Table 6 Study procedure with timelines

 MONTH 1–3

Preparatory phase

Recruitment of participants (n = ~ 70 in GE; n = ~ 100 in HA, on a total of ~  500 applications) according to exclusion/exclusion criteria

Detailed preparation of Behavioral Battery (psychometric testing) &

(f)MRI protocols

Local journals/

elderly journals/

flyers/presentations

HEdS-GE² & IMMM³

BBL⁵ / HMS⁶

Announcements (press & flyers)

Presentations¹/1rst check by telephone

Creation of E-prime⁴ programs; preparation of paper and pencil tests;

Synchronization of protocols between MRI scanners in Geneva and Hannover

 Month 4

Piloting of (f)MRI protocols (N = 20) & Behavioral Battery (N = 10) on non-included elderly individuals

BBL / HEdS-GE / HMS / IMMM

Feasibility testing

Pre-screening Step 1

See Table 2

At home

Send/receive (mail/post)

60 min.

 Month 5–6

Pre-screening Step 2 (N GE = 63, N HA = 92)

Check/completion of questionnaires of Step 1

Basic clinical audition test

Psychometric tests

i. Right-handedness

ii. COGTEL

HEdS-GE/ IMMM

Come to HEdS-GE, IMMM 1x

20 min.

2 min.

5 min.

15 min.

 Month 7–10

Recruitment and training of music teachers

Preparing of music education materials

t0/baseline

i. Behavioral Battery (psychometric testing)

ii. (f)MRI measurements

iii. Blood sampling (by registered nurse)

HEdS-GE / IMMM

BBL / HMS

HEdS-GE / IMMM

Come to HEdS-GE, IMMM 1x

Come to BBL, HMS 1x

Come to HEdS-GE, HMS 1x

2.5 h⁷

1.5 h

10 min.

 Month 10–22

Interventions

12 months of 1 h weekly music courses &

homework

HEdS-GE / IMMM

At home

HEdS-GE / IMMM

Practice daily at home

1 h/week

5 × 30 min./week

 MONTH 16

t1/ after 6 months of intervention

i. Behavioral Battery (psychometric testing)

ii. (f)MRI measurements

iii. Blood sampling

HEdS-GE / IMMM

BBL / HMS

HEdS-GE / HMS

Come to HEdS-GE, IMMS 1x

Come to BBL, HMS 1x

2.5 h

1.5 h

10 min.

 Month 22

t2/directly after intervention completion

i. Behavioral Battery (psychometric testing)

ii. COGTEL

iii. (f)MRI measurements

iv. Blood sampling

v. Food Frequency Questionnaire

vi. Cognitive reserve index1 (CRIq)⁸ [116]

HEdS-GE / IMMM

HEdS-GE / IMMM

BB / HMS

HEdS-GE / HMS

At home

HEdS-GE / IMMM

Come to HEdS-GE, IMMM 1x

(same session as Behavioral Battery)

Come to BBL, HMS 1x

Come to HEdS-GE, HMS 1x

Send (mail/post)

Come to HEdS-GE, IMMM 1x

2.5 h

15 min.

1.5 h

10 min.

30 min.

15 min.

Month 23–26

Month 27

t3/6 months after intervention completion

i. Behavioral Battery (psychometric testing)

ii. (f)MRI measurements

iii. Blood sampling

HEdS-GE / IMMM

BBL / HMS

HEdS-GE / HMS

Come to HEdS-GE, IMMM 1x

Come to BBL, HMS 1x

Come to HEdS-GE, HMS1x

2.5 h

1.5 h

10 min.

Month 28–36