Music Therapy for Sickle Cell Disease
What You Need to Know Before You Apply
What is the purpose of this trial?
Sickle cell disease causes very painful episodes that can happen without warning. Pain is one of the biggest problems for people with SCD. Medicines like opioids can help, but they have serious side effects. Doctors are looking for other ways to treat pain.
Investigators have already found that music therapy - breathing exercises guided by a trained music therapist - can lower pain in adults with SCD. But investigators don't know exactly how it works yet inside the body.
This study will look at two possible reasons why music therapy helps:
* It may calm the body's "fight-or-flight" (sympathetic) nervous system, which can make pain worse when it is too active.
* It may boost the "calming" (parasympathetic) nervous system, which may ease pain and reduce inflammation.
* It may lower swelling and inflammation in the body, which also drives pain.
Who Is on the Research Team?
Kamal R Chémali, MD
Principal Investigator
University Hospitals
Are You a Good Fit for This Trial?
This trial is for adults with sickle cell disease who experience pain episodes. People interested in non-drug ways to manage their pain may be eligible. Specific inclusion and exclusion criteria are not detailed, but participants should have SCD and be able to take part in music therapy sessions.Inclusion Criteria
Exclusion Criteria
What Are the Treatments Tested in This Trial?
Interventions
- Music Therapy
Trial Overview
The study tests whether guided music therapy (with breathing exercises led by a trained therapist) can help reduce pain in people with sickle cell disease by affecting the body's nervous system and inflammation levels.
How Is the Trial Designed?
1
Treatment groups
Experimental Treatment
The MT-BC will engage the participant in a 20-minute deep breathing exercise with live music beating at a defined tempo. Participants will repeat this session on their own.
Find a Clinic Near You
Who Is Running the Clinical Trial?
University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center
Lead Sponsor
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