Healthy Effects of Adapted Aikido in People With Grip Disfunction (AdAikido)

February 12, 2026 updated by: Francisco Javier López Román, Universidad Católica San Antonio de Murcia

Study on the Health Effects of Adapted Physical Activity From Japanese Martial Arts-Aikido.

This study investigates the effects of an adapted aikido exercise program on

the health of adults with unilateral wrist and/or hand dysfunction. The un- derlying assumption is that regular practice of adapted aikido may improve

physical, psychological, and quality-of-life parameters in this population com- pared with a non-exercising control group.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Recruiting

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Detailed Description

The primary objective is to assess the physical health benefits derived from an adapted aikido training program in people with unilateral reduction of wrist and hand functionality. Secondary objectives are to examine poten- tial benefits on mental health and to evaluate the influence of aikido practice on quality of life. Accordingly, the working hypothesis is that participation in the program will lead to significant improvements in physical, functional, and psychological variables compared with the control group.

A longitudinal, controlled, single-center study with repeated measures is proposed, including 20 adult participants, 10 in the intervention group and 10 in the control group, all without prior aikido experience and not practicing other martial arts during the study. The intervention consists of an adapted aikido program with two one-hour sessions per week over approximately four months, delivered by an experienced instructor, with systematic attendance recording to monitor adherence.

Primary outcomes include arm muscle mass, muscle strength (analytical dynamometry and handgrip test), active range of motion of the wrist, el- bow, and shoulder, body mass index, and cardiac function assessed via heart rate during exercise. Secondary outcomes are upper limb function (DASH), pain (VAS), sleep quality (PSQI and accelerometry), body awareness (BAQ), mindfulness (MAAS), anxiety (Hamilton Anxiety Scale), and positive and negative affect (PANAS).

Assessments will be conducted at three time points (baseline, mid-intervention, and post-intervention), combining clinical history, physical measurements, heart rate recordings, and psychological and quality-of-life questionnaires. Statistical analysis will include descriptive statistics, tests for normality and homoscedasticity, and repeated-measures ANCOVA with a significance level of 0.05 using R software, to determine the effect of adapted aikido on the different health indicators.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Interventional

Enrollment (Estimated)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
20

Phase

Phase

The stage of a clinical trial studying a drug or biological product, based on definitions developed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The phase is based on the study's objective, the number of participants, and other characteristics. There are five phases: Early Phase 1 (formerly listed as Phase 0), Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3, and Phase 4. Not Applicable is used to describe trials without FDA-defined phases, including trials of devices or behavioral interventions.
  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Contact

Study Contact

The name and contact information for the person who can answer enrollment questions for a clinical study. Each location where the study is being conducted may also have a specific contact, who may be better able to answer those questions.
  • Name: Fernando Cánovas García
  • Phone Number: 220 968278800
  • Email: fcanovas@ucam.edu

Study Locations

  • Spain
    • Murcia
      • Murcia, Murcia, Spain, 30107
        • Recruiting
        • Catholic University of Murcia (UCAM)

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Adult
  • Older Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Be of legal age.
  • Have no prior knowledge of aikido.
  • Not be practicing other martial arts at the time of inclusion in the study or during the adapted training program.
  • Unilateral dysfunction of the hand and/or wrist that prevents or hinders tasks related to gripping (only for case group).

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Presence of anatomical or functional alterations that could affect the performance of aikido techniques (other than those allowed for the study group).
  • Intellectual disability and/or inability to understand the informed con- sent.

