# Effects of Music Based Intervention (MBI) on Neurodevelopment and Pain Response in Preterm Infants

> **NIH NIH R61** · UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA · 2020 · $394,707

## Abstract

Project Summary
 In 2018, the World Health Organization reported 15 million (>1 in 10) preterm births with rising annual
rates. 50% of preterm infants suffer from neurodevelopmental impairments, and all preterm infants experience
high volumes of painful procedures as part of medical care. Preterm music intervention shows immediate
physiologic improvements in heart rate and oxygen saturation, as well as improved physiologic responses to
pain. What remains unknown is how music impacts preterm brain maturation, neurodevelopment, and pain
responses in preterm infants. We propose a R61 project to explore biological mechanisms of music based
intervention (MBI) on preterm brain maturation and neurodevelopment using electroencephalography (EEG)
and event related potentials (ERPs). EEG captures electrical potential oscillations of the brain which yields
valuable information about brain function. Serial EEGs can track brain maturation in preterm infants. ERPs
quantify electrical brain potentials changes time-locked with a stimulus. ERPs at 1 month corrected age test
recognition memory function and cognitive processing and offers another objective measure to study the early
effects of the MBI’s on neurodevelopment. The R61 will also explore the behavioral processes underlying
effects of MBI on pain using EEG and the premature infant pain profile (PIPP). In preterm infants, central EEG
amplitudes change when time-locked to a painful stimulus and PIPP scores scale pain responses with painful
procedures. Specific recorded lullabies with simple arpeggiated accompaniment will be played for 6 weeks in a
small randomized, blinded, controlled study of 50 medically stable 30 week preterms. Exploratory R61 findings
will be assessed by specific Go/NoGo milestones that provide insight into the effects of MBI on biological
mechanisms underlying neurodevelopment and behavioral processes underlying pain. By achieving one of the
Go/NoGo milestones, the proposal progresses to the R33 proof of concept pilot clinical trial with an additional
100 randomized subjects that will assess two primary outcomes measures: 1) MBI effects on Late
Neurodevelopment using Bayley’s III neurodevelopmental testing at 6 month corrected age, and 2)
Cumulative effects of MBI on Pain Response using longitudinal comparisons of baseline PIPP scores and
final PIPP scores after 4 weeks of MBI. Secondary measures would explore more nuanced aspects of
neurodevelopment: 1) MBI effects on brain maturation with expanded analyses of EEG-sleep components; 2)
repeat ERP analysis at 6 months corrected age with expanded memory and cognitive testing (additional
mismatch negativity paradigms); and pain response: 3) MBI effects on pain related EEG responses with
comparative analyses of central EEG amplitude changes to the frontal, parietal, temporal, and occipital lobes.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10016175
- **Project number:** 5R61AT010712-02
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA
- **Principal Investigator:** Sonya Grace Wang
- **Activity code:** R61 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $394,707
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2019-09-12 → 2023-08-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10016175

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10016175, Effects of Music Based Intervention (MBI) on Neurodevelopment and Pain Response in Preterm Infants (5R61AT010712-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10016175. Licensed CC0.

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