Sedentary Healthy Young IndividualsNCT04804475
Effects of Square-stepping Exercise Training on the Attention, Dynamic Balance and Lower Extremity Motor Coordination
A study testing Exercise Trainig in people with Sedentary Healthy Young Individuals, run by Pamukkale University at 1 site in Turkey (Türkiye).
Trial summary
Physical activity plays an indispensable role to lead a healthy life. Square-stepping exercises (SSE) are aerobic exercises. Our study was designed to investigate the effects of square-stepping exercise training on the attention, dynamic balance and lower extremity motor coordination of sedentary healthy young… Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 20 to 25 yearsHealthy volunteers can take part
- Conditions the study is for
- Sedentary Healthy Young Individuals
- What is being tested?
- Exercise Trainig
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 112 participants
- Where
- 1 siteTurkey (Türkiye)
- Study dates
- 10 Sep 2019to 10 Sep 2020
- 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 20 to 25 years
- All sexes
- Healthy volunteers accepted
- Adult
Who may be able to join
- Being within the age range of 20-25,
- Not continuing any exercise program for the last 1 year,
- Not having any disease impacting neurological, orthopedic or lower extremity system,
- Not having surgery history on lower extremity,
- Not having visual and hearing problem.
Who cannot join
- Having visual and hearing problem,
- Neurological problem debilitating one's walking,
- Having psychiatric or orthopedic problem
- Having surgery history on lower extremity.
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country.
About this study
Physical activity plays an indispensable role to lead a healthy life. Square-stepping exercises (SSE) are aerobic exercises. Our study was designed to investigate the effects of square-stepping exercise training on the attention, dynamic balance and lower extremity motor coordination of sedentary healthy young individuals.
A total of 112 volunteers within the age range of 20-25 participated in the research. Participants were randomly divided into two groups, as 56 participants were study group (28 females, 28 males) and 56 participants were control group (28 females, 28 males). Demographic data and exercise habit of the individuals were documented. Stroop Test was used to assess Attention, Four-step Square Test was used to assess Dynamic Balance and Lower-extremity Motor Coordination Test was used to assess Motor Coordination. Throughout 3 weeks SSE training was administered 4 days a week for a length of 45 minutes in each session. All the analyses were conducted at the start and at the end of 3-week long training.
Read the detailed description
Demographic data and exercise habit of the individuals were documented. Stroop Test: The Stroop test measures cognitive functions such as cognitive flexibility, attention, inhibition, and reaction time. The test is administered by asking participants to name the colors of words written in different colors; they must focus on the colors of the words, not their meanings. Research has shown that age significantly affects processing speed and reaction time, especially in children aged 5-15 and adults aged 20-82.
Four-step Square Test: The subject is required to sequentially step over four canes set-up in a cross configuration on the ground. At the start of the test, the subject stands in Square 1 facing Square 2. The aim is to step as fast as possible into each square with both feet in the following sequence: Square 2, 3, 4, 1, 4, 3, 2, 1 (clockwise to counterclockwise).
Lower-extremity Motor Coordination Test was developed as an easy, yet effective tool to clinically assess, measure, and evaluate the deficits in Lower Limb Motor Coordination
- Conditions
- Sedentary Healthy Young Individuals
- Being tested
- Exercise Trainig
- Keywords
- Square-stepping exercise training, attention, dynamic balance, motor coordination
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Exercise TrainigOther
Also called Square-steeping exercise
SSE is performed on a thin exercise mat divided into 40 small squares in 250 cm x 100 cm of size (25 cm each part). Participants are given patterns of a few steps and asked to take steps that match them. Participants must, in principal, move ahead in line with the length forward with no contact on the lines forming the squares. Forward, backward, lateral and oblique stepping patterns are required. Stepping patterns get increasingly difficult. Each pattern consists of 2 to 16 steps; participants are asked to repeat step pattern till the end of exercise mat. Upon completing a pattern, another pattern in the same mirror-image is repeated. In essence each pattern is reiterated for 3-5 times and next its mirror-image pattern is repeated but if participants face challenge in performing the pattern it is repeated till the pattern is learnt
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Training Group | Active comparator | Throughout 3 weeks SSE training was administered 4 days a week for a length of 45 minutes in each session. All the analyses were conducted at the start and at the end of 3-week long training. Receives: Other: Exercise Trainig |
| Control Group | No intervention | This group has no intervention. Evaluations were only made at the start and at the end of 3-week long. |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Attention Assessment (Stroop test)
The Stroop test measures cognitive functions such as cognitive flexibility, attention, inhibition, and reaction time. The test is administered by asking participants to name the colors of words written in different colors; they must focus on the colors of the words, not their meanings.
