Cognitive ChangeActClass4BrainNCT06168526
Acute Effects of Physical Activity on Cognition and Well-being in University Students
A study testing Acute physical activity in people with Cognitive Change and Well-Being, Psychological, run by Universitat Jaume I at 1 site in Spain.
Trial summary
Previous studies in young adults have shown that physical activity can generate positive emotions and improve attention, among other cognitive functions. This highlights the importance of evaluating how physical activity can affect cognition and affective dimensions. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 18 to 24 yearsHealthy volunteers can take part
- Conditions the study is for
- Cognitive Change, Well-Being, Psychological
- What is being tested?
- Acute physical activity
- Type of treatment
- Lifestyle or therapy programme
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 120 participants
- Where
- 1 siteSpain
- Study dates
- 1 Mar 2024to 15 Mar 2026
- 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 24 years
- All sexes
- Healthy volunteers accepted
- Adult
Who may be able to join
- Not to be diagnosed with psychological and/or cognitive alterations or pathologies that may limit the understanding and following of the instructions provided by another person.
- Not to suffer physical alterations that may limit the practice of physical activity.
- To be between 18 and 24 years old.
Who cannot join
- To be diagnosed with psychological and/or cognitive alterations or pathologies that may limit the understanding and following of the instructions provided by another person.
- To suffer physical alterations that may limit the practice of physical activity.
- Not to be between 18 and 24 years old.
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country.
About this study
Official title: Acute Effects of Physical Activity on Cognition and Well-being in University Students: ActClass4Brain Project
Previous studies in young adults have shown that physical activity can generate positive emotions and improve attention, among other cognitive functions. This highlights the importance of evaluating how physical activity can affect cognition and affective dimensions. However, to date, the dose of physical activity that could be most effective for these variables has not been established. This project aims to study the impact of acute physical activity on brain health in a university setting. Thus, this study will contribute to expand the current scientific literature on the acute effect of physical activity, a topic of great importance both in the educational field and from a public health point of view.
Read the detailed description
Students in the university stage face many changes in their lives. These changes, partly derived from academic activity, can cause alterations in their lifestyle and brain health (i.e., cognitive, emotional, and behavioural functioning). Due to the negative association of several indicators of brain health with academic performance during the university stage, it is of interest to promote strategies that can favour it. Among them, previous studies in young adults have shown that physical activity can generate positive emotions and improve attention, among other cognitive functions. However, to date, the dose of physical activity (i.e., type, duration, and intensity) that could be most effective for these variables has not been established. Furthermore, previous studies in the matter have been carried out in laboratories and few investigations have analysed outside them the impact of acute physical activity on brain health in university classrooms. Therefore, expanding the current scientific literature on the acute effect of physical activity is of great importance in the educational field, since it would contribute to the design of active proposals aimed at improving brain health with positive implications for students' academic performance and quality of life.
Accordingly, this project aims to carry out an acute physical activity intervention with different intensities and active breaks with students from the Jaume I University (Castellon de la Plana, Spain). More precisely, a total of 210 students between 18 and 24 years old will participate in the intervention.
To achieve it, a randomized crossover study design will be carried out with the groups of participants compensated in terms of number and sex. Attention will be assessed using the d2-R questionnaire and emotional well-being will be assessed using the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule questionnaire. The tests evaluating attention and emotional well-being will be carried out before and after each condition. The experimental conditions will be: control group (quietly sitting), light intensity (40% VO2max), moderate intensity (63% VO2max), or vigorous intensity (100% VO2max) exercise, all lasting 16 minutes. In addition, an active break will be performed at the intensity of physical activity that proves to have the greatest benefits on cognition and well-being. It will include 12 blocks of 30 seconds of work, performing as many repetitions as possible, followed by 15 seconds of static rest. It will last last 9 minutes and will be conducted after a 2-hour lecture. During the active rest period, heart rate will be monitored using a heart rate monitor to register the intensity.
