A Single-blind Randomised Controlled Trial of Mindful Music Listening to Enhance Cognitive Recovery and Mood After Stroke (MELLO): Feasibility and Acceptability

Journal

Neuroscience Insights

Year

2022

Abstract

Background: Stroke persists as an important cause of long-term disability world-wide with the need for rehabilitation strategies to facilitate plasticity and improve motor function in stroke survivors. Rhythm-based interventions can improve motor function in clinical populations. This study tested a novel music-motor software application ‘GotRhythm’ on motor function after stroke. Methods: Participants were 22 stroke survivors undergoing inpatient rehabilitation in a subacute stroke ward. Participants were randomised to the GotRhythm intervention (combining individualised music and augmented auditory feedback along with wearable sensors to deliver a personalised rhythmic auditory stimulation training protocol) or usual care. Intervention group participants were offered 6-weeks of the GotRhythm intervention, consisting of a supervised 20-minute music-motor therapy session using GotRhythm conducted 3 times a week for 6 weeks. The primary feasibility outcomes were adherence to the intervention and physical function (change in the Fugl-Meyer Assessment of Motor Recovery score) measured at baseline, after 3-weeks and at end of the intervention period (6-weeks). Results: Three of 10 participants randomised to the intervention did not receive any of the GotRhythym music-motor therapy. Of the remaining 7 intervention group participants, only 5 completed the 3-week mid-intervention assessment and only 2 completed the 6-week post-intervention assessment. Participants who used the intervention completed 5 (IQR 4,7) sessions with total ‘dose’ of the intervention of 70 (40, 201) minutes. Conclusion: Overall, adherence to the intervention was poor, highlighting that application of technology assisted music-based interventions for stroke survivors in clinical environments is challenging along with usual care, recovery, and the additional clinical load.

Music and Health Institute Terms

Hospital Setting; Music in Combination with Other Techniques; Receptive Music Methods; Recreative Music Methods; Rehabilitation Exercises; Rhythmic Auditory Stimulation; Stroke

Indexed Terms

biofeedback; cerebrovascular accident; mobile phone; pilot study; auditory feedback; auditory stimulation; clinical article; controlled study; EMBASE keywords; feasibility study; Fugl-Meyer assessment; hospital patient; human; outcome assessment; randomized controlled trial; rehabilitation; software; stroke survivor; wearable sensor

Study Type

Randomized Controlled; Trial; Quantitative Methods

Document Type

Article

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