Effects of Music Beat on Motor Function in Individuals At Risk for Psychotic Onset and Schizophrenia Patients

"The song named 'Sign of The Times' is played and recorded by the research personnel beforehand. The beat of the song will serve as RAS. The computer software Audacity will be used to adjust tempi of RAS. Before intervention, the participant is required to execute the movement task without the aid of RAS as quickly as possible for 30 seconds, so that we obtain his/her baseline movement tempo. For each 40-minute training session in the first training week, three RAS tempi will be provided for the first, second, and last 10 minutes with a five-minute break in between: normal (100% of the baseline tempo), quick (105% of the baseline tempo), and fast (110% of the baseline tempo). With each training week, the three RAS tempi will be increased by 5%. Participants in the experimental groups are required to use their right hand to pick up beads from source bowls to the target bowl when listening to the song. The 3-week intervention program will include 21 40-minute daily training sessions."

The training protocol will be the same as that used in the experimental group except the lack of RAS during execution of the movement task.