The Music, Creativity and Wellness Lab is focused on researching the impact of music therapy interventions on chronic pain and symptom management and investigating underlying mechanisms. Chronic pain is a major health problem that affects approximately 100 million Americans and amounts to a cost of approximately $635 million a year. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued recommen颅dations to move away from opioids and toward non-pharmacological therapies for the management of chronic pain. Music-based interventions such as music listening and music-guided relaxation have been extensively researched for the management of acute pain such as lab-induced pain, procedural pain and postoperative pain. However, to date, few studies have examined the effects of music interventions on chronic pain management. Moreover, intervention studies on music for pain management have focused predominantly on listening to pre-recorded music. A major objective of our lab is to study the impact and underlying mechanisms of interactive music therapy interventions that capitalize on creative music engagement by people with chronic pain and other chronic health conditions.
Principal Investigator
Joke Bradt, PhD, MT-BC
Professor - Creative Arts Therapies
Health Sciences Building, Room 11W11
60 N. 36th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104
Phone: 267.359.5508
Email: jbradt@drexel.edu
Publications
Research on Music Therapy for Chronic Pain Management
Music4Pain Research Network
Funder: National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health and the NIH Office of the Director (U24AT012601)
The purpose of the Music4Pain Research Network is to enhance mechanistic understanding of music for pain management. With the support from the NIH’s National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health and the Office of the Director, over the next five years, Bradt will lead this project and assemble a network of scientists, clinicians and musicians whose expertise spans music therapy, musical pleasure and reward, pain management, pain perception, cognitive neuroscience, behavioral medicine, rehabilitation psychology and neuropsychology with the goal of building foundational knowledge about music-based interventions for pain treatment.
Group Music Therapy for Chronic Pain Management in Service Members with Co-Morbid Chronic Pain and Mild Traumatic Brain Injury
Funder: NEA Creative Forces through the Henry M. Jackson Foundation
The purpose of this mixed methods feasibility study is twofold, namely to 1) examine the feasibility and acceptability of a six-week standardized group music therapy protocol for chronic pain management in active duty service members with mild traumatic brain injury and chronic pain using quantitative and qualitative data, and 2) obtain estimates of treatment effect and variance of the music therapy protocol compared to standard care on pain interference and pain intensity as primary outcomes and pain-related self-efficacy, depression, anxiety, positive affect, patient perception of change, post-concussive symptoms and pain medication use as secondary outcomes. This study will take place at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Anchorage, Alaska.
Mechanism of Music Therapy to Palliate Pain in Patients with Advanced Cancer (2017-2021)
Funded by the National institute of Nursing Research (R01NR016681)
The purpose of this multisite mechanistic study was to examine mediators and moderators hypothesized to account for pain-reducing effects of interactive music therapy (IMT) in people with advanced cancer who experience chronic pain. Study innovation includes: 1) first music therapy mediation study for chronic cancer pain; 2) use of biomarkers in addition to self-report measures to examine the mediation model; and 3) use of mixed methods research (self-report surveys, biomarkers, and qualitative interviews) to validate and enhance understanding of IMT's theory of action. This study took place at Hahnemann University Hospital and the Jefferson University Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center, both located in Philadelphia.
The impact of music therapy on opioid use in cancer survivors with chronic pain (2018-2021)
Funded by the National institute of Nursing Research (R01NR016681, administrative supplement)
The purpose of the administrative supplement was to test the effects of interactive music therapy versus a social attention control on opioid use in cancer survivors with chronic pain who are chronic opioid users. This study took places at Hahnemann University Hospital and the Jefferson University Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center.
The Effects of Vocal Music Therapy on Core Outcomes on Chronic Pain Management (2012-2014)
Funded by the National institute of Nursing Research (R03NR013551).
This feasibility study was aimed at determining the feasibility and obtaining preliminary efficacy data for an 8-week vocal music therapy treatment protocol for chronic pain management.
Research on Music Therapy for Symptom Management
Music Therapy versus Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy for Cancer-related Anxiety (MELODY) (2021- 2024)
Funded by: Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute
This large-scale comparative effectiveness trial is aimed at comparing the short- and long-term effectiveness of virtual music therapy and virtual cognitive behavioral therapy to address anxiety and related symptoms in cancer survivors. We are also trying to identify how individual characteristics (e.g., race/ethnicity, educational background) may affect the treatment results.
This study is led by Dr. Jun Mao of the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. Dr. Bradt is co-PI.
The Impact of Music Therapy on Psychological Outcomes and Pain in Cancer Patients: A Mixed Method Study (2012)
Funded by the 91制片厂
This comparative pilot study examined the impact of interactive music therapy versus listening to prerecorded music on management of symptoms in cancer patients during active cancer treatment.
Research on Music Therapy for Active Duty Military Service Members with PTSD and TBI (2015-current)
Funded by the National Endowment for the Arts
We have collaborated with the National Endowment for the Arts and music therapy clinicians in their Creative Forces: NEA Military Healing Arts Network to conduct retrospective analyses of music therapy session data obtained at military sites served by Creative Forces. In addition, we have conducted program evaluations on the impact of the Creative Forces art therapy and music therapy programs.