Taking into account that the lifestyle of students is mainly characterized by the accumulation of prolonged periods of sedentary activity, introducing physical activity in the classroom represents an interesting opportunity for intervention from both an educational and a public health point of view.
- Conditions
- Cognitive Change, Well-Being, Psychological
- Being tested
- Acute physical activity
- Keywords
- Young adults, Acute physical activity, Attention, Positive affect, Negative affect
- Medical subject headings
- Psychological Well-Being
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Acute physical activityBehavioural
Regarding the first aim, participants will go through five different conditions using a within-participants cross-over design in a randomized order: control group (quietly sitting), light intensity (40% VO2max), moderate intensity (63% VO2max), or vigorous intensity (100% VO2max) exercise. All conditions will last 16 minutes and 15 seconds. The exercise conditions will be organized following an interval protocol, which includes 22 bouts of 30 seconds running at the established intensity with 15 seconds of passive rest between bouts.
In addition, to achieve the second aim, the active break will be designed taking into account the intensity of physical activity that proves to have the greatest benefits on cognition and well-being. It will include 12 blocks of 30 seconds of work, performing as many repetitions as possible, followed by 15 seconds of static rest. It will last last 9 minutes and will be conducted after a 2-hour lecture. During the active rest period, heart rate will be moni
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Acute physical activity | Experimental | The participants in the experimental activity groups will perform an interval physical activity of different intensity for 16 minutes. The intensity will be controlled during the test by the monitorization of their heart rate using a heart rate monitor. Subsequently, participants will perform an active break in the classroom after finishing one of their usual theory sessions at the intensity of physical activity that proves to have the greatest benefits for cognition and well-being. Receives: Behavioral: Acute physical activity |
| Control | No intervention | The control condition will consist in sitting in silence without any cognitive stimulation. |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Attention (cognition)
The participants will take the d2-R test to measure their attention. The test shows different rows of randomly mixed letters from which the target symbol is a "d" with two dashes. The participants must select all the "d" with two dashes while ignoring all the other symbols.
Measured: 10 minutes before and 10 minutes after the intervention protocol
Positive and negative affect (wellbeing)
In order to assess the positive and negative affect, the participants will take the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS). It is a self-report measure that is made up of two mood scales, one measuring positive affect (the scores ranging from 10 to 50, with higher scores meaning better wellbeing) and the other measuring negative affect (the scores ranging from 10 to 50, with higher scores meaning worse wellbeing).
Measured: 10 minutes before and 10 minutes after intervention protocol
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted13 Dec 2023
- Study start1 Mar 2024
- Primary completion31 Jan 2025
- Study completion15 Mar 2026
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Publications (9)Papers the sponsor has linked to this study.
- Other trials for Cognitive ChangeStudies 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
- Screening
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Crossover
- Model description
- The study will be carried out following a crossover design with comparisons between the subjects, in which the cognition and the affective dimensions will be analysed before and after each experimental condition (acute exercise vs. sedentary control).
- Masking
- Single blind
- Who is masked
- Investigator
- Enrolment
- 120 participants (actual)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- Universitat Jaume I
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Principal investigator, Maria Reyes Beltran Valls, Universitat Jaume I
- Investigators
- Maria Reyes Beltran Valls, PhD, Principal investigator, Universitat Jaume I
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT06168526
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- UJI-B2022-37
- Other IDs
- CIGE/2021/053
- Acronym
- ActClass4Brain
- Status last verified
- Mar 2026
- First submitted
- 22 Nov 2023
- Last updated
- 7 May 2026
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- Yes
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- No: The sharing of the data of the participants in the study with third parties is not foreseen or planned.
Publications
Chan JSY, Liu G, Liang D, Deng K, Wu J, Yan JH. Special Issue - Therapeutic Benefits of Physical Activity for Mood: A Systematic Review on the Effects of Exercise Intensity, Duration, and Modality. J Psychol. 2019;153(1):102-125. doi: 10.1080/00223980.2018.1470487. Epub 2018 Oct 15.
