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NIH Music-Based Intervention Toolkit: Music-Based Interventions for Brain Disorders of Aging
Emmeline Edwards1, Coryse St Hillaire-Clarke2, David W Frankowski2
1From the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (E.E., W.G.C., N.W.), National Institutes of Health; National Institute on Aging (C.S.H.-C., D.W.F., L.O.), National Institutes of Health; National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (R. Finkelstein, T.C., R.R.), National Institutes of Health; National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (A.P.), National Institutes of Health; Office of Behavioral and Social Science Research (D.S., C.E.B.), National Institutes of Health; John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts (R. Fleming); National Human Genome Research Institute (F.S.C.), National Institutes of Health. emmeline.edwards@nih.gov.
Music-based interventions (MBIs) show promise for brain disorders. The NIH MBI Toolkit provides guidelines for rigorous clinical trials and data collection to advance music and health research.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Behavioral Science
- Integrative Medicine
Background:
- Music-based interventions (MBIs) demonstrate potential for managing symptoms in diverse brain disorders.
- A misconception persists that MBIs lack scientific rigor, hindering their broader acceptance and application.
- There is a critical need for standardized guidelines to ensure robust MBI research and data collection.
Purpose of the Study:
- To establish a comprehensive toolkit for designing and conducting rigorous Music-based intervention (MBI) clinical trials.
- To promote the scientific validation of MBIs for brain health and disorders across the lifespan.
- To consolidate common data elements and outcome measures for MBI research.
Main Methods:
- Development of the NIH MBI Toolkit through collaboration between the Renée Fleming Foundation, Foundation for the NIH, Trans-NIH Music and Health Working Group, and an expert panel.
- The Toolkit defines core MBI components, common data elements for protocols, and core datasets for outcome measures and biomarkers.
- Emphasis on guiding principles for NIH-funded MBI studies.
Main Results:
- The NIH MBI Toolkit offers a structured framework for MBI research.
- It provides standardized data elements and outcome measures for consistency and comparability across studies.
- The Toolkit aims to enhance the rigor and power of MBI clinical trials.
Conclusions:
- The NIH MBI Toolkit is a crucial resource for advancing scientific research on music and health.
- Its utilization is strongly recommended for NIH-funded studies to ensure scientific validity and reproducibility.
- The Toolkit will help dispel misconceptions and solidify the scientific foundation of MBIs for brain health.
