Ohio State researchers will study how music intervention can help reduce symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder in patients

Ohio State researchers are studying the potential of music intervention as a solution to reduce symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder, specifically targeting hyperarousal, which is a heightened state of anxiety or stress.

Jacek Kolacz, an assistant professor of psychiatry and behavioral health at the College of Medicine, said he was awarded $3.8 million by the U.S. Department of Defense to fund a study to test whether listening to music—in combination with cognitive processing therapy—could help aid the recovery of people with post-traumatic stress disorder.

“We’re going to measure symptoms over six months to see if adding music listening has long-term benefits beyond just calming you down in the moment,” Kolac said.

The study, which will be conducted at Ohio State and Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, compares two types of music interventions: standard orchestral music and frequency-filtered music, Kolac said. It also addresses specific aspects of hyperarousal, including symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder associated with heightened awareness of danger, which can lead to sleep disturbances, irritability and difficulty concentrating.

“We know that people typically use music to improve their mood and increase their energy, and there is research that shows that certain types of music can help people feel calmer and lower their heart rate,” Kolac said. “And so it seems particularly well suited to thinking about hyperarousal in PTSD, where people have difficulty calming down their stress response.”

In this study, Kolac said he would focus on collecting data during therapy sessions after the music listening had occurred.

Melanie Bozzai, co-investigator and associate professor of psychiatry in the College of Medicine, said she measures patients’ symptoms outside of these sessions using Environmental Momentary Assessment and Fitbits.

Short surveys are sent to patients’ phones a couple of times a day, asking about their PTSD symptoms, such as hyperarousal and mood, to gauge how they are feeling and what they are experiencing at the moment, Bozzai said. This approach, known as EMA, helps track changes in symptoms in real-world settings.

“Most treatment studies will measure how a person’s symptoms change over the course of treatment, but will not measure how a person feels in everyday life,” Bozzai said. “So this is a really exciting way to understand how treatment affects those symptoms that we know can be very disruptive to a patient.”

Bozzai said the study will also collect data using Fitbits, wearable devices that track patients’ physical activity, sleep patterns and heart rate.

“This allows us to get a more objective view of how a person is functioning and how their body is reacting to what may be happening during treatment,” Bozzai said.

Kolacz said the $3.8 million award will support the researchers’ randomized clinical trial of 100 participants, including military personnel, veterans and civilians.

The funding will cover costs such as compensation for therapists for conducting therapy sessions and interviews with patients, support for the research team that designs and conducts the study, equipment that measures stress responses, sleep patterns and PTSD symptoms, and compensation for participants their participation, Kolac said. .

Kolac said he hopes the study’s findings will help improve patient care for therapists treating PTSD. Additionally, the study may help determine which specific musical frequencies are most effective in reducing hyperarousal.

“I think people, no matter what, will continue to use their personal preferences in ways that make them comfortable managing their mood and energy levels,” Kolac said. “But I think the study could help us learn more about what active ingredients in music may be useful in combination with psychotherapy, particularly to help manage symptoms that may not respond as well to therapy.”