Adolescent Idiopathic ScoliosisNCT06410456
The Effect of Schroth Exercises on Cerebral Cortical Thickness and Motor and Proprioceptive Fibres
A study testing Schroth exercises and Traditional exercises in people with Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis, run by Hitit University at 1 site in Turkey (Türkiye).
Trial summary
Adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS): It is a type of structural scoliosis of unknown aetiology and most commonly seen in girls aged 10-18 years. In addition to spinal deformity, postural asymmetry, proprioceptive sensory, vestibular and vestibulospinal system dysfunctions may be observed in AIS. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 10 to 18 yearsHealthy volunteers can take part
- Conditions the study is for
- Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis
- What is being tested?
- Schroth exercises and Traditional exercises
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 54 participants
- Where
- 1 siteTurkey (Türkiye)
- Study dates
- 1 Apr 2024to 1 Feb 2025
- 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 10 to 18 years
- All sexes
- Healthy volunteers accepted
- Child, Adult
Who may be able to join
- Being a female individual between the ages of 10-18
- Being diagnosed with AIS
- Cobb angle should be maximum 25º
- All participants do not have any disease that affects the nervous system.
- All participants must use their right hand as the dominant hand
- All participants do not have any chronic disease requiring the use of any neurological or psychiatric medication.
- Permission to participate in the study is given by the parents of all participants.
Who cannot join
- MRI of individuals who do not have any mental problems, neurological, psychiatric, muscular, rheumatic or orthopedic diseases will be included in the study.
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country.
About this study
Adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS): It is a type of structural scoliosis of unknown aetiology and most commonly seen in girls aged 10-18 years. In addition to spinal deformity, postural asymmetry, proprioceptive sensory, vestibular and vestibulospinal system dysfunctions may be observed in AIS. The Schroth method is a scoliosis-specific exercise approach that uses postural, scoliosis-specific sensorimotor and breathing exercises and is widely used in scoliosis rehabilitation. The treatment programme consists of correction of scoliotic posture with the help of exteroceptive and proprioceptive stimulation and mirrors, isometrics and other exercises to lengthen or strengthen asymmetric muscles, and maintaining a specific breathing pattern. Several studies have shown that the Schroth method improves Cobb angles, slows curve progression, reduces the need for surgery, increases back muscle strength and improves respiratory function. However, although the Schroth method is widely used in AIS rehabilitation, no study has investigated the effects of Schroth exercises on cerebral cortical thickness, proprioceptive sensation and corticospinal pathways.
The aim of this study was to compare the effects of Schroth and traditional exercises on cortical thickness, proprioceptive sensation and corticospinal tracts in individuals with AIS.
- Conditions
- Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis
- Being tested
- Schroth exercises, Traditional exercises
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Schroth exercisesOther
Traditional exercise
Traditional exercisesOther
Adolescents with idiopathic scoliosis performed conventional exercises four days a week for six months.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Schroth exercises groups | Experimental | Adolescents with idiopathic scoliosis received Schroth exercises four days a week for six months. Receives: Other: Schroth exercises |
| Traditional exercises groups | Experimental | Adolescent idiopathic scoliosis patients underwent stretching exercises (especially for the muscles on the concave side of the curve), posture training, strengthening and spinal flexibility exercises as conventional exercises four days a week for six months. Receives: Other: Traditional exercises |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Tractography
Number of fibers of tractus corticospinalis, lemniscus medialis tracts
Measured: Six months
VolBrain
Brain cortical thickness measurement
Measured: Six months
Cobb angle
Measured: Six months
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted13 May 2024
- Study start1 Apr 2024
- Primary completion30 Dec 2024
- Study completion1 Feb 2025
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Publications (4)Papers the sponsor has linked to this study.
- Other trials for Adolescent Idiopathic ScoliosisStudies 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
- Treatment
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- Single blind
- Who is masked
- Participant
- Enrolment
- 54 participants (actual)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- Hitit University
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Principal investigator, Ahmet Payas, Amasya University
- Investigators
- Ahmet Payas, Ph.D, Study director, Amasya University
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT06410456
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- 932
- Status last verified
- Nov 2025
- First submitted
- 17 Mar 2024
- Last updated
- 14 Nov 2025
- Results posted
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
Publications
Kocaman H, Bek N, Kaya MH, Buyukturan B, Yetis M, Buyukturan O. The effectiveness of two different exercise approaches in adolescent idiopathic scoliosis: A single-blind, randomized-controlled trial. PLoS One. 2021 Apr 15;16(4):e0249492. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0249492. eCollection 2021.
PubMed 33857180Li P, Legault J, Litcofsky KA. Neuroplasticity as a function of second language learning: anatomical changes in the human brain. Cortex. 2014 Sep;58:301-24. doi: 10.1016/j.cortex.2014.05.001. Epub 2014 May 17.
PubMed 24996640Sagi Y, Tavor I, Hofstetter S, Tzur-Moryosef S, Blumenfeld-Katzir T, Assaf Y. Learning in the fast lane: new insights into neuroplasticity. Neuron. 2012 Mar 22;73(6):1195-203. doi: 10.1016/j.neuron.2012.01.025. Epub 2012 Mar 21.
