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Cognitive PerformanceNCT04676542

The Effects of Externally Paced Exercise on Cognitive Performance and Stress in College Aged Students

A study testing Exercise in people with Cognitive Performance, run by New York Institute of Technology at 1 site in United States.

Completed

Finished. The study has ended and is not enrolling. Results may be posted on the official record.

Official record
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Trial summary

The purpose of the study is to investigate the acute effect of martial art exercise and aerobic exercise on cognitive performance in college age students. Cognitive performance is a term that encompasses our cognitive processes such as working memory, and executive functioning (decision making); research has found… Read more about this study

Who is it for?
Ages 18 to 30 yearsHealthy volunteers can take part
Conditions the study is for
Cognitive Performance
What is being tested?
Exercise
Could I receive a placebo?
No, everyone receives an active treatment
How many people
16 participants
Where
1 siteUnited States
Study dates
1 Mar 2021to 1 May 2021
Phase
Interventional
Are there results?
None posted in the registry

Key requirements

Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.

  • Ages 18 to 30 years
  • All sexes
  • Healthy volunteers accepted
  • Adult

Who may be able to join

  • Age range: 18-30 years
  • Good overall health
  • Exercise at least two days/week

Who cannot join

  • Any cardiopulmonary conditions including asthma within the last 6 months.
  • Any major musculoskeletal injuries (i.e. torn ligaments, bone fractures, etc.) over the last 6 months.
  • Any other health issues that would interfere with a subject's safety during exercise.
  • Any auditory/vestibular impairments.
  • Uncorrected visual problems and color blindness.

Trial locations and contacts

1 site in 1 country.

United States1 site
  • New York Institute of Technology

    Old Westbury, New York, 11568

Other trials in United States

About this study

The purpose of the study is to investigate the acute effect of martial art exercise and aerobic exercise on cognitive performance in college age students. Cognitive performance is a term that encompasses our cognitive processes such as working memory, and executive functioning (decision making); research has found that externally paced (EP) exercise improves cognitive performance and executive functioning (EF). EP activities require decision making skills and higher-level executive functioning. Previous research studies have shown that acute as well as long term aerobic exercise improves cognitive performance Internally paced (IP) exercise requires less attention on task, which may result in less significant improvements in cognitive performance and executive function. However, there is limited research examining the effect that martial art exercise has on these higher-level cognitive functions.Theoretically, the martial art class will improve provide greater stimulation to the higher levels of the brain, causing a greater improvement in the executive function scores when compared to walking. This leads to the question, are externally paced aerobic activities more effective than an acute bout of aerobic exercise in improving executive function in college-aged adults? The investigators hypothesized that martial art training will have a greater impact on executive functioning than aerobic exercise in college-aged adults.

Read the detailed description

The purpose of the study is to investigate the acute effect of a beginner martial art class and aerobic exercise on cognitive performance in college age students. Cognitive performance is a term that encompasses our cognitive processes such as working memory, and executive functioning (response inhibition); research has found that externally paced (EP) exercise improves cognitive performance and executive functioning (EF). EP activities require decision making skills and higher-level executive functioning. Internally paced (IP) exercise requires less attention on task, which may result in less significant improvements in cognitive performance and executive function. Previous research studies have shown that acute as well as long term aerobic exercise improves cognitive performance. However, there is limited research examining the effect that a martial art class, an external paced exercise, has on these higher-level cognitive functions in college -aged subjects. A study performed by Douris et. al provides a more accurate measure of EP exercise and cognition. Martial arts were used as the complex EP activity. EF in the martial arts group showed greater improvement than the aerobic exercise condition. This was attributed to the complexities of the movement patterns and the associated cortical demands. This study aligns with our current belief that EP activities will have a greater effect than IP activities. The research on the comparison of martial art exercise (externally paced exercise) versus aerobic exercise (internally paced exercise) on executive function is limited to the previous study by the principal investigator utilizing experienced middle-aged martial artists and we presently intend to investigate college aged adults as compared to the previously investigated middle -aged..The current study looks to determine how complex exercise would impact executive functioning. Martial art training requires reactionary movements, quick thinking and decision making, all of which are components of EF. Walking is a relatively simple task that does not require much conscious or cortical control. The investigators plan to have the participants participate in a beginning martial art class and a one hour walk.. Theoretically, the martial art class will improve provide greater stimulation to the higher levels of the brain, causing a greater improvement in the executive function scores when compared to walking. This leads to the question, are externally paced aerobic activities more effective than an acute bout of aerobic exercise in improving executive function in college-aged adults? The proposed research design will be utilizing a randomized cross over repeated measures design. The independent variables are the two one-hour conditions and the dependent variables are the change in Stroop test scores, and stress Visual Analog Scale (VAS) results. In order to test the hypothesis, the investigators will perform a dependent t-test for each dependent variable. An alpha level of p<0.05 will be used for all statistical comparisons. The hypothesis is that an externally paced activity such as martial art exercise will have a greater effect on enhancing executive functioning and will improve stress levels in college aged young adults when compared to an internally paced activity such as walking.

