Creative Music Therapy and fNIRS Neuroimaging Research in the NICU: Qualitative Insights from Parents of Stable Preterm Infants

Background: Preterm infants and their families face significant stressors in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), which are associated with caregiver distress and adverse neonatal outcomes. Creative music therapy (CMT) is a family-integrating, need-centered approach that may alleviate stress and enhance family cohesion. Objective: As part of the MusicHyperBrain study, this qualitative inquiry explored parents’ experiences with CMT and their participation in a study that utilized functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) optical neuroimaging and systemic physiological measurements to investigate interpersonal physiological synchronization and stress responses during therapy sessions. Methods: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with eight parents of preterm infants (gestational age: ≥ 32 weeks) admitted to the NICU at the University Hospital Zurich following participation in the MusicHyperBrain study. Data were analyzed using Braun and Clarke’s reflexive thematic analysis. Results: Four interconnected main themes were identified: (1) positive effects of music therapy on infants, parents, and parent–child dyads; (2) the influence of the physical environment and the two study settings; (3) the impact of individual music affinity on the overall music therapy experience; and (4) favorable parental perceptions of research participation. Conclusions: These findings suggest that fNIRS measurements are acceptable to parents in the NICU. Parents also reported subjective relaxation, although individual experiences may vary depending on contextual factors. Future research could further explore how these factors relate to parental stress, neural synchrony, and parent–infant bonding.