Effects of groove music on movement in Parkinsonian DBS patients
Research type
Research Study
Full title
The effects of groove music on movement in Parkinsonian patients undergoing deep brain stimulation
IRAS ID
199198
Contact name
Morten Kringelbach
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Clinical Trials and Research Governance
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 0 months, 30 days
Research summary
For many individuals and society, music has a great value as a a social experience and a source of enjoyment. This study is interested in the enjoyable qualities of music and particularly what human wiring allows our emotions to be influenced by music as well as to derive pleasure and motivation to dance from music. Evidence shows how music is processed by the brain overlaps with how rewards - such as food, are processed. This processing in the brain involves a chemical signal, called dopamine, that plays an important part in how our brains control movement, learning and experience pleasure. In Parkinson’s disease, a chronic neurodegenerative condition that affects the ability to move and also has psychological effects, this dopamine signalling is abnormal. As such, Parkinson’s disease symptoms include physical effects - slow and rigid movement with tremor but also include effects like reduced ability to experience pleasure and lack of motivation. This study compares how people with Parkinson’s disease process music to healthy individuals. In particular, the study investigates two aspects of music listening - enjoyment and the urge to dance. The study is looking to test Parkinson patients who have undergone a surgical treatment called deep brain stimulation (DBS) to alleviate some of their physical symptoms. This is because to an extent, the effects of music can be tested in such individuals when they are experiencing their disease (stimulation off) and when they are not (on). The study aims to also evaluate these individuals against other volunteers who have DBS for other movement conditions and also healthy volunteers. This research is funded by Trygfonden foundation and will take place at the John Radcliffe Hospital.
REC name
East of England - Cambridge South Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
17/EE/0247
Date of REC Opinion
20 Jul 2017
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion