NCCIH Research Blog

What do models of music-based interventions look like? What are the best metrics to track outcomes? These are some of the questions the National Institutes of Health (NIH) hopes to answer in a series of three virtual meetings continuing our interest in music and health research through the development of evidence-based music therapies for brain disorders of aging.

The first of these meetings, Laying the Foundation: Defining the Building Blocks of Music-Based Interventions, will take place on Wednesday, March 31, 2021, from 1 to 5 p.m. ET. Held in collaboration with the Foundation for the NIH and the Renée Fleming Foundation, the meeting will feature a presentation by Dr. Shai Silberberg, director of research quality at the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, on scientific rigor, reproducibility, and the predictive value of preclinical research. Roundtable discussions will follow to gather input on the creation of a toolkit for research on music and health across the lifespan. Facilitated by Mr. Alan Weil, editor of Health Affairs, this roundtable discussion will include conversations among individuals representing neuroscience, music therapy and music medicine, behavioral intervention development, clinical trial methodology, and patient advocacy and art-based organizations.

We encourage those interested in attending to register using Eventbrite. Questions can be submitted in advance to NCCIHwebinarQ@mail.nih.gov or during the meeting using the live event feedback form.

This meeting will be followed by two others, which we hope you will also plan to attend:

• June 18, 2021, 1 to 4 p.m. ET: Assessing and Measuring Target Engagement: Mechanistic and Clinical Outcome Measures for Brain Disorders of Aging
• August 25, 2021, 1 to 5 p.m. ET: Relating Target Engagement to Clinical Benefit: Biomarkers for Brain Disorders of Aging

Ultimately, our goal is to develop and disseminate a toolkit that will include a consolidated set of common data elements for music-based intervention protocols. We look forward to having you take part.

Related Links

• Sound Health: An NIH-Kennedy Center Partnership
• Sound Health Network