Skip to main content
OpenTrials
Completed

NCT Number: NCT02316873

Rhythm and Music to Rehabilitate Reading Disorders

The purpose of this study is to determine whether music training is an effective treatment of reading disorders

Completed

Looking for future studies?

Notify Me

Key information

Conditions

Reading Disability Communication Disorders Dyslexia Language Disorders Learning Disabilities Mental Disorders Nervous System Diseases Neurobehavioral Manifestations Neurodevelopmental Disorders Neurologic Manifestations Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms Signs and Symptoms Specific Learning Disorder

Age range

8 year–11 year

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

About this study

Introduction: Children with dyslexia show deficits in temporal processing, both in language and in music. Musical activity increases phonological awareness, word segmentation, working memory, as well as reading abilities in children with typical development, a compelling evidence for a role of music training in fostering brain plasticity. Within this theoretical framework, we investigate the hypothesis that music training, by improving temporal processing and rhythm abilities, improves phonological awareness and reading skills in children with dyslexia.

Methods: The study is a prospective, multicenter, open randomized controlled trial, consisting of test, rehabilitation and re-test

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: No

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

  • Italian native language
  • Reading performance (accuracy and/or speed) failed on at least two of three school grade standardized Italian tests: text, words, pseudowords (cut-offs: z-score <-1.8 standard deviations from the mean for speed scores, a score <5th percentile in the accuracy scores).
  • Hearing and neurological examination within normal range
  • Normal or corrected-to-normal visual acuity
  • General IQ >85 at Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children III.

Exclusion criteria

  • Presence of comorbidity involving Attentional Deficit Disorders with Hyperactivity (ADHD)
  • Presence of comorbidity involving Specific Language Impairment (SLI)
  • Presence of comorbidity involving Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD)
  • Severe emotional-relational impairments
  • Previous formal musical or painting education for more than one year, other on-going treatment.
  • Presence of other diseases (i.e. diabetes , cystic fibrosis, asthma...) that could influence the performance in cognitive and executive functions.

Treatment and study plan

Music Training

Behavioral

This program was based on the Kodaly and Orff pedagogy and adapted to focus on rhythm and temporal processing.

Visual Arts

Behavioral

This program emphasized visual-spatial and hand skills as well as creativity.

Primary outcomes

  1. Pseudoword reading test

    Time frame: six months

    The primary outcome variable was the performance in the pseudoword reading test measured in terms of accuracy (percentile of number of errors).

Secondary outcomes

  1. Reading text

    Time frame: six months

    Reading a short standardized text, measured in terms of accuracy (percentile of number of errors) and speed (z score of reading syll/sec or time).

  2. Phonological awareness

    Time frame: six months

    Phonemic blending task. Children have to blend sounds into words (e.g. hearing [c]-[a]-[t] and produce [cat]). The number of correct items is the dependent variable.

  3. Word reading

    Time frame: six months

    The ability to read aloud single words and pseudowords is measured on a standardized list of 102 Italian words

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

Aix Marseille Université

Other

Collaborators

  • University of Roma La Sapienza
  • WHO Collaborating Centre for Maternal and Child Health, Trieste

Registry information

Acronym: ReMus

Important dates

Study start
2011
Primary completion
2013
Study completion
2013
First posted
Dec 15, 2014
Registry last updated
Dec 15, 2014

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

Related clinical trials

Published trials that share one or more normalized conditions with this study.