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Treatment
  • Allocation: Non-Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: None (Open Label)

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Participant Group / Arm

A group or subgroup of participants in a clinical trial that receives a specific intervention/treatment, or no intervention, according to the trial's protocol.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
Experimental: Case group
Case group is formed by people with handgrip dysfunction
Other: Participation in an adapted aikido program
The aikido program has been adapted for optimal practice by people with handgrip dysfunction. Several key components of the techniques have been modified to enable their performance by individuals with limited hand mo- bility.
Active Comparator: Control group
Control group is formed by healthy people
Other: Participation in an adapted aikido program
The aikido program has been adapted for optimal practice by people with handgrip dysfunction. Several key components of the techniques have been modified to enable their performance by individuals with limited hand mo- bility.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Arm muscle mass
Time Frame: The evolution of the variable will be evaluated on days 60 and 120.
Estimated from arm circumference and triceps skinfold measurements. The instruments used will be an anthropometric tape and a skinfold caliper, respectively.
The evolution of the variable will be evaluated on days 60 and 120.
Muscle strength
Time Frame: The evolution of the variable will be evaluated on days 60 and 120.
Analytical strength measurements will be taken for the main muscles responsible for each movement of the upper limb, as well as a handgrip test to assess overall hand grip strength. The instruments used will be a Jamar dynamometer and a hand-held dynamometer.
The evolution of the variable will be evaluated on days 60 and 120.
Active joint mobility of the wrist, elbow, and shoulder
Time Frame: The evolution of the variable will be evaluated on days 60 and 120.
It will be measured using a digital inclinometer, an instrument that has shown lower measurement error than the universal goniome- ter, the standard tool for assessing joint range of motion.
The evolution of the variable will be evaluated on days 60 and 120.
Body Mass Index
Time Frame: The evolution of the variable will be evaluated on days 60 and 120.
It will be measured by bioelectrical impedance.
The evolution of the variable will be evaluated on days 60 and 120.
Cardiac function
Time Frame: The evolution of the variable will be evaluated on days 60 and 120.
It will be assessed by monitoring heart rate during exercise, using a chest-strap heart rate monitor.
The evolution of the variable will be evaluated on days 60 and 120.

Secondary Outcome Measures

Secondary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, a planned outcome measure that is not as important as the primary outcome measure for evaluating the effect of an intervention but is still of interest. Most clinical studies have more than one secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Upper limb function
Time Frame: The evolution of the variable will be evaluated on days 60 and 120.
Assessed using the Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder, and Hand (DASH) questionnaire, in its validated Spanish version.
The evolution of the variable will be evaluated on days 60 and 120.
Wrist and hand pain
Time Frame: The evolution of the variable will be evaluated on days 60 and 120.
Measured using a Visual Analogue Scale
The evolution of the variable will be evaluated on days 60 and 120.
Sleep quality
Time Frame: The evolution of the variable will be evaluated on days 60 and 120.
Used as an indicator of quality of life and assessed with the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) and accelerometry.
The evolution of the variable will be evaluated on days 60 and 120.
Level of body awareness
Time Frame: The evolution of the variable will be evaluated on days 60 and 120.
Measured with the Body Awareness Questionnaire
The evolution of the variable will be evaluated on days 60 and 120.
Mindfulness or dispositional mindfulness values
Time Frame: The evolution of the variable will be evaluated on days 60 and 120.
Measured using the Mindfulness Attention Awareness Scale and used as an indicator of psychological well-being.
The evolution of the variable will be evaluated on days 60 and 120.
Anxiety level
Time Frame: The evolution of the variable will be evaluated on days 60 and 120.
Measured with the Hamilton Anxiety Scale, an anxiety scale with good psychometric properties that has been used in previous aikido studies.
The evolution of the variable will be evaluated on days 60 and 120.
Positive and negative affect values
Time Frame: The evolution of the variable will be evaluated on days 60 and 120.
Measured using the Positive Affect Negative Affect Schedule, a test previously used in aikido interventions to assess their effect on the psychological state of practitioners.
The evolution of the variable will be evaluated on days 60 and 120.

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
Universidad Católica San Antonio de Murcia

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
January 19, 2026

Primary Completion (Estimated)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
June 30, 2026

Study Completion (Estimated)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
July 15, 2026

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
January 29, 2026

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
January 29, 2026

First Posted (Actual)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
February 5, 2026

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
February 13, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
February 12, 2026

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
February 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • UCAMCFE-00042

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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