Being tested
Exercise
Keywords
Martial Arts, Walking, Cognitive Performance,Stress

What participants receive

What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.

  • ExerciseOther

    One hour of a beginning martial art class ,and a one hour walk at 4.0 mph pace.

Study groups in NCT04676542
Study groupRoleWhat they receive
One group taking part in 2 separate conditionsExperimentalThe proposed research design will be utilizing a randomized cross over repeated measures design. Subjects will take part in two separate conditions: 1) One hour of a beginning martial art class (EP), and 2) One hour walk at 4.0 mph pace (IP).
Receives: Other: Exercise

What is being measured

The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.

  1. Executive function

    For the Stroop tests: the subject will be asked to read words of colors, state the colors of various letters to test processing speed. Subjects will also state the color of the font of a word when the actual word describes a conflicting color. This tests response inhibition, which is a subdivision of executive function. Tower of London which entails a subject is shown the correct organization and is given a specific number of moves to accomplish the task which tests for the problem solving domain of executive function

    Measured: 10 minutes

Secondary outcomes (1)
  1. Stress

    Visual Analog Scale 0-10

    Measured: 2 minutes

Timeline

From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.

  1. First posted21 Dec 2020
  2. Study start1 Mar 2021
  3. Primary completion1 May 2021
  4. Study completion1 May 2021

Resources

More details

For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.

Study design
Study type
Interventional
Phase
Phase N/A
Primary purpose
Treatment
Allocation
Not applicable
Intervention model
Single group
Model description
The proposed research design will be utilizing a randomized cross over repeated measures design. Subjects will take part in two separate conditions: 1) One hour of a beginning martial art class (EP), and 2) One hour walk at 4.0 mph pace (IP).The independent variables are the two conditions and the dependent variables are processing speed, attention, executive function (Stroop Color and Word tests), and a stress visual analog scale
Masking
None (open label)
Enrolment
16 participants (actual)
IDs, dates and publications
ClinicalTrials.gov ID
NCT04676542
Sponsor's protocol ID
BHS-1535
Status last verified
Mar 2021
First submitted
16 Dec 2020
Last updated
27 May 2021
Results posted
No
Data monitoring committee
No
FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
No
Individual data sharing
Yes: All IPD that underlie results in a publication

Publications

  • Douris P, Douris C, Balder N, LaCasse M, Rand A, Tarapore F, Zhuchkan A, Handrakis J. Martial Art Training and Cognitive Performance in Middle-Aged Adults. J Hum Kinet. 2015 Oct 14;47:277-83. doi: 10.1515/hukin-2015-0083. eCollection 2015 Sep 29.

    PubMed 26672872
  • Chang YK, Labban JD, Gapin JI, Etnier JL. The effects of acute exercise on cognitive performance: a meta-analysis. Brain Res. 2012 May 9;1453:87-101. doi: 10.1016/j.brainres.2012.02.068. Epub 2012 Mar 4.

    PubMed 22480735
  • Brisswalter J, Collardeau M, Rene A. Effects of acute physical exercise characteristics on cognitive performance. Sports Med. 2002;32(9):555-66. doi: 10.2165/00007256-200232090-00002.

    PubMed 12096929
  • Lee E, Kim Y. Effect of university students' sedentary behavior on stress, anxiety, and depression. Perspect Psychiatr Care. 2019 Apr;55(2):164-169. doi: 10.1111/ppc.12296. Epub 2018 May 24.

    PubMed 29797324
  • Lesage FX, Berjot S, Deschamps F. Clinical stress assessment using a visual analogue scale. Occup Med (Lond). 2012 Dec;62(8):600-5. doi: 10.1093/occmed/kqs140. Epub 2012 Sep 10.

    PubMed 22965867
  • Barella LA, Etnier JL, Chang YK. The immediate and delayed effects of an acute bout of exercise on cognitive performance of healthy older adults. J Aging Phys Act. 2010 Jan;18(1):87-98. doi: 10.1123/japa.18.1.87.

    PubMed 20181996

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

A study testing Exercise in people with Cognitive Performance, run by New York Institute of Technology at 1 site in United States.

The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.

Who may be eligible to take part?

The sponsor lists 3 inclusion and 5 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.

Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?

The record says: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 27 May 2021. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.

Where is the study taking place?

The record lists 1 site in United States. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.

What are the possible benefits and risks?

They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.

Are results available for this study?

The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.

How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?

The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.

What does the primary outcome measure?

Executive function (time frame: 10 minutes). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.

Where can I read the original study information?

On the ClinicalTrials.gov record for NCT04676542, which also lists 6 linked publications.

Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?

No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.

How often is this information updated?

AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 27 May 2021.

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