Measured: 3 weeks
Dynamic Balance Assessment (Four-step Square Test)
The subject is required to sequentially step over four canes set-up in a cross configuration on the ground.
At the start of the test, the subject stands in Square 1 facing Square 2. The aim is to step as fast as possible into each square with both feet in the following sequence: Square 2, 3, 4, 1, 4, 3, 2, 1 (clockwise to counterclockwise)
Measured: 3 weeks
Motor Coordination Assessment (Lower extremity Motor Coordination Test)
This test is completed with the patient sitting.There are two red targets on a sheet, 6 cm in diameter each, which are placed 30 apart in a vertical direction. The patient, sitting in a comfortable position with their knees flexed at 90 degrees and their heels on the proximal target, is asked to alternately move their leg back and forth to accurately touch the red target with their big toe. They must do this as quick as they can, and as many times as they can, in 20 seconds.
Measured: 3 weeks
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted18 Mar 2021
- Study start10 Sep 2019
- Primary completion10 Sep 2020
- Study completion10 Sep 2020
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Publications (1)Papers the sponsor has linked to this study.
- Other trials for Sedentary Healthy Young IndividualsStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
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
- Supportive care
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- Single blind
- Who is masked
- Outcomes assessor
- Enrolment
- 112 participants (actual)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- Pamukkale University
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Principal investigator, Gulsum Tikac, Pamukkale University
- Investigators
- Gulsum Tikac, Principal investigator, Pamukkale UniversityAyse Unal, Study director, Pamukkale UniversityFiliz Altug, Study chair, Pamukkale University
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT04804475
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- Effect of SSE Training
- Status last verified
- Mar 2021
- First submitted
- 16 Mar 2021
- Last updated
- 3 Jun 2025
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- No
Publications
Tikac G, Unal A, Altug F. Effects of Square-Stepping Exercise Training on the Attention, Dynamic Balance and Lower Extremity Motor Coordination. Physiother Res Int. 2026 Jan;31(1):e70123. doi: 10.1002/pri.70123.
PubMed 41216663
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 3 Jun 2025. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Effects of Square-stepping Exercise Training on the Attention, Dynamic Balance and Lower Extremity Motor Coordination
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT04804475
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- Effect of SSE Training
- Conditions
- Sedentary Healthy Young Individuals
- Keywords
- Square-stepping exercise training, attention, dynamic balance, motor coordination
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Completed
- Enrolment
- 112 participants (actual)
- Lead sponsor
- Pamukkale UniversityUniversity, hospital or other
- Study start
- 10 Sep 2019 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 10 Sep 2020 (actual)
- Study completion
- 10 Sep 2020 (actual)
- First posted
- 18 Mar 2021 (actual)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
Physical activity plays an indispensable role to lead a healthy life. Square-stepping exercises (SSE) are aerobic exercises. Our study was designed to investigate the effects of square-stepping exercise training on the attention, dynamic balance and lower extremity motor coordination of sedentary healthy young individuals.
A total of 112 volunteers within the age range of 20-25 participated in the research. Participants were randomly divided into two groups, as 56 participants were study group (28 females, 28 males) and 56 participants were control group (28 females, 28 males). Demographic data and exercise habit of the individuals were documented. Stroop Test was used to assess Attention, Four-step Square Test was used to assess Dynamic Balance and Lower-extremity Motor Coordination Test was used to assess Motor Coordination. Throughout 3 weeks SSE training was administered 4 days a week for a length of 45 minutes in each session. All the analyses were conducted at the start and at the end of 3-week long training.
Detailed description
Demographic data and exercise habit of the individuals were documented. Stroop Test: The Stroop test measures cognitive functions such as cognitive flexibility, attention, inhibition, and reaction time. The test is administered by asking participants to name the colors of words written in different colors; they must focus on the colors of the words, not their meanings. Research has shown that age significantly affects processing speed and reaction time, especially in children aged 5-15 and adults aged 20-82.
