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Multimodal Musical Stimulation for Healthy Neurocognitive Aging

Who can join

Ages 18 to 95 · All sexes · Healthy volunteers welcome

Inclusion Criteria:

* normal or corrected-to-normal vision
* no more than mild hearing loss
* no recent history of neurological or psychiatric disorders, including mood disorders or use of medications that may affect cognition or responsiveness to music.

Exclusion Criteria:

* moderate or severe hearing loss (40+ dB)
* visual impairment (including color blindness) that cannot be corrected with glasses or contacts
* recently changed dosage of cholinesterase inhibitors or psychotropic medication
* recent history of psychotic or schizophrenic episodes
* major neurologic diagnosis or other condition that might impair cognition or confound assessments (dementia, ADRD; Parkinson's disease, stroke, brain injury, epilepsy, or recent cardiovascular or neurovascular event)
* recent history of serious physical trauma or diagnosis of serious chronic health condition requiring medical treatment and monitoring .

About the study

This is a Stage I randomized, sham-controlled trial on the effects of multimodal musical stimulation on working memory in aging. Neurologically healthy older and younger adults will be tested on working memory and electroencephalography in the first randomized controlled trial of music as a form of brain stimulation, with multimodal musical stimulation and control stimulation conditions. Results will test the causal role of oscillatory mechanisms of the brain on cognition, and will lay the groundwork to the first musical, neurophysiologically targeted, brain-stimulation device for reversing cognitive decline in aging.

What is being tested

• Gamma (device)
• Synchrony (device)

Sponsor: Northeastern University · Participants: 100 · Started: Dec 11, 2022

Contact the study team

• Corinna Parrish · Phone: 781-474-3141

Official record on ClinicalTrials.gov — NCT06229093

Locations in the U.S.

From ClinicalTrials.gov, data retrieved Sep 30, 2026. Each study sets its own eligibility; the study team decides who can join.