PubMed 30321106Diener E. Subjective well-being. Psychol Bull. 1984 May;95(3):542-75. No abstract available.
PubMed 6399758Schmitt A, Upadhyay N, Martin JA, Rojas S, Struder HK, Boecker H. Modulation of Distinct Intrinsic Resting State Brain Networks by Acute Exercise Bouts of Differing Intensity. Brain Plast. 2019 Dec 26;5(1):39-55. doi: 10.3233/BPL-190081.
PubMed 31970059Leger L, Boucher R. An indirect continuous running multistage field test: the Universite de Montreal track test. Can J Appl Sport Sci. 1980 Jun;5(2):77-84.
PubMed 7389053Ludyga S, Ishihara T, Kamijo K. The Nervous System as a Pathway for Exercise to Improve Social Cognition. Exerc Sport Sci Rev. 2022 Oct 1;50(4):203-212. doi: 10.1249/JES.0000000000000300. Epub 2022 Jun 24.
PubMed 35749761Watson D, Clark LA, Tellegen A. Development and validation of brief measures of positive and negative affect: the PANAS scales. J Pers Soc Psychol. 1988 Jun;54(6):1063-70. doi: 10.1037//0022-3514.54.6.1063.
PubMed 3397865Erickson KI, Hillman C, Stillman CM, Ballard RM, Bloodgood B, Conroy DE, Macko R, Marquez DX, Petruzzello SJ, Powell KE; FOR 2018 PHYSICAL ACTIVITY GUIDELINES ADVISORY COMMITTEE*. Physical Activity, Cognition, and Brain Outcomes: A Review of the 2018 Physical Activity Guidelines. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2019 Jun;51(6):1242-1251. doi: 10.1249/MSS.0000000000001936.
PubMed 31095081Ludyga S, Gerber M, Brand S, Holsboer-Trachsler E, Puhse U. Acute effects of moderate aerobic exercise on specific aspects of executive function in different age and fitness groups: A meta-analysis. Psychophysiology. 2016 Nov;53(11):1611-1626. doi: 10.1111/psyp.12736. Epub 2016 Aug 24.
PubMed 27556572Brickenkamp, R., Schmidt-Atzert, L., & Liepmann, D. d2-R. Test de Atención - Revisado. TEA Ediciones. 2022.
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 7 May 2026. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Acute Effects of Physical Activity on Cognition and Well-being in University Students: ActClass4Brain Project
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT06168526
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- ActClass4Brain / UJI-B2022-37
- Conditions
- Cognitive Change, Well-Being, Psychological
- Keywords
- Young adults, Acute physical activity, Attention, Positive affect, Negative affect
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Completed
- Enrolment
- 120 participants (actual)
- Lead sponsor
- Universitat Jaume IUniversity, hospital or other
- Study start
- 1 Mar 2024 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 31 Jan 2025 (actual)
- Study completion
- 15 Mar 2026 (actual)
- First posted
- 13 Dec 2023 (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.
Previous studies in young adults have shown that physical activity can generate positive emotions and improve attention, among other cognitive functions. This highlights the importance of evaluating how physical activity can affect cognition and affective dimensions. However, to date, the dose of physical activity that could be most effective for these variables has not been established. This project aims to study the impact of acute physical activity on brain health in a university setting. Thus, this study will contribute to expand the current scientific literature on the acute effect of physical activity, a topic of great importance both in the educational field and from a public health point of view.
Detailed description
Students in the university stage face many changes in their lives. These changes, partly derived from academic activity, can cause alterations in their lifestyle and brain health (i.e., cognitive, emotional, and behavioural functioning). Due to the negative association of several indicators of brain health with academic performance during the university stage, it is of interest to promote strategies that can favour it. Among them, previous studies in young adults have shown that physical activity can generate positive emotions and improve attention, among other cognitive functions. However, to date, the dose of physical activity (i.e., type, duration, and intensity) that could be most effective for these variables has not been established. Furthermore, previous studies in the matter have been carried out in laboratories and few investigations have analysed outside them the impact of acute physical activity on brain health in university classrooms. Therefore, expanding the current scientific literature on the acute effect of physical activity is of great importance in the educational field, since it would contribute to the design of active proposals aimed at improving brain health with positive implications for students' academic performance and quality of life.
