PA.H|LIFETIME.ai - Performing Arts Health - development and anaLysis of rIsk proFiles and prEdicTIve ModEls by artifical intelligence

• Subject Area: Art History, Music, Theatre and Media Studies ; Computer Science ; Medicine
• Term: since 2024
• Website: Homepage
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 529490002

Performance-related musculoskeletal disorders (PRMDs) are thought to be primarily of neuromusculoskeletal origin and can affect the practice, rehearsal, performance and even the musical career of professional musicians. However, insufficient knowledge about the development and aetiology of PRMDs, due to low study quality and non-longitudinal study designs, is the main limitation for the creation of a framework for tailored, evidence-based physiotherapeutic care of musicians with PRMDs (analogue to sports physiotherapy). To overcome this limitation, the planned project has both scientific and structural objectives. The development and aetiology of PRMDs and their associated determinants, taking into account their complex interactions and multidimensionality, will be investigated in a two stage research project following a Learning Health System (LHS)- based approach. The first stage involves the cyclical and continuous collection, integration and pooling of music-related health data from various existing sources and a systematic literature review aimed at identifying candidate variables through exploratory data analysis (e.g. artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms) in a comprehensive manner that may serve as potential determinants for the development of PRMDs in instrumentalists as a representative subgroup of musicians. Based on the results of phase 1, a prospective cohort study will be conducted. A detailed test battery including multidimensional health determinants will be designed to verify relevant risk factors (candidate variables from stage 1) and to build predictive models for the development of PRMDs. This will also support two structural objectives ensuring the sustainability of the project approach: - The establishment of a university-based Centre of Excellence and Learning Health System in Musculoskeletal Health for the Performing Arts with a scientific and clinical focus, aiming at a data-driven cyclical transfer of knowledge from research to practice (scientific focus) and a transfer of data from practice to research (clinical focus). - The development of a sub-discipline of physiotherapy for performing artists (analogous to sports physiotherapy) with the corresponding establishment of a (worldwide first) professorship for Performing Arts Physiotherapy (PAP) and the establishment of an international Master of Science (MSc) programme in PAP at the Hochschule Osnabrück HSOS. In addition, PAP projects and dissertations will be supported at both BSc and doctoral level. The interdisciplinary working group (music, physiotherapy, medicine, computer science...), which also includes members of the Hannover University of Music, Drama and Media (HMTMH), as well as the Ministry of Lower Saxony in its umbrella function, strongly support this innovative and internationally unique approach and ensure its sustainability after the end of the funding period.

• DFG Programme: Research Impulses
• International Connection: Australia
• Applicant Institution: Hochschule Osnabrück
• Participating Institution: Hochschule für Musik, Theater und Medien Hannover
• Spokesperson: Professor Dr. Christoff Zalpour
• Participating Researchers: Privatdozentin Dr. Bronwen Ackermann; Professorin Dr. Susan Armijo-Olivo; Professor Dr. Nikolaus Ballenberger; Annika Griefahn; Professorin Dr. Ursula Hübner; Jens Hüsers; Camilla Kapitza; Professor Dr. André Lee; Professor Dr. Dirk Moeller; Professor Dr. Karsten Morisse; Professor Harry Von Piekartz, Ph.D.; Professor Dr. Hauko Wessel