The Effect of Schroth Exercises on Cerebral Cortical Thickness and Motor and Proprioceptive Fibres

November 13, 2025 updated by: Ahmet Payas, Hitit University

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 Overview

Status

Completed

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Detailed Description

The purpose of Schroth exercises is to rotate, lengthen and stabilize the spine in a three-dimensional plane. It is aimed to increase the patient's body awareness, to rotate the spine by inflating the deflated parts of the lungs with breathing, and to correct muscle posture asymmetries.

With different stimuli from the environment, some changes occur in the reorganization ability and strength of neurons and the synapses that neurons make with each other. This phenomenon, which is necessary for the adaptation of the organism to the environment, is called neuroplasticity. Thanks to neuroplasticity, some differences in brain structures are observed. Thanks to Schroth exercises, there is an intense proprioception sensory input to the body. At the same time, muscle strengthening occurs with controlled loading. Schroth exercises produce some effects on the brain with these features. In the study, the possible effects of Schroth exercises on the brain will be investigated.

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

54

Phase

  • 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 Locations

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

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Child
  • Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • 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.

Exclusion Criteria:

  • MRI of individuals who do not have any mental problems, neurological, psychiatric, muscular, rheumatic or orthopedic diseases will be included in the study.

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: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: Single

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm
Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Schroth exercises groups
Adolescents with idiopathic scoliosis received Schroth exercises four days a week for six months.
Other: Schroth exercises
Traditional exercise
Experimental: Traditional exercises groups
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.
Other: Traditional exercises
Adolescents with idiopathic scoliosis performed conventional exercises four days a week for six months.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Tractography
Time Frame: Six months
Number of fibers of tractus corticospinalis, lemniscus medialis tracts
Six months
VolBrain
Time Frame: Six months
Brain cortical thickness measurement
Six months
Cobb angle
Time Frame: Six months
Six months

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
DSI Studio
Time Frame: Four months
Fiber ratio of tractus corticospinalis, lemniscus medialis tracts
Four months
MRI Studio
Time Frame: Four months
Fiber volume of tractus corticospinalis and lemniscus medialis
Four months

Collaborators and Investigators

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

Sponsor

Hitit University

Investigators

  • Study Director: Ahmet Payas, Ph.D, Amasya University

Publications and helpful links

The person responsible for entering information about the study voluntarily provides these publications. These may be about anything related to the study.

General Publications

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)

April 1, 2024

Primary Completion (Actual)

December 30, 2024

Study Completion (Actual)

February 1, 2025

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

March 17, 2024

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

May 7, 2024

First Posted (Actual)

May 13, 2024

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Estimated)

November 14, 2025

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

November 13, 2025

Last Verified

November 1, 2025

More Information

Terms related to this study

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

  • 932 (Duke)

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

product manufactured in and exported from the U.S.

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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