell Health

New Hyde Park, New York, 11040, United States

RECRUITING

Mount Sinai West

New York, New York, 10003, United States

RECRUITING

Maria Fareri Children's Hospital

Valhalla, New York, 10595, United States

RECRUITING

Drexel University/Hahnemann Hospital-College of Nursing and Health Professions

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 19102, United States

RECRUITING

Related Publications (4)

  • Loewy J, Stewart K, Dassler AM, Telsey A, Homel P. The effects of music therapy on vital signs, feeding, and sleep in premature infants. Pediatrics. 2013 May;131(5):902-18. doi: 10.1542/peds.2012-1367. Epub 2013 Apr 15.

    PMID: 23589814BACKGROUND
  • Loewy J. NICU music therapy: song of kin as critical lullaby in research and practice. Ann N Y Acad Sci. 2015 Mar;1337:178-85. doi: 10.1111/nyas.12648.

    PMID: 25773633BACKGROUND
  • Bieleninik L, Ghetti C, Gold C. Music Therapy for Preterm Infants and Their Parents: A Meta-analysis. Pediatrics. 2016 Sep;138(3):e20160971. doi: 10.1542/peds.2016-0971. Epub 2016 Aug 25.

    PMID: 27561729BACKGROUND
  • Pahl A, Young L, Buus-Frank ME, Marcellus L, Soll R. Non-pharmacological care for opioid withdrawal in newborns. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2020 Dec 21;12(12):CD013217. doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD013217.pub2.

Related Links

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Infant, Newborn, DiseasesCongenital, Hereditary, and Neonatal Diseases and AbnormalitiesSubstance-Related DisordersChemically-Induced DisordersMental Disorders

Study Officials

  • Joanne Loewy, PhD

    Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai

    PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
  • Kathy Murphy, PhD

    Loyola University

    PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
  • Aimee Telsey, MD

    Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai

    STUDY DIRECTOR

Central Study Contacts

Joanne Loewy, DA, LCAT, MT-BC

CONTACT

Elizabeth Barone, MA, MT-BC, CCLS

CONTACT

Study Design

Study Type
interventional
Phase
not applicable
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Masking
DOUBLE
Who Masked
PARTICIPANT, OUTCOMES ASSESSOR
Masking Details
Parents of infants will be unaware of the interventions' effects. Outcomes Assessor will be unfamiliar with desired outcomes.
Purpose
TREATMENT
Intervention Model
CROSSOVER
Model Details: Counterbalancing will be achieved by assigning a different order of presentation of conditions for each group. Participants will remain in the study for two weeks, but continue to receive music therapy for the duration of their stay in the NICU.
Sponsor Type
OTHER
Responsible Party
PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
PI Title
Director, Louis Armstrong Center for Music and Medicine at Mount Sinai Beth Israel

Study Record Dates

First Submitted

May 11, 2018

First Posted

May 23, 2018

Study Start

November 1, 2017

Primary Completion

December 31, 2025

Study Completion

December 31, 2025

Last Updated

February 24, 2025

Record last verified: 2025-02

Data Sharing

IPD Sharing
Will not share

Locations