Digital Music Device for Parkinson's (NCT07705373)
Can personalized music improve walking
- Trial ID
- NCT07705373
- Official Title
- A Novel Digital Music-based Autonomous Personalized Walking Intervention to Improve Gait and Walking Automaticity in Parkinson Disease
- Goal
- Can personalized music improve walking
- Phase
- NA
- Status
- RECRUITING
- Sponsor
- Boston University Charles River Campus
- Study Type
- INTERVENTIONAL
- Enrollment
- 200 participants
- Conditions
- Parkinson's Disease (PD)
- Interventions
- Digital Music Device (MedRhythms, Inc., Portland, ME)
- Registry Record Last Updated
- 2026-08-04 (this month)
- Estimated Commitment
- Lower commitment estimated from the protocol. This reflects time and procedures only — confirm details with the study coordinator.
Summary For Families
MyMusiQ is a 3-month community walking program that uses personalized music cues to try to improve walking quality, walking ability, how much and how intensely people walk, make walking feel more automatic and less mentally tiring, and boost quality of life. The program delivers tailored music through a digital music device from MedRhythms that adapts to your walking, and researchers will track changes with clinical tests and wearable sensors before, during, and after the program. Participation takes about four months (around 18 weeks) and involves several in-person visits at study sites in Boston, St. Louis, or Salt Lake City plus remote and sensor-based monitoring. They are enrolling adults 40 and older with a doctor-diagnosed, mild-to-moderate case of Parkinson's who can walk independently for at least 10 minutes, have stable Parkinson medications, can use the music device, and do not have major thinking or hearing problems, frequent falls, severe freezing, or other medical issues that make walking unsafe.
Eligibility at a Glance
Key requirements found in this trial's official criteria, in plain language. Only what the listing states is shown; the study team makes the final call.
- Disease stage: Hoehn and Yahr stage 1 to 5
- Medication dose: Must be on a stable dose of Parkinson's medication (criteria text: "* Have stable PD medications for at least two weeks prior to enrollment")
- Thinking test (MoCA): MoCA memory and thinking score of at least 21 (criteria text: "* Cognitive impairment (i.e., Montreal Cognitive Assessment, MoCA \< 21)")
Do I Likely Qualify? — Self-Check Dimensions
The trial page offers an interactive self-check built from this trial's parsed criteria. It covers these dimensions; anything the criteria don't state clearly is answered "ask the study coordinator", never assumed.
- This trial enrolls people aged 40 or older.
- This trial requires Hoehn and Yahr stage 1 to 5.
- This trial requires a MoCA thinking-test score of at least 21.
Locations
- Boston University Center for Neurorehabilitation, Boston, Massachusetts, United States
- Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, Missouri, United States
- University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, United States
Making Contact: How to Call This Study Site
Who to ask for
Ask for the study coordinator. Some sites call this person the research coordinator. They are the right person for questions about joining a study. If you reach a front desk or a doctor's office scheduler, ask them to connect you with the research team for this study.
What to say
It is fine to read this out loud, word for word:
Hello, my name is ____. I am calling about a Parkinson's study at your site. The study number is NCT07705373. It is the one about "Can personalized music improve walking". Could I speak with the study coordinator about taking part?
If you are calling for a family member, use their name and mention that you help with their care.
What they will ask you
- The year of diagnosis
- Current medications and their doses
- Other health conditions
- Any procedures already done, such as deep brain stimulation (DBS)
- How far you are able to travel for study visits
- Whether a care partner can come to visits with you
What to have ready
- A written list of current medications and doses
- Your neurologist's name and phone number
- The diagnosis date. The year is enough.
- A recent visit summary from the neurologist, if you have one
What to ask them
- How many visits are there, and how long does each visit take? The listing already answers this: You will complete 4 study visits over approximately 18 weeks. Ask the coordinator to confirm it still applies.
- Is travel, parking, or my time reimbursed?
- Is there a placebo group, and what is my chance of being in it? The listing already answers this: Everyone in this trial receives the experimental treatment. There is no placebo group. Ask the coordinator to confirm it still applies.
- Would I need to stop or pause any of my current medications?
- What happens when the study ends? Could I stay on the treatment if it helps?
What to expect
- Expect to wait a few days for a callback. A week is common. Calling or emailing again after that is fine and normal.
- Many callers do not end up joining. Screening out is common and is not a judgment about you or your health.
- Asking questions commits you to nothing. You can stop the process at any point.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is this trial testing?
- This trial is studying Digital Music Device (MedRhythms, Inc., Portland, ME). MyMusiQ is a 3-month community walking program that uses personalized music cues to try to improve walking quality, walking ability, how much and how intensely people walk, make walking feel more automatic and less mentally tiring, and boost quality of life. The program delivers tailored music through a digital music device from MedRhythms that adapts to your walking, and researchers will track changes with clinical tests and wearable sensors before, during, and after the program. Participation takes about four months (around 18 weeks) and involves several in-person visits at study sites in Boston, St. Louis, or Salt Lake City plus remote and sensor-based monitoring. They are enrolling adults 40 and older with a doctor-diagnosed, mild-to-moderate case of Parkinson's who can walk independently for at least 10 minutes, have stable Parkinson medications, can use the music device, and do not have major thinking or hearing problems, frequent falls, severe freezing, or other medical issues that make walking unsafe.
- Who can participate?
- Participants must be at least 40 Years.
- Where is this trial located?
- This trial is recruiting at 3 locations.
- Does it cost anything to join?
- Being asked to pay to join a trial is a red flag: legitimate trials do not charge a participation fee, and the study treatment and study-specific tests are provided by the trial sponsor. What you might still pay depends on where you live: in the US, routine care you would receive anyway can be billed to you or your insurance; trials in the UK and Canada usually run through public health systems. Travel, parking, and time are real costs, and some trials reimburse them while others do not. Before enrolling, ask the study coordinator to explain in writing what is and is not covered.
- How long does the trial last?
- This trial is estimated to last approximately 2 years and 5 months.
- Can I leave the trial if I change my mind?
- Yes. You can withdraw from any clinical trial at any time, for any reason, without affecting your standard medical care. Trials are voluntary by law. The team may ask if you are willing to do a brief exit visit so they can collect safety information, but you are not obligated.
- Can my spouse or care partner come with me to visits?
- In most cases yes, and it is often encouraged. Care partners can help with notes, questions, and getting home safely after a long visit. Some study assessments do need to happen one on one, but care partners are usually welcome for the rest of the appointment.
- Will I get a placebo in this trial?
- Everyone in this trial receives the experimental treatment. There is no placebo group.
- How many visits does this trial involve?
- You will complete 4 study visits over approximately 18 weeks.
- What procedures are involved in this trial?
- Based on the protocol, this trial involves: Wearable / at-home monitoring (non-invasive). Confirm the full schedule with the study coordinator.