NCT07303049

Cognitive Benefit of Intensive Rehabilitation Using Rhythmic Music Training in Children With Complex Neurodevelopmental Disorder

• Status: Not Yet Recruiting
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 6 (estimated)
• Sponsor: University Hospital, Toulouse · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 8 Years – 126 Months
• Healthy volunteers: Not accepted

Summary

In the wide range of studies carried out on neurodevelopmental disorders (NDD), rhythm disorders have been identified as a major cross-cutting component. The aim of our research is to evaluate the effect of intensive rhythm-based rehabilitation on rhythmic abilities and its generalization to attentional, executive and reading skills.

Detailed description

Current knowledge of impaired rhythmic skills in NDD is based on a number of studies, mainly carried out with groups of children presenting either Attention Deficit Disorder with or without Hyperactivity (ADHD), Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD) or Learning to Read Disorder (dyslexia, DYS). The authors highlighted an impairment of the temporal sphere, and more specifically a timing deficit. A few studies have already evaluated the effect of rhythm-based rehabilitation in children with isolated NDD (Flaugnacco et al., 2015; Habib et al., 2013; Jamey et al., 2024; Puyjarinet et al., 2020) and show an improvement in certain untrained cognitive functions (reading skills, phonological awareness, attention, working memory, inhibition). The intervention, in groups of 6 children, takes place face-to-face, during a school vacation period over 5 consecutive days, 4 hours per day. The sessions are based on specific multimodal training and motor response using the djembe. After an inclusion visit, all patients undergo a full neuropsychological assessment, which is repeated 2 months later (before-after design). These measurements will take place over one day at the Toulouse University Hospital, in person. In the meantime, measurements of the assessment criteria are repeated daily before, during and after the intervention, according to a Single Case Experimental Design (SCED). Daily assessments, excluding weekends, will be performed and recorded via the Toulouse University Hospital's TéléO tool. A 5-days final evaluation phase will be carried out 3 months after the intervention to assess long-term effects.

Conditions

• Complex Neurodevelopmental Disorder

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
BEHAVIORAL	Intensive rhythmic musical training	Participants undergo an intensive rhythmic training program using percussion instruments. The program takes place over one week, with daily sessions focused on rhythmic exercises. It focuses on developing motor coordination, timing, and cognitive skills through group-based rhythmic exercises and activities. Sessions include guided percussion practice designed to improve sensorimotor integration and enhance cognitive-motor performance.

Timeline

• Start date: 2026-01-01
• Primary completion: 2026-04-01
• Completion: 2026-05-01
• First posted: 2025-12-24
• Last updated: 2025-12-24

Locations

1 site across 1 country: France