Effect of Music on Pain and Anxiety During Nail Biopsies

NCT07518953 | Not Yet Recruiting

• 1 other identifier: 25-12029644
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 30
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

This study is looking at whether listening to music during a nail biopsy can reduce pain and anxiety. Patients scheduled for a nail biopsy at the Weill Cornell Medicine dermatology clinic will be randomly assigned to either listen to a calming instrumental/classical music playlist during their procedure or receive standard care without music. After the procedure, participants will complete short questionnaires rating their pain, anxiety, and overall satisfaction. The goal is to determine whether a simple, low-cost music intervention can improve the experience of patients undergoing nail biopsies.

Conditions

Pain; Procedural Anxiety

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• Mean pain intensity measured by Visual Analog Scale

  Total scores range from 0-10 with 10 meaning worst pain imaginable

  Immediately after the nail biopsy procedure

Secondary Outcomes (6)

• Mean anxiety score measured by short-form State-Trait Anxiety Inventory

  Immediately after the nail biopsy procedure

• Perceived helpfulness of music intervention (music group only) measured by single-item Likert scale

  Immediately after the nail biopsy procedure

• Patient satisfaction score measured by single-item Likert scale rating overall experience

  Immediately after the nail biopsy procedure

• Willingness to undergo future nail biopsy procedures measured by single-item yes/no question

  Immediately after the nail biopsy procedure

• Number of participants with adverse events related to the procedure

  immediately after the nail biopsy procedure

Study Arms (2)

Music Intervention

EXPERIMENTAL

Participants listen to a standardized instrumental/classical/relaxing music playlist beginning 2-3 minutes before local anesthesia and continuing throughout the nail biopsy procedure.

Behavioral: Music intervention; Procedure: Local anesthesia injections

Standard care/ control

OTHER

Participants receive standard care during nail biopsy without any music intervention. No music is played during local anesthesia administration or the procedure.

Procedure: Local anesthesia injections

Interventions

Music intervention BEHAVIORAL

A standardized playlist of instrumental, classical, and relaxing music delivered to participants beginning 2-3 minutes before local anesthesia administration and continuing throughout the nail biopsy procedure. The music is intended to reduce procedural pain and anxiety as an adjunct to standard care.

Music Intervention

Local anesthesia injections PROCEDURE

Local anesthesia injections

Music Intervention; Standard care/ control

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years+
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: No
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

• Male or female ≥18 years of age
• Scheduled to undergo nail biopsy at the Weill Cornell Medicine dermatology clinic
• Able to provide informed consent
• Able to read and understand English

You may not qualify if:

• Significant hearing impairment that would prevent ability to hear the music intervention
• Cognitive impairment that would prevent completion of study questionnaires
• Unable or unwilling to provide informed consent

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Weill Medical College of Cornell University: lead

Study Sites (1)

Weill Cornell Medicine Department of Dermatology

New York, New York, 10021, United States

Location

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Pain

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Neurologic Manifestations; Signs and Symptoms; Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms

Study Officials

• Shari R Lipner, MD, PhD

  Weill Cornell Medicine, Department of Dermatology

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Central Study Contacts

Shari R Lipner, MD, PhD

CONTACT

(646) 962-3376; shl9032@med.cornell.edu

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: NONE
• Purpose: SUPPORTIVE CARE
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: SPONSOR

Model Details: Two parallel arms: music intervention group and standard care control group, randomized 1:1.

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: April 1, 2026
• First Posted: April 9, 2026
• Study Start: April 1, 2026
• Primary Completion (Estimated): January 1, 2027
• Study Completion (Estimated): January 1, 2027
• Last Updated: April 13, 2026

Record last verified: 2026-04

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

US (1)