Lauren Pierce, a therapist involved in this study, and Austin Secor, a medical student, demonstrate what a therapy session looks like. During the session, the client wears a set of sensors that monitor heart rate and breathing. Credit: Courtesy of Jacek Kolacz

Lauren Pierce, a therapist involved in this study, and Austin Secor, a medical student, demonstrate what a therapy session looks like. During the session, the client wears a set of sensors that monitor heart rate and breathing. Credit: Courtesy of Jacek Kolacz

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

Jacek Kolacz, research assistant professor in the College of Medicine’s Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health, said he has been awarded $3.8 million by the United States Department of Defense to fund a study designed to test whether music listening — combined with cognitive process therapy — can aid in the recovery of individuals with PTSD.  

“We’re going to be measuring symptoms up to six months to see if the addition of music listening has long-term benefits beyond just promoting calming in the moment,” Kolacz said.

The study — which will be conducted at Ohio State and the Wright Patterson Air Force Base — compares two types of music interventions: standard orchestral music and frequency-filtered music, Kolacz said. It also examines specific aspects of hyperarousal, including PTSD symptoms linked to heightened danger awareness, which can lead to sleep disturbances, irritability and difficulty concentrating. 

“We know that it’s common for people to use music to help with their mood and energy, and there is research that shows that some types of music can help people feel calmer and reduce their heart rate,” Kolacz said. “And so, it seems like particularly a good fit for thinking about hyperarousal in PTSD, where people have a difficulty calming down their stress response.”

In this study, Kolacz said he will focus on data collection during therapy sessions after the music listening intervention takes place. 

Melanie Bozzay, co-investigator and assistant professor in the Department of Psychiatry at the College of Medicine, said she measures patient symptoms outside of those sessions by using the ecological momentary assessment and Fitbits.

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

“Most treatment studies will measure how somebody’s symptoms change across the course of treatment but will not measure how they’re doing in their day-to-day lives,” Bozzay said. “And so, this is a really exciting way to get a sense of how the treatment is affecting the kinds of symptoms that we know can be so interfering for the patient.”   

Bozzay said the study will also collect data using Fitbits, which are wearable devices that track patients’ physical activity, sleep patterns and heart rates.

“This lets us get a sense, more objectively, about how the person is functioning and how their body is responding to some of what might be going on in treatment,” Bozzay said.

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

The funding will cover expenses such as compensating therapists for conducting therapy sessions and patient interviews, supporting the research team that designs and carries out the study, purchasing equipment that measures stress responses, sleep patterns and PTSD symptoms and compensating participants for their involvement, Kolacz said.

Kolacz said he hopes the study’s findings will help improve patient care for therapists who treat PTSD. Additionally, the research may help identify which specific music frequencies are most effective in reducing hyperarousal. 

“I think people, no matter what, will continue to use their personal preferences in ways that work for them to manage their mood and energy levels,” Kolacz said. “But what I think the study could do is to help us learn more about what are the active ingredients of music that could be helpful for pairing with psychotherapy, particularly to help manage symptoms that might not respond as well to therapy.”