{
  "abstract": "Non-pharmacological adjuncts are needed for chronic non-cancer pain in patients receiving long-term opioid therapy. Music listening may reduce pain, but most previous trials have used passive controls, limiting attribution of effects specifically to music. In this open-label, parallel-group, proof-of-concept randomized controlled trial, adults with chronic non-cancer pain receiving long-term opioid therapy were randomized 1:1 to four weeks of daily home-based music or audiobook listening. Analgesic outcomes included pain intensity, responder rates, quantity of pain relief, and multidimensional pain assessment; secondary outcomes included mood, quality of life, global impression of change, and safety. Of 70 participants entering the run-in period, 56 were randomized (28 per group). Adjusting for baseline pain intensity in a linear mixed-effects model, the between-group difference at end of treatment was -1.26 NRS points (95% CI -1.98 to -0.55; p<0.001; d=-0.70), favoring music. A [≥]30% pain-reduction criterion was met by 21.4% of participants in the music group and none in the audiobook group (p=0.023). An exploratory between-group difference in pain intensity favoring music was also observed at follow-up. Other analgesic and secondary outcomes showed no significant between-group differences, although exploratory within-group improvements in mood and health-related quality of life were observed with music. Both groups reported overall improvement in global perceived change, with ratings numerically favoring music. No intervention-related harms were observed. These findings support an analgesic benefit of music beyond the structured listening experience shared with the active comparator. Daily self-administered music listening may represent a feasible, low-cost adjunct for chronic non-cancer pain in patients receiving long-term opioid therapy.",
  "abstract_shown": true,
  "affiliations": [
    "Neuropharmacology & Pain Group, Neuroscience Program, Bellvitge Institute for Biomedical Research, Barcelona, Spain; Pharmacology Unit, Department of Pathology"
  ],
  "article_type": "PUBLISHAHEADOFPRINT",
  "arxiv": null,
  "author_total": 13,
  "authors": [
    {
      "name": "J. Garrido-Pedrosa"
    },
    {
      "name": "M. F. Porto"
    },
    {
      "name": "A. Serrano-Afonso"
    },
    {
      "name": "R. Valenzuela"
    },
    {
      "name": "L. Zapata"
    },
    {
      "name": "M. F. Vidal"
    },
    {
      "name": "P. Luna-Diaz"
    },
    {
      "name": "E. Segura"
    },
    {
      "name": "X. Cerda-Company"
    },
    {
      "name": "S. Videla"
    },
    {
      "name": "A. Rodriguez-Fornells"
    },
    {
      "name": "J. Grau-Sanchez"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "V. Fernandez-Duenas"
    }
  ],
  "bibtex": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/6xwczehh8kv27.bib",
  "cited_by": 0,
  "doi": "10.64898/2026.10.13.26365452",
  "fulltext_url": "https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.10.13.26365452v1.full",
  "id": "6xwczehh8kv27",
  "issns": [],
  "landing_url": "https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.10.13.26365452v1",
  "language": null,
  "licence": "CC-BY-NC-ND",
  "licence_label": "CC BY-NC-ND",
  "licence_source": "article",
  "licence_url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/",
  "metadata_licence": null,
  "native_subjects": [
    [
      "medrxiv",
      "pain medicine"
    ],
    [
      "openalex",
      "3207|Music Therapy and Health"
    ]
  ],
  "openalex": "W7221819216",
  "pdf_url": "https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.10.13.26365452v1.full.pdf",
  "pmcid": null,
  "pmid": null,
  "published": "2026-10-13",
  "publisher": null,
  "ris": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/6xwczehh8kv27.ris",
  "sources": [
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-10-30T12:20:55Z",
      "native_id": "10.64898/2026.10.13.26365452",
      "source": "medrxiv",
      "url": "https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.10.13.26365452v1"
    }
  ],
  "subjects": [
    {
      "field": "medicine",
      "origin": "medrxiv:pain medicine",
      "subfield": "surgery"
    }
  ],
  "title": "Daily personalized music listening versus audiobook listening for chronic non-cancer pain in patients on long-term opioid therapy: a randomized controlled trial",
  "title_text": "Daily personalized music listening versus audiobook listening for chronic non-cancer pain in patients on long-term opioid therapy: a randomized controlled trial",
  "type": "preprint",
  "updated_at": "2026-10-30T12:20:55Z",
  "url": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/6xwczehh8kv27",
  "venue": "medRxiv",
  "versions": []
}