Four-step Square Test: The subject is required to sequentially step over four canes set-up in a cross configuration on the ground. At the start of the test, the subject stands in Square 1 facing Square 2. The aim is to step as fast as possible into each square with both feet in the following sequence: Square 2, 3, 4, 1, 4, 3, 2, 1 (clockwise to counterclockwise).
Lower-extremity Motor Coordination Test was developed as an easy, yet effective tool to clinically assess, measure, and evaluate the deficits in Lower Limb Motor Coordination
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Supportive care
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- Single blind (outcomes assessor)
- Number of arms
- 2
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Training Group | Active comparator | Other: Exercise TrainigThroughout 3 weeks SSE training was administered 4 days a week for a length of 45 minutes in each session. All the analyses were conducted at the start and at the end of 3-week long training. |
| Control Group | No intervention | –This group has no intervention. Evaluations were only made at the start and at the end of 3-week long. |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 20 to 25 years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Accepted
- Age groups
- Adult
Key inclusion criteria (5 listed)
- Being within the age range of 20-25,
- Not continuing any exercise program for the last 1 year,
- Not having any disease impacting neurological, orthopedic or lower extremity system,
- Not having surgery history on lower extremity,
- Not having visual and hearing problem.
Key exclusion criteria (4 listed)
- Having visual and hearing problem,
- Neurological problem debilitating one's walking,
- Having psychiatric or orthopedic problem
- Having surgery history on lower extremity.
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| Exercise TrainigAlso: Square-steeping exerciseSSE is performed on a thin exercise mat divided into 40 small squares in 250 cm x 100 cm of size (25 cm each part). Participants are given patterns of a few steps and asked to take steps that match them. Participants must, in principal, move ahead in line with the length forward with no contact on the lines forming the squares. Forward, backward, lateral and oblique stepping patterns are required. Stepping patterns get increasingly difficult. Each pattern consists of 2 to 16 steps; participants are asked to repeat step pattern till the end of exercise mat. Upon completing a pattern, another pattern in the same mirror-image is repeated. In essence each pattern is reiterated for 3-5 times and next its mirror-image pattern is repeated but if participants face challenge in performing the pattern it is repeated till the pattern is learnt | Other | Training Group |
Primary outcome
Attention Assessment (Stroop test)
Time frame: 3 weeks
The Stroop test measures cognitive functions such as cognitive flexibility, attention, inhibition, and reaction time. The test is administered by asking participants to name the colors of words written in different colors; they must focus on the colors of the words, not their meanings.
Dynamic Balance Assessment (Four-step Square Test)
Time frame: 3 weeks
The subject is required to sequentially step over four canes set-up in a cross configuration on the ground. At the start of the test, the subject stands in Square 1 facing Square 2. The aim is to step as fast as possible into each square with both feet in the following sequence: Square 2, 3, 4, 1, 4, 3, 2, 1 (clockwise to counterclockwise)
Motor Coordination Assessment (Lower extremity Motor Coordination Test)
Time frame: 3 weeks
This test is completed with the patient sitting.There are two red targets on a sheet, 6 cm in diameter each, which are placed 30 apart in a vertical direction. The patient, sitting in a comfortable position with their knees flexed at 90 degrees and their heels on the proximal target, is asked to alternately move their leg back and forth to accurately touch the red target with their big toe. They must do this as quick as they can, and as many times as they can, in 20 seconds.
Results and safety
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 3 Jun 2025.
- Derived from this study: PubMed 41216663Tikac G, Unal A, Altug F. Effects of Square-Stepping Exercise Training on the Attention, Dynamic Balance and Lower Extremity Motor Coordination. Physiother Res Int. 2026 Jan;31(1):e70123. doi: 10.1002/pri.70123.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: No
Related trials for Sedentary Healthy Young Individuals
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Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part. This study is not recruiting at the moment.
Gulsum Tikac principal investigator
Pamukkale University
Ayse Unal study director
Pamukkale University
Filiz Altug study chair
Pamukkale University
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing Exercise Trainig in people with Sedentary Healthy Young Individuals, run by Pamukkale University at 1 site in Turkey (Türkiye).
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 5 inclusion and 4 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 3 Jun 2025. 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 Turkey (Türkiye). 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?
Attention Assessment (Stroop test) (time frame: 3 weeks). The study lists 3 primary outcomes in all. 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 NCT04804475, which also lists 1 linked publication.
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 3 Jun 2025.