PubMed 22445346Payas A, Kocaman H, Yildirim H, Arik M, Batin S. Associations Between Different Exercise Approaches and Brain Structure in Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis: An Exploratory Neuroimaging Study. Global Spine J. 2026 Jul;16(6):2588-2600. doi: 10.1177/21925682251411247. Epub 2025 Dec 22.
PubMed 41424174
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 14 Nov 2025. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- The Effect of Schroth Exercises on Cerebral Cortical Thickness and Motor and Proprioceptive Fibres
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT06410456
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- 932
- Conditions
- Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Completed
- Enrolment
- 54 participants (actual)
- Lead sponsor
- Hitit UniversityUniversity, hospital or other
- Study start
- 1 Apr 2024 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 30 Dec 2024 (actual)
- Study completion
- 1 Feb 2025 (actual)
- First posted
- 13 May 2024 (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.
Adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS): It is a type of structural scoliosis of unknown aetiology and most commonly seen in girls aged 10-18 years. In addition to spinal deformity, postural asymmetry, proprioceptive sensory, vestibular and vestibulospinal system dysfunctions may be observed in AIS. The Schroth method is a scoliosis-specific exercise approach that uses postural, scoliosis-specific sensorimotor and breathing exercises and is widely used in scoliosis rehabilitation. The treatment programme consists of correction of scoliotic posture with the help of exteroceptive and proprioceptive stimulation and mirrors, isometrics and other exercises to lengthen or strengthen asymmetric muscles, and maintaining a specific breathing pattern. Several studies have shown that the Schroth method improves Cobb angles, slows curve progression, reduces the need for surgery, increases back muscle strength and improves respiratory function. However, although the Schroth method is widely used in AIS rehabilitation, no study has investigated the effects of Schroth exercises on cerebral cortical thickness, proprioceptive sensation and corticospinal pathways.
The aim of this study was to compare the effects of Schroth and traditional exercises on cortical thickness, proprioceptive sensation and corticospinal tracts in individuals with AIS.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- Single blind (participant)
- Number of arms
- 2
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Schroth exercises groups | Experimental | Other: Schroth exercisesAdolescents with idiopathic scoliosis received Schroth exercises four days a week for six months. |
| Traditional exercises groups | Experimental | Other: Traditional exercisesAdolescent idiopathic scoliosis patients underwent stretching exercises (especially for the muscles on the concave side of the curve), posture training, strengthening and spinal flexibility exercises as conventional exercises four days a week for six months. |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 10 to 18 years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Accepted
- Age groups
- Child, Adult
Key inclusion criteria (7 listed)
- Being a female individual between the ages of 10-18
- Being diagnosed with AIS
- Cobb angle should be maximum 25º
- All participants do not have any disease that affects the nervous system.
- All participants must use their right hand as the dominant hand
Key exclusion criteria (1 listed)
- MRI of individuals who do not have any mental problems, neurological, psychiatric, muscular, rheumatic or orthopedic diseases will be included in the study.
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Schroth exercisesTraditional exercise | Other | Schroth exercises groups |
| Traditional exercisesAdolescents with idiopathic scoliosis performed conventional exercises four days a week for six months. | Other | Traditional exercises groups |
Primary outcome
Tractography
Time frame: Six months
Number of fibers of tractus corticospinalis, lemniscus medialis tracts
VolBrain
Time frame: Six months
Brain cortical thickness measurement
Cobb angle
Time frame: Six months
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 14 Nov 2025.
- Results publication: PubMed 33857180Kocaman H, Bek N, Kaya MH, Buyukturan B, Yetis M, Buyukturan O. The effectiveness of two different exercise approaches in adolescent idiopathic scoliosis: A single-blind, randomized-controlled trial. PLoS One. 2021 Apr 15;16(4):e0249492. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0249492. eCollection 2021.
- Results publication: PubMed 24996640Li P, Legault J, Litcofsky KA. Neuroplasticity as a function of second language learning: anatomical changes in the human brain. Cortex. 2014 Sep;58:301-24. doi: 10.1016/j.cortex.2014.05.001. Epub 2014 May 17.
- Results publication: PubMed 22445346Sagi Y, Tavor I, Hofstetter S, Tzur-Moryosef S, Blumenfeld-Katzir T, Assaf Y. Learning in the fast lane: new insights into neuroplasticity. Neuron. 2012 Mar 22;73(6):1195-203. doi: 10.1016/j.neuron.2012.01.025. Epub 2012 Mar 21.
- Derived from this study: PubMed 41424174Payas A, Kocaman H, Yildirim H, Arik M, Batin S. Associations Between Different Exercise Approaches and Brain Structure in Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis: An Exploratory Neuroimaging Study. Global Spine J. 2026 Jul;16(6):2588-2600. doi: 10.1177/21925682251411247. Epub 2025 Dec 22.
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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.
Ahmet Payas, Ph.D study director
Amasya 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 Schroth exercises and Traditional exercises in people with Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis, run by Hitit 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 7 inclusion and 1 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 14 Nov 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?
Tractography (time frame: Six months). 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 NCT06410456, which also lists 4 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 14 Nov 2025.