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Assessing Molecular Mechanisms and Effects of Music Therapy in Youth With Sickle Cell Disease Using Single-cell RNA-sequencing

Who can join

As published by the study on ClinicalTrials.gov. "Not stated" means the study hasn't said — ask the study team.

Age
8 Years to 18 Years
Sex
All sexes
Healthy volunteers
Not accepted
Compensation
Not stated

Other requirements are listed under Eligibility below. Only the study team can confirm whether you can join.

What to expect

No one can promise a trial will help you personally — that is what the research is trying to find out.

What participation involves

Not stated in the study description — ask the study team about visits and procedures.

Compensation
Not stated
  • Study-related exams and procedures are typically provided at no cost. This is how many trials work in general — confirm the details for this study with the study team.
  • Participants are monitored closely by the research team throughout the study.
  • Some participants may receive access to an investigational treatment, which is still being studied.
  • Your participation helps researchers learn whether this approach could help future patients.

About this study

In plain language

This study tests whether 4 weeks of music therapy can reduce long-term pain and improve well-being in young people with sickle cell disease. It compares music therapy with a control group and looks for changes in immune cells and how genes work.

The goal of this clinical trial is to evaluate whether a 4-week music therapy (MT) intervention can reduce chronic pain and improve psychosocial outcomes in youth with sickle cell disease (SCD). The main questions it aims to answer are: * Does MT reduce pain intensity, frequency of pain episodes, and improve health-related quality of life (HRQoL)? * Does MT alter immune cell composition and gene expression in inflammatory pathways, as measured by single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq)? Researchers will compare participants randomized to music therapy versus a control condition to see if MT produces superior improvements in pain and psychosocial outcomes, and distinct molecular changes.

Compensation is read from the study's own description and may be missing — always confirm with the study team.

Eligibility

Who can join

  • Have sickle cell disease, a condition that affects red blood cells.
  • Be fluent in English to complete surveys.
  • Have a personal phone, tablet, or other electronic device with internet access.
  • Have pain that lasts or keeps coming back for at least 3 months.
  • The pain must cause major emotional distress or make daily activities hard.

Who can't join

  • Have major hearing loss.
  • Have a health condition that makes listening to music unsafe, such as reflex epilepsy, where certain triggers can cause seizures.

Simplified for readability. The official criteria below are what the study team uses.

Official eligibility criteria

Inclusion Criteria: * Diagnosed with SCD * English fluency (for survey completion) * Have access to a personal electronic device (e.g., phone, tablet) with access to the internet * Meet the criteria for chronic pain defined by the International Association for the Study of Pain (IASP). IASP defines chronic pain as pain that is both: 1. Persistent or recurrent for ≥ 3 months 2. is associated with significant emotional distress or functional disability.30 Exclusion Criteria: * Major hearing deficiency or medical condition in which listening to music may be contraindicated (e.g., reflex epilepsy).

Study sites (1)

GA