Clinical Research Directory

Personalized Music and Dreaming During Propofol Sedation

Many patients report dreams during intravenous (IV) propofol sedation, but it is uncertain whether listening to music changes how often dreams occur or how pleasant they feel. This single-center randomized study compared three auditory conditions during propofol sedation for elective surgery under spinal anesthesia or peripheral nerve block: (1) patient-selected preferred music, (2) matched non-preferred music, and (3) silence (headphones only). Music or silence was delivered through identical closed-back headphones starting 1-2 minutes before sedation and continuing until the end of sedation. The main outcomes were (1) whether a dream occurred (yes/no) assessed by a neutral modified Brice interview in the post-anesthesia care unit (PACU), and (2) dream pleasantness rated on a 0-10 scale among participants who reported a dream. Additional outcomes included coded dream content features, patient satisfaction, sedative dose, hemodynamic variability, early recovery measures, postoperative symptoms, and adverse events.

Personalized Music, Dreaming During Propofol Sedation

This randomized clinical trial will evaluate whether music delivered through closed-back headphones during intravenous propofol sedation affects dreaming and the overall sedation experience. Adults scheduled for elective procedures under spinal anesthesia or peripheral nerve block with propofol sedation will be randomly assigned to one of three groups: patient-selected preferred music, matched non-preferred music, or silence with identical headphones. The main purpose of the study is to determine whether listening to music increases the occurrence of dream recall compared with silence, and whether personally preferred music makes recalled dreams more pleasant than matched non-preferred music. Dream recall and dream pleasantness will be assessed after recovery using a standardized interview. The study will also evaluate dream content, patient satisfaction, sedative and opioid requirements, hemodynamic variability, postoperative pain, nausea and vomiting, recovery time, and adverse events. This study is intended to determine whether a simple, low-cost headphone-based music intervention can improve patient-centered quality of propofol sedation without compromising safety.