The Impact of Chiropractic Activator Adjustments on Mental Rotation and Line Judgment Reaction Time

The Impact of Chiropractic Activator Adjustments on Mental Rotation and Line Judgment Reaction Time: A Pilot Study

The purpose of this pilot study will be to assess the impact of chiropractic Activator adjustments on spatial cognitive abilities through initial assessment and testing in a healthy population aged 18 to 35.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Cognition - Other
• Intervention / Treatment: Other: Chiropractic adjustment; Other: Sham chiropractic adjustment

Detailed Description

This study seeks to assess the impact of chiropractic on cognition. Participants must be between 18 and 35 years of age. Within the past six months individuals may not participate if they have had any broken bones, accidents, or surgeries to their spine. Additionally, participants cannot have any mental disabilities, be pregnant, or have other conditions of the spine such as bone mineral loss.

Patients will receive a chiropractic exam and will be randomized to a sham (simulated chiropractic adjustment) or chiropractic adjustment intervention group. Prior to receiving either the sham or chiropractic adjustment, the participants will sit in front of a computer screen and will be asked to follow instructions and press a button on a keypad. There will be three different types of computer assessments that will take approximately fifteen minutes total. After the computer assessments the participant will receive either the sham or chiropractic adjustment. The chiropractic adjustment and the sham will both utilize a handheld instrument called an Activator. After the adjustment or sham the participant will take the computer assessments again. The total time this may take is ninety minutes.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 16
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• United States
  • Georgia
    • Marietta, Georgia, United States, 30060
      • Life University

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 18 years to 35 years (Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Genders Eligible for Study: All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Age 18 to 35
• In good health

Exclusion Criteria:

• pregnant
• medically diagnosed cognitive deficits
• medically diagnosed learning disabilities
• fractures, traumas, or surgeries to the spine within the past six months
• diagnosed osteoporosis, articular instability

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Treatment
• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
• Masking: Double

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Chiropractic Activator Adjustment; Participant will receive a chiropractic adjustment utilizing a handheld chiropractic instrument called an Activator.	Other: Chiropractic adjustment; Participant will receive a chiropractic adjustment utilizing a handheld chiropractic instrument called an Activator.; Other Names: Chiropractic manipulation; Chiropractic Activator adjustment
Sham Comparator: Chiropractic sham adjustment; Participant will receive a sham (simulated) chiropractic adjustment utilizing a handheld chiropractic instrument called an Activator.	Other: Sham chiropractic adjustment; Participants will receive a simulated chiropractic adjustment with a handheld adjusting instrument called an Activator.; Other Names: Sham manipulation

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Reaction time	Reaction time assessment of keyboard responses to computerized stimulus presentations	Pre and Post intervention (average of 90 minutes)

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Response correctness	Correct response to computerized stimulus presentations	Pre and post intervention (average of 90 minutes)

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Life University
• Collaborators: University of Georgia
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Stephanie Sullivan, D.C., Life University

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start: June 1, 2014
• Primary Completion (Actual): August 1, 2014
• Study Completion (Actual): August 1, 2014

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: July 18, 2014
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: April 19, 2016
• First Posted (Estimate): April 22, 2016

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Estimate): April 22, 2016
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: April 19, 2016
• Last Verified: April 1, 2016

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: chiropractic, cognition
• Other Study ID Numbers: I-0011