Neurocognitive Performance in Public Officials

A Comparison of Neurocognitive Performance in Armed and Unarmed Public Officials

Public employees are exposed to varying levels of cognitive, physical, and psychosocial demands depending on the nature of their duties. In particular, armed public employees work under conditions that require rapid responses to environmental stimuli, effective use of attentional processes, and accurate decision-making within a limited time. These occupational demands may influence reaction time, neurocognitive performance, quality of life, and activity-role balance. Therefore, the aim of this study was to compare the neurocognitive performance of armed and unarmed public employees.

A total of 82 public employees, including 41 armed and 41 unarmed participants, were included in the study. Reaction time performance was assessed using the Light Trainer system. Neurocognitive performance was evaluated using the Stroop Test and the Digit Span Test. Quality of life was assessed using the Short Form-36 Health Survey (SF-36), and activity-role balance was evaluated using the Activity Role Balance Questionnaire.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Performance; Reaction Time

• Study Type: Observational
• Enrollment (Actual): 82

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• Turkey (Türkiye)
  • Istanbul, Turkey (Türkiye)
    • AtLAs Universty

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: Adult
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

• Sampling Method: Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

The study population consists of full-time public officials aged 25-35 years who have been actively employed in public service for at least three years. Participants will be categorized into two groups according to their occupational firearm-carrying status: armed public officials and unarmed public officials.

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Aged between 25 and 35 years.
• Actively employed as a public official for at least 3 years.
• A score of 26 or higher on the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE).
• Currently employed full-time.
• Able to understand and speak Turkish.
• Willing to participate in the study and provide informed consent.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Presence of a diagnosed neurological or psychiatric disorder.
• History of traumatic brain injury or severe head trauma within the past 6 months.
• Presence of an orthopedic condition or injury that may affect upper or lower extremity function.
• Presence of visual, auditory, or other sensory impairments that may interfere with test performance.
• Current use of medications or history of substance use that may affect cognitive performance.
• Previous exposure to or administration of the neurocognitive tests used in this study.

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Number of groups / cohorts

2

Cohorts and Interventions

Group / Cohort
Armed Public Officials; Public officials who are legally authorized to carry firearms as part of their occupational duties.
Unarmed Public Officials; Public officials who are not authorized to carry firearms as part of their occupational duties.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Muscle Reaction Time	Light Trainer® system, which consists of a wireless lighting system with LED pods and a central controller. The participants were seated with their hands on the table, 40 cm apart, palms down, and elbows at 90°. The Light Trainer was positioned centrally 20 cm away from each hand. When the pod was illuminated, the participants were instructed to turn off the light as quickly as possible by touching it. Light activation was randomized to avoid predictability, requiring participants to respond based on light cues each time. In the first task, the participants used their dominant hand to turn off the light as quickly as possible. In the second task, they responded to a light signal by deactivating a predetermined light from two different colors using their dominant hand. Scale Range: No minimum or maximum value in milliseconds (lower time is better). Interpretation: Lower reaction times signify better outcomes, as they reflect faster muscle response to visual stimuli.	Baseline (single assessment)

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Digit Span Test Performance	Assesses attention and working memory using the Digit Span Test. Performance is determined by the maximum number of digits correctly recalled in forward and backward sequences, with higher scores indicating better cognitive performance.	Baseline (single assessment)
Stroop Test Performance	Assesses selective attention, cognitive flexibility, inhibitory control, and processing speed using the Stroop Test. Performance is determined by the time required to complete the task and the number of errors made during the assessment.	Baseline (single assessment)
Quality of Life (SF-36)	Assesses health-related quality of life using the Short Form-36 Health Survey (SF-36). The SF-36 consists of 36 items and generates scores ranging from 0 to 100 for each domain, with higher scores indicating better health-related quality of life and better perceived health status across physical and mental health domains.	Baseline (single assessment)
Activity-Role Balance Questionnaire	Assesses the perceived balance between daily activities and life roles using the Activity-Role Balance Questionnaire (ARBQ). Scores range from 1 to 5, with higher scores indicating a more satisfactory balance between occupational roles and daily activities.	Baseline (single assessment)

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Atlas University

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): November 3, 2025
• Primary Completion (Actual): April 1, 2026
• Study Completion (Actual): June 11, 2026

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: June 11, 2026
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: June 15, 2026
• First Posted (Actual): June 16, 2026

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): June 16, 2026
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: June 15, 2026
• Last Verified: June 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: quality of life; Neurocognitive performance; public employees
• Other Study ID Numbers: ID_M_003

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