Accordingly, this project aims to carry out an acute physical activity intervention with different intensities and active breaks with students from the Jaume I University (Castellon de la Plana, Spain). More precisely, a total of 210 students between 18 and 24 years old will participate in the intervention.
To achieve it, a randomized crossover study design will be carried out with the groups of participants compensated in terms of number and sex. Attention will be assessed using the d2-R questionnaire and emotional well-being will be assessed using the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule questionnaire. The tests evaluating attention and emotional well-being will be carried out before and after each condition. The experimental conditions will be: control group (quietly sitting), light intensity (40% VO2max), moderate intensity (63% VO2max), or vigorous intensity (100% VO2max) exercise, all lasting 16 minutes. In addition, an active break will be performed at the intensity of physical activity that proves to have the greatest benefits on cognition and well-being. It will include 12 blocks of 30 seconds of work, performing as many repetitions as possible, followed by 15 seconds of static rest. It will last last 9 minutes and will be conducted after a 2-hour lecture. During the active rest period, heart rate will be monitored using a heart rate monitor to register the intensity.
Taking into account that the lifestyle of students is mainly characterized by the accumulation of prolonged periods of sedentary activity, introducing physical activity in the classroom represents an interesting opportunity for intervention from both an educational and a public health point of view.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Screening
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Crossover
- Masking
- Single blind (investigator)
- Number of arms
- 2
- Model description
- The study will be carried out following a crossover design with comparisons between the subjects, in which the cognition and the affective dimensions will be analysed before and after each experimental condition (acute exercise vs. sedentary control).
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Acute physical activity | Experimental | Behavioral: Acute physical activityThe participants in the experimental activity groups will perform an interval physical activity of different intensity for 16 minutes. The intensity will be controlled during the test by the monitorization of their heart rate using a heart rate monitor. Subsequently, participants will perform an active break in the classroom after finishing one of their usual theory sessions at the intensity of physical activity that proves to have the greatest benefits for cognition and well-being. |
| Control | No intervention | –The control condition will consist in sitting in silence without any cognitive stimulation. |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 18 to 24 years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Accepted
- Age groups
- Adult
Key inclusion criteria (3 listed)
- Not to be diagnosed with psychological and/or cognitive alterations or pathologies that may limit the understanding and following of the instructions provided by another person.
- Not to suffer physical alterations that may limit the practice of physical activity.
- To be between 18 and 24 years old.
Key exclusion criteria (3 listed)
- To be diagnosed with psychological and/or cognitive alterations or pathologies that may limit the understanding and following of the instructions provided by another person.
- To suffer physical alterations that may limit the practice of physical activity.
- Not to be between 18 and 24 years old.
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Acute physical activityRegarding the first aim, participants will go through five different conditions using a within-participants cross-over design in a randomized order: control group (quietly sitting), light intensity (40% VO2max), moderate intensity (63% VO2max), or vigorous intensity (100% VO2max) exercise. All conditions will last 16 minutes and 15 seconds. The exercise conditions will be organized following an interval protocol, which includes 22 bouts of 30 seconds running at the established intensity with 15 seconds of passive rest between bouts. In addition, to achieve the second aim, the active break will be designed taking into account the intensity of physical activity that proves to have the greatest benefits on cognition and well-being. It will include 12 blocks of 30 seconds of work, performing as many repetitions as possible, followed by 15 seconds of static rest. It will last last 9 minutes and will be conducted after a 2-hour lecture. During the active rest period, heart rate will be moni | Behavioural | Acute physical activity |
Primary outcome
Attention (cognition)
Time frame: 10 minutes before and 10 minutes after the intervention protocol
The participants will take the d2-R test to measure their attention. The test shows different rows of randomly mixed letters from which the target symbol is a "d" with two dashes. The participants must select all the "d" with two dashes while ignoring all the other symbols.
