The Louis Armstrong Center for Music and Medicine is also engaging in a wide variety of music therapy research projects. Check our staff bibliography document to learn about completed and published research projects. As part of our mission, we conduct research in music and medicine to support evidence-based music therapy practices. Our current research projects include:  

Effect of Music Therapy on Infants with Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome: A Pilot Study

Our specialist level music therapy team leads our hospitals along with 13 other sites in a study investigating the effects of music therapy interventions for premature infants with Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome (NAS). This five-year study explores the use of live music therapy interventions with premature infants and their parents. To find out more or enroll, go to our NICU page.

The Effects of Entrainment and Song of Kin on Respiratory therapy and Cerebral Oxygenation in Preterm Infants

Infants born prematurely at will be asked to participate in this randomized controlled trial at a corrected gestational age of 24-37 weeks. Infants will be randomly selected to each of the two groups: intervention and control. Infants in the treatment group wileceive six intervention days over a two-week period, 3 sessions per week. Each intervention day consists of each of the two interventions in a random sequence: no intervention/silence and live ocean disc instrument intervention. The sound decibel level will also be recorded and maintained at 40-65dB to prevent overstimulation. Each infant will thus receive control and ocean disc intervention on the same day in the NICU. Interventions will be given in a randomized order (i.e., first ocean disc or first silence, randomized to AM or PM), with observation occurring for 10 minutes before each intervention, 15 minutes during each intervention, and 10 minutes after each per session. There will be 3 sessions per week for a two-week randomized treatment schedule. For each infant, data on total apnea time, mean respiratory rate, heart rate, O2 levels and behavior rating during will be collected. The sound decibel level will also be recorded and maintained at 40-65dB to prevent overstimulation and hearing damage. Near-infrared light spectroscopy (NIRS) data on cerebral oxygenation will also be collected. Observations will be recorded on the infant's activity or when change occurs, such as a pacifier falling out.
 
The Effect of Music Therapy on Infants with Neonatal Syndrome

The purpose of this exploratory pilot multi-site study is to learn what, if any, effects live music therapy interventions have on the pacification, stabilization, and development of infants diagnosed with Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome (NAS). Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome is a group of problems that occur in a newborn who has been exposed to illegal or prescription opiates while in the mother's womb. Participants will receive 6 music therapy sessions over a 14-day period based on a randomized treatment schedule of 6 different interventions.

Music Therapy Experiences in Patients with Mild Cognitive Impairment and Alzheimer’s Disease

This study compares different music therapy (MT) experiences and their impact on memory and language in patients with Alzheimer's disease and Mild Cognitive Impairment. The 12-month study will assess the role of common experiences involving familiar music and other pleasant events (blinded control) to benefit cognition and measure the quality of life for people with Alzheimer's disease and Mild Cognitive Impairment. Following screening, all participants will meet with a licensed music therapist at the first study visit. Thereafter, each group will have an individualized schedule of follow-up telephone calls and visits. Screening for the study and participation in the study intervention can be completed in-person or from your home, if you do not live in the area.

The Effects of Music Therapy for Adult Patients Requiring Mechanical Ventilation in the ICU

This study asks the question: Does music therapy, specifically entrainment and Song of Kin (SOK), have any effect on the comfort, pain perception, sedative requirements, length of time spent on ventilator, and length of time spent in the hospital for patients on mechanical ventilation the Intensive Care Unit (ICU)? This study is also being conducted at another hospital and is the first of its kind looking at patients on mechanical ventilation using live music.

The Impact of Group Singing on Patients With Stroke and Their Personal Caregivers

This is a two-fold study looking at the experience of people who have endured a stroke and their caregivers. Participants attend a weekly music therapy group focused on group singing. The study is looking at the effect of group singing on quality of life, language, and cortisol and melatonin levels of stroke survivors and the effect of group singing on quality of life for caregivers. To find out more or to enroll, contact Marie Grippo at marie.grippo@mountsinai.org. See our brochure.

The Impact of Live Culturally Based Music on the Metabolites and Metabolic Pathways Associated with  Preterm Birth in Black Pregnant Women

This study also stems from our team’s rigorous research showing the power of live music to reduce stress and improve outcomes. Music is one of the earliest, most traditional art forms in human history, while metabolomics is one of the newest and most advanced technologies available in the world today. We have the opportunity to identify a means by which the beneficial effects of live, culturally relevant music chosen by a pregnant woman and implemented therapeutically, can reduce the biological impact of the daily stressors to which she is exposed, and as a result, reduce one of the most persistent health disparities of our time, PTB.

Effective Network to Advance Scientific Evidence Related to Mechanisms of Music-Based Interventions for Pain (ENSEMBLE)- MPI Joanne Loewy co-PIs: Kristen Stewart, Andrew Rossetti

Supported by a 5-year NIH U24 grant, ENSEMBLE is a national collaborative led by UC Irvine and Mount Sinai to advance research on music-based interventions for pain. The project builds an interdisciplinary network of music therapists and scientists, develops a framework for studying biological mechanisms, and supports pilot projects to explore novel pathways by which music may alleviate pain. Learn more.

The Impact of a Culturally-based Live Music Intervention on Stress Pathways and the Risk of Preterm Birth in Black Women (Oh momma)

Funded by an NIH R01, this first-of-its-kind clinical trial led by Columbia University and Mount Sinai investigates whether a 10-week live, culturally congruent music intervention can reduce chronic stress and its biological effects among pregnant Black women, who face disproportionately high rates of preterm birth. The study will examine molecular and metabolic pathways affected by stress and use the Music Characterization System (MCS) to identify the mechanisms underlying any benefits.

Assessment of Music Experiences in Navigating Depression (AMEND)

In partnership with Carnegie Hall’s Weill Music Institute, AMEND is a two-year interdisciplinary initiative at Mount Sinai investigating how music and music therapy can address depression across vulnerable populations, including children, adolescents, college students, new parents of preterm infants, and older adults with mild cognitive impairment. The study will measure outcomes such as mood, resilience, sleep, and quality of life through concerts, music therapy sessions, and standardized assessment tools. In Year 3 the lab is partnering with Third Street Music School.

We have created an National Endowment for the Arts lab called AMEND:  where we studying the impact of Assessment of Music Therapy Experiences in  Navigating Depression in vulnerable cohort populations. Learn more.