# The Impact of Music Medicine on Preterm Brain Development and Behavior

> **NIH NIH R01** · BRIGHAM AND WOMEN'S HOSPITAL · 2024 · $779,911

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY / ABSTRACT
Very preterm survivors continue to experience high rates of neurodevelopmental impairment (up to ~60%) after
discharge from the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). These impairments lead to significant burden for
individuals, communities, and society, as translate to high rates of special education in school, social and mental
health difficulties, and reduced employment potential in adulthood. As primary prevention of preterm birth is
presently infeasible, it is imperative to prioritize early interventions to mitigate adverse long-term effects of very
preterm birth on child and family outcomes. One critical window for intervention is the third trimester of gestation,
during which the preterm brain volume quadruples in size and is highly sensitive to positive and negative
environmental experiences. This is a time very preterm infants spend in the NICU, frequently exposed to atypical
sensory experiences (loud alarms, noise, pain) and a paucity of human interaction. Enriching experiences in the
NICU during this key period can lead to exponential downstream effects on infant neurodevelopment. Music-
based interventions (MBI) have been recently studied as enriching interventions for hospitalized infants.
However, evidence from existing studies lacks rigor due to small sample sizes, study design limitations (mostly
observational), and outcomes focused on short-term associations without mechanistic investigation and long-
term follow-up. To fill this gap, we propose a rigorous, two-center randomized controlled trial (RCT), employing
a novel MBI tailored based on preliminary data and inclusive of evidence-based musical elements with layered
parent voice to facilitate engagement. The MBI will be delivered on average 5 days/week between 32-40 weeks
gestation (or discharge), followed by comprehensive evaluation of relevant clinical, neuroimaging, and
neurodevelopmental outcomes during the NICU stay and up to 2 years of age. Outcomes will include assessment
of acute (physiologic and behavioral) and cumulative stress (amygdala volume on term-equivalent brain
magnetic resonance imaging [MRI] and telomere length) in the NICU, intranetwork connectivity in key networks
(language and salience) on term MRI along with investigation of other relevant regions of interest and
internetwork connectivity, and comprehensive neurodevelopmental assessment of language, cognition,
behavior, social emotional, and family functioning at 2 years' corrected age. Our overarching goal is to improve
long-term neuro-developmental outcomes of very preterm infants through leveraging music medicine as an
evidence-based innovation in the NICU. This work has the potential to benefit over 63,000 very preterm infants
born each year in the U.S. and many more worldwide.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10778812
- **Project number:** 1R01HD113734-01
- **Recipient organization:** BRIGHAM AND WOMEN'S HOSPITAL
- **Principal Investigator:** Carmina Erdei
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $779,911
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2024-09-17 → 2029-08-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10778812

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10778812, The Impact of Music Medicine on Preterm Brain Development and Behavior (1R01HD113734-01). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-25 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10778812. Licensed CC0.

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