Participate In Our Research

Paired Neurologic Music Therapy and Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation for Upper Extremity Stroke Recovery

What is this study about?
This stroke motor recovery study involves the pairing of Neurologic Music Therapy and non-invasive brain stimulation. Spanning 6 weeks, this study uses music-based exercise for upper extremities, simultaneously paired with transcranial direct current stimulation.

Eligibility Criteria:

  • Adults (18-80 years of age)
  • Stroke, 3 months or more since first stroke
  • Motor limitations
  • Ability to follow instructions


Exclusion Criteria:

  • Severe cognitive deficits
  • Severe apraxia
  • Severe neglect
  • Neurodegenerative or psychiatric disease
  • Contraindications for tDCS (metal implants, pacemaker, history of seizures)


Interested in participating?

Contact Chantelle at chantelle.whiteside@mail.utoronto.ca
See the flyer here for more details.

The Effects of a Listening Program of Autobiographically Salient Music Listening on Cognitive Measures and Underlying Neural Mechanisms in Mild Cognitive Impairment

What is this study about?
This study uses electroencephalography (EEG), a non-invasive and safe neuroimaging method to investigate the impact of a 2-week, at-home, music listening program of personally meaningful music (20 mins/day) on changes in brain activity and memory, in people with mild cognitive impairment. This music should be meaningful to you and associated to your personal memories, such that when you listen to them, they make you think of a particular person, place, experience, or time period (i.e., the song you danced to at your wedding).

Eligibility Criteria:

  • Aged 60+
  • Received a diagnosis of mild cognitive impairment
  • English speaking
  • Obtained a minimum of high school education
  • Adequate hearing and vision
  • Can identify 15 English vocal/lyrical songs that are associated to your personal memories
  • Can commit to listening to your personal playlist (20 mins) at-home for 2 weeks (minimum 5 days/week) and visiting Baycrest twice

Interested in Participating?
Contact Veronica Vuong at veronica.vuong@utoronto.ca

Can Music Training Enhance/Affect Working Memory and Speech-in-Noise Perception in Cochlear Implant Users? A Randomized Controlled Study of EEG Measures of Improvement

What is this study about?
CI users can follow conversations in quiet environments, but most of them face great limitations in understanding speech in noisy conditions. Music training was shown to augment the shared auditory and cognitive neural networks for processing speech and music. Furthermore, active music playing improves auditory-motor coupling which benefits speech perception in noisy listening conditions in both healthy and hearing-impaired persons. 

This study involves 4 weeks of individual music training sessions and 3 EEG recordings for CI users to research the effect of music training on speech understanding in noise for CI users. 

Eligibility criteria: 

  • Adults (18-80 years of age) 
  • 12 months of CI experience 
  • Having native or bilingual fluency in English 

Exclusion criteria: 

  • Single sided deafness (SSD) 
  • Severe cognitive deficits 
  • Neurodegenerative or psychiatric disease 

Interested in Participating?
Contact Kathrin Mertel at kathrin.mertel@mail.utoronto.ca

See the flyer here for more details.

TBI Education and Attention

What is this study about?
We are seeking individuals living with a moderate or severe TBI who want to learn more about TBI symptom management strategies and share with us their own lived symptom experiences. We are studying the impact of online TBI symptom education sessions for those living with TBI.
This study involves attending a total of 9 online sessions over the course of three weeks (3 sessions per week). 

Eligibility Criteria:

  • Adult (18+ years of age)
  • Diagnosis of severe TBI: a Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) score of 9 or less (determined at the scene of the accident or in the emergency department on the day of injury), post-traumatic amnesia of 7+ days, or both conditions
  • OR diagnosis of moderate TBI: GSC score 9-12, post-traumatic amnesia of 1-7 days, or both conditions
  • OR diagnosis of moderate TBI: GSC score 14-15 with loss of consciousness for 5 minutes or more and/or focal deficits
  • OR diagnosed complicated TBI (evidence of intracranial structural injury)
  • Able to follow commands in English
  • Able to commit to the entire training period (3x/3weeks)
  • Access to computer with working internet, web camera, and headphones/ear buds with microphone and the ability to use the equipment independently or with the aid of their own support person.

Exclusion criteria:

  • Hearing impairment or central auditory processing disorder. All participants must self-identify as having functional hearing.
  • TBI sustained secondary to another neurological event (e.g., a stroke)
  • Participant will be receiving a changing or unstable dose of medication during the trial period (3x/3weeks)
  • Currently participating in concomitant cognitive-based rehabilitation programs

Interested in participating?
Contact Anna Karpazis at a.karpazis@mail.utoronto.ca

Investigating the Effects of Auditory Stimuli on Postural Sway

What is this study about?
This study aims to discover new information about how auditory information impacts the vestibular system in humans. The vestibular system is responsible for posture and balance. This study investigates 1) whether different sounds and no sound conditions impact postural sway, and 2) whether people’s sensory profile influences their postural sway responses to the different sound conditions. 

Eligibility Criteria:

  • Young adults ages 18-34 
  • Have good or corrected vision and normal hearing
  • Autism spectrum disorder diagnosis

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Medical history of neurological or physical diagnosis or impairments other than autism spectrum disorder
  • Vertigo symptoms within the last 6 months
  • History of psychiatric disorders (self report)

Interested in participating?
Contact Julia Kowaleski at julia.kowaleski@mail.utoronto.ca 

ASD Attention-based Music Training & Language Development

What is this study about?
We will investigate the effect of the attention focused music training on the
language development of children with ASD. Participation requires: 3 Behavioral assessments sessions (Attention & Language skills); 3 EEG-fNIRS sessions; and 10 Music training sessions of 45 minutes each, twice a week for 5 weeks.

Eligibility Criteria:

  • Children aged between 6 and 12 years
  • Diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) – Level 1 or 2
  • Child presenting a low to middle range of language development delay.
  • Using English as the primary language
  • Normal or corrected to normal vision and normal hearing

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Medical history of neurological or developmental disorders other than ADD or ADHD.
  • Abnormal hearing or vision
  • Enrollment in another language exercise program (e.g., SLP, OT, or music therapy, NMT™) or research study

Interested in participating?
Contact Dr. Jenny Diouf Lewis at jenny.diouflewis@utoronto.ca

See the flyer here for more details.

Effect of Music-Based Interventions on Reading Skills in Francophone Children with Dyslexia: Randomized Control Trial

What is this study about?
Previous studies have shown that music could be used as an essential tool in the remediation of reading difficulties by facilitating the development of rhythmic perception and phonological processing of words through common neural network between music, language, and reading. This study is investigating the influence of different musical elements on reading skills of children with dyslexia. It involves 2 assessment sessions and a total of 10 sessions (in person or online) of a duration of 30 minutes, over 5 weeks (2 sessions per week). 

Eligibility Criteria:

  • Children with Dyslexia, children with Specific Learning Disorder with impairment in reading
  • Aged 8-12 
  • Use FRENCH as their primary language

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Children having another disorder or severe condition (e.g., ADHD, ASD)
  • Currently undergoing Neurologic Music Therapy® (NMT™) or music therapy sessions

Interested in participating?
Contact Dr. Jenny Diouf Lewis at jenny.diouflewis@utoronto.ca

See the flyer here for more details.