Positive and negative affect (wellbeing)
Time frame: 10 minutes before and 10 minutes after intervention protocol
In order to assess the positive and negative affect, the participants will take the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS). It is a self-report measure that is made up of two mood scales, one measuring positive affect (the scores ranging from 10 to 50, with higher scores meaning better wellbeing) and the other measuring negative affect (the scores ranging from 10 to 50, with higher scores meaning worse wellbeing).
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 7 May 2026.
- Background: PubMed 30321106Chan JSY, Liu G, Liang D, Deng K, Wu J, Yan JH. Special Issue - Therapeutic Benefits of Physical Activity for Mood: A Systematic Review on the Effects of Exercise Intensity, Duration, and Modality. J Psychol. 2019;153(1):102-125. doi: 10.1080/00223980.2018.1470487. Epub 2018 Oct 15.
- Background: PubMed 6399758Diener E. Subjective well-being. Psychol Bull. 1984 May;95(3):542-75. No abstract available.
- Background: PubMed 31970059Schmitt A, Upadhyay N, Martin JA, Rojas S, Struder HK, Boecker H. Modulation of Distinct Intrinsic Resting State Brain Networks by Acute Exercise Bouts of Differing Intensity. Brain Plast. 2019 Dec 26;5(1):39-55. doi: 10.3233/BPL-190081.
- Background: PubMed 7389053Leger L, Boucher R. An indirect continuous running multistage field test: the Universite de Montreal track test. Can J Appl Sport Sci. 1980 Jun;5(2):77-84.
- Background: PubMed 35749761Ludyga S, Ishihara T, Kamijo K. The Nervous System as a Pathway for Exercise to Improve Social Cognition. Exerc Sport Sci Rev. 2022 Oct 1;50(4):203-212. doi: 10.1249/JES.0000000000000300. Epub 2022 Jun 24.
- Background: PubMed 3397865Watson D, Clark LA, Tellegen A. Development and validation of brief measures of positive and negative affect: the PANAS scales. J Pers Soc Psychol. 1988 Jun;54(6):1063-70. doi: 10.1037//0022-3514.54.6.1063.
- Background: PubMed 31095081Erickson KI, Hillman C, Stillman CM, Ballard RM, Bloodgood B, Conroy DE, Macko R, Marquez DX, Petruzzello SJ, Powell KE; FOR 2018 PHYSICAL ACTIVITY GUIDELINES ADVISORY COMMITTEE*. Physical Activity, Cognition, and Brain Outcomes: A Review of the 2018 Physical Activity Guidelines. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2019 Jun;51(6):1242-1251. doi: 10.1249/MSS.0000000000001936.
- Background: PubMed 27556572Ludyga S, Gerber M, Brand S, Holsboer-Trachsler E, Puhse U. Acute effects of moderate aerobic exercise on specific aspects of executive function in different age and fitness groups: A meta-analysis. Psychophysiology. 2016 Nov;53(11):1611-1626. doi: 10.1111/psyp.12736. Epub 2016 Aug 24.
- BackgroundBrickenkamp, R., Schmidt-Atzert, L., & Liepmann, D. d2-R. Test de Atención - Revisado. TEA Ediciones. 2022.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: No. The sharing of the data of the participants in the study with third parties is not foreseen or planned.
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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.
Maria Reyes Beltran Valls, PhD principal investigator
Universitat Jaume I
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing Acute physical activity in people with Cognitive Change and Well-Being, Psychological, run by Universitat Jaume I at 1 site in Spain.
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 3 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 7 May 2026. 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 Spain. 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 (cognition) (time frame: 10 minutes before and 10 minutes after the intervention protocol). The study lists 2 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 NCT06168526, which also lists 9 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 7 May 2026.