Effects of active self-administered and receptive monochord-based sound interventions on cardiovascular parameters and patient-reported symptoms in cancer patients: an exploratory randomized crossover pilot trial.

Aim This exploratory, randomized two-period crossover pilot trial evaluated the acute effects of an active (self-administered) body monochord intervention versus a receptive monochord sound-based intervention on cardiovascular parameters and patient-reported symptoms in adults with cancer. Methods Fifty adults with histologically confirmed malignant disease underwent both a 15-minute active intervention and a 15-minute receptive sound-based intervention using a body monochord in randomized order, separated by a washout period of at least one week. During the active condition, participants played the body monochord while receiving prerecorded instructions via headphones. During the receptive condition, participants listened via headphones to prerecorded explanations and monochord sounds. Before and after each session, cardiovascular parameters were measured using VascAssist2.0 and patient-reported symptoms were assessed using visual analogue scales. Results Fifty patients (18 male, 32 female) with a median age of 60 years (range 29-79) completed both sessions and were included in the analysis. Both interventions reduced heart rate (both p < 0.001), with a greater median reduction after receptive intervention (-4 bpm) than after active intervention (-2 bpm; between-condition comparison p = 0.01). Vascular resistance decreased in both conditions but reached statistical significance only in the receptive condition. Aortic pulse wave velocity decreased after both interventions (active: -0.4 m/s, p = 0.002; receptive: -0.5 m/s, p < 0.001), whereas blood pressure remained largely unchanged. Both interventions improved emotional well-being and reduced anger, anxiety, sadness, emotional stress, and fatigue. Pain was reduced only after receptive intervention (p = 0.04). Conclusion Both active and receptive monochord-based sound interventions were associated with acute improvements in cardiovascular parameters and patient-reported symptoms in cancer patients. Receptive intervention showed a trend toward greater hemodynamic and analgesic benefit. Because the study was exploratory, open-label at the level of participants and interventionists, and lacked a no-sound control condition, these findings should be interpreted as hypothesis-generating.