The Sedative Effects of Music Listening on Pain During Cold Pressor Test

Summary

This study aims to understand whether listening to music can reduce pain and anxiety caused by a cold-temperature stimulus in healthy young adults (n = 30). It also seeks to identify which musical and neurocognitive factors can produce a calming, analgesic (reduce pain), and anxiolytic (reduce anxiety) effect.

The main questions it aims to answer are:

* Does music based on universal musical features (such as melodic structure, modal scales, intervals, and tempo) help reduce pain and anxiety, regardless of culture or personal taste?
* Does music that reflects the participant's cultural rhythmic background-especially rhythmic styles from the Levant-change how pain and anxiety are perceived during the cold test?
* Does music selected according to each participant's personal listening habits and musical preferences have a sedative, analgesic, and anxiolytic effect?
* Are the calming effects of music the result of multiple combined factors-universal musical traits, cultural influences, and personal preferences-and how do these factors interact to create an overall therapeutic effect during the cold test?

Participants will:

* Take part in 1 session of 7 or 8 phases of cold pressor test
* Give their feedback in a qualitative questionnaire after each phase
* Answer brief questions about their musical background and preferences

This study aims to deepen our understanding of how musical and neurocognitive elements contribute to the sedative effect of music during care situations, and to support the development of a more precise and personalized musical model for use in dental procedures.

Conditions

• Analgesic Effects of Music

Interventions

BEHAVIORAL

Phase 1 - Silence (Baseline)

Participants undergo the cold pressor test in complete silence without any auditory stimulation. This baseline condition serves as a control for comparison with subsequent music conditions.

BEHAVIORAL

Phase 2 - Happy Mode with Measured Rhythm

Participants undergo the cold pressor test while listening to music characterized by a happy emotional mode and a regular, measured rhythmic structure.

BEHAVIORAL

Phase 3 - Sad Mode with Measured Rhythm

Participants undergo the cold pressor test while listening to music characterized by a sad emotional mode and a regular, measured rhythmic structure.

BEHAVIORAL

Phase 4 - Happy Mode with Non-Measured Rhythm

Participants undergo the cold pressor test while listening to music characterized by a happy emotional mode and a non-measured (free) rhythmic structure.

BEHAVIORAL

Phase 5 - Sad Mode with Non-Measured Rhythm Type: Behavioral

Participants undergo the cold pressor test while listening to music characterized by a sad emotional mode and a non-measured (free or irregular) rhythmic structure.

BEHAVIORAL

Phase 6 - Participant-Selected from Predefined Set

Participants undergo the cold pressor test while listening to a piece of music selected by themselves from a predefined set of musical options provided by the researchers.

BEHAVIORAL

Phase 7 - Silence (Post-Exposure)

Participants undergo the cold pressor test in silence following prior experimental conditions. This control condition is included to assess potential changes in pain tolerance over time and to distinguish music effects from habituation or adaptation.

BEHAVIORAL

Phase 8 - Participant's Own Choice

Optional intervention : participants undergo the cold pressor test while listening to a self-selected piece of music of their own choosing.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Sorbonne University

  collaborator OTHER

• Rawane El Dimachki

  lead OTHER

Study Design

Allocation

NA

Purpose

SUPPORTIVE_CARE

Masking

NONE

Model

SINGLE_GROUP

Eligibility

Min Age

18 Years

Max Age

35 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2025-11-14

Primary Completion

2026-01-15

Completion

2026-01-15

Countries

• Lebanon

Study Locations