Editor’s note: This request for research participants was submitted by Professor Patti Davies in the Department of Occupational Therapy.
Faculty in the Brainwaves Research Lab and Music Therapy program, which are located in the University Center for the Arts at Colorado State University, are currently looking for participants in an ongoing research study to determine the effects of music therapy in children diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder.
This study, titled “Impact of Music Therapy on Brain Responses in Children with Autism,” utilizes both electroencephalography (EEG) and behavioral tasks to study sensory processing and attention. Children in the control group will involve treatment as usual for five weeks and then have the option of enrolling in the music therapy for five weeks at no cost. Children in the music therapy group will receive music therapy for five weeks at no cost.
Who is eligible to participate?
• Children between 6-12 years of age.
• Have formal documentation of autism, and not have other disabilities such as cerebral palsy and Down syndrome.
• Use English as a primary language (either spoken or used in the home/school environment).
• Have normal or corrected hearing.
• The ability to commit to seven weeks of the study without adding any other new treatments.
What the child will do:
• Participate in two initial visits to the EEG lab.
• Wear a stretch cap, similar to a bathing cap with metal sensors, to record brain activity.
• Listen to some sounds presented through earphones while watching a silent movie during the EEG session.
• Following the EEG and removal of the EEG cap, complete several pencil and paper activities that require response to sounds or questions.
• Play musical instruments and respond to music played by the therapist while practicing attention during the music therapy sessions.
This study will involve:
• Two EEG sessions, each will last about two hours.
• 10 sessions of music therapy lasting 35 minutes each over five weeks (two sessions each week).
• Following the music therapy, two additional testing sessions, each will last about two hours.
For more information, or to inquire about participation, contact brainwaves@colostate.edu or Professor Blythe LaGasse at blythe.lagasse@colostate.edu
This protocol has been approved by the CSU Institutional Review Board, #2340.
