Mental Fatigue Effects on Posture and Spinal Reflexes
15 juni 2026 bijgewerkt door: Gürsu Sayar, Izmir Bakircay University
Effects of Mental Fatigue on Posture and Spinal Reflexes Modulations
This randomized crossover study investigates the effects of mental fatigue on postural control and spinal reflex excitability in healthy physically active adults aged 18-35 years. Participants will complete two experimental conditions: a mentally fatiguing Stroop task and a control condition involving passive documentary watching, separated by at least 48 hours. Postural control will be assessed using force plate measures of center of pressure displacement during bipedal and unipedal stance, with and without concurrent cognitive dual-tasking. In parallel, spinal reflex excitability will be evaluated using H-reflex recordings from the triceps surae muscles across sitting and standing postures.
The primary aim is to determine whether mental fatigue increases postural sway, particularly in more challenging balance conditions such as single-leg stance. The secondary aim is to examine whether mental fatigue alters the normal modulation of spinal reflex excitability across progressively demanding postural tasks. Additional biomechanical and neuromuscular measures, including EMG activity and hip kinematics, will be recorded to provide insight into underlying control mechanisms.
The study will include approximately 26 participants, with each serving as their own control. Data will contribute to understanding how cognitive fatigue influences balance control and spinal-level neuromuscular regulation.
Studie Overzicht
Toestand
Nog niet aan het werven
Conditie
Interventie / Behandeling
Studietype
Ingrijpend
Inschrijving (Geschat)
26
Fase
- Niet toepasbaar
Contacten en locaties
In dit gedeelte vindt u de contactgegevens van degenen die het onderzoek uitvoeren en informatie over waar dit onderzoek wordt uitgevoerd.
Studiecontact
- Naam: Sidney Grosprêtre, PhD
- Telefoonnummer: +32 (0)2 629 22 22
- E-mail: sidney.grospretre@univ-fcomte.fr
Studie Locaties
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Pleinlaan 2
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Brussels, Pleinlaan 2, België, 1050
- Vrije Universiteit Brussel
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Contact:
- Sidney Grosprêtre, PhD
- Telefoonnummer: +32 (0)2 629 22 22
- E-mail: sidney.grospretre@univ-fcomte.fr
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Deelname Criteria
Onderzoekers zoeken naar mensen die aan een bepaalde beschrijving voldoen, de zogenaamde geschiktheidscriteria. Enkele voorbeelden van deze criteria zijn iemands algemene gezondheidstoestand of eerdere behandelingen.
Geschiktheidscriteria
Leeftijden die in aanmerking komen voor studie
- Volwassen
Accepteert gezonde vrijwilligers
Ja
Beschrijving
Inclusion Criteria:
- Healthy participants aged between 18 and 35 years
- Recreational active
Exclusion Criteria:
- Previous major lower limb injury (last 6 months)
- Present neurological or musculoskeletal disorders
- Involvement in another concurrent physical or cognitive intervention study
Studie plan
Dit gedeelte bevat details van het studieplan, inclusief hoe de studie is opgezet en wat de studie meet.
Hoe is de studie opgezet?
Ontwerpdetails
- Primair doel: Fundamentele wetenschap
- Toewijzing: Gerandomiseerd
- Interventioneel model: Crossover-opdracht
- Masker: Enkel
Wapens en interventies
Deelnemersgroep / Arm |
Interventie / Behandeling |
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Experimenteel: Control Condition
Participants watch a 60-minute neutral documentary of their choice.
This condition is designed to control for time, visual input, and arousal without inducing mental fatigue.
Postural control and spinal reflex excitability are assessed immediately before and after the task.
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Participants watch a 60-minute neutral documentary of their choice.
This condition is designed to match the mental fatigue intervention in duration and general sensory engagement without inducing cognitive fatigue.
No cognitive task performance is required.
Subjective mental fatigue is assessed at equivalent time points using a visual analogue scale.
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Experimenteel: Mental Fatigue Condition
Participants complete a 60-minute computerized Stroop task designed to induce mental fatigue.
The task involves continuous performance of color-word interference trials adjusted to individual capacity.
Postural control and spinal reflex excitability are assessed immediately before and after the task.
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Participants complete a 60-minute computerized Stroop color-word task designed to induce mental fatigue.
The task consists of repeated incongruent stimuli requiring rapid and accurate responses, with difficulty individualized based on a prior maximal Stroop performance test.
Performance (reaction time and accuracy) is continuously recorded.
Subjective mental fatigue is assessed intermittently during the task using a visual analogue scale.
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Wat meet het onderzoek?
Primaire uitkomstmaten
Uitkomstmaat |
Maatregel Beschrijving |
Tijdsspanne |
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Center of Pressure (CoP) Displacement (Postural Sway)
Tijdsspanne: Pre-intervention and immediately post-intervention (each experimental session)
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Postural sway will be assessed using center of pressure (CoP) displacement area and oscillation parameters measured during bipedal and unipedal stance on a force plate.
Higher values indicate greater postural instability.
Comparisons will be made between mental fatigue and control conditions, pre- and post-intervention.
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Pre-intervention and immediately post-intervention (each experimental session)
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Subjective Mental Fatigue
Tijdsspanne: During intervention (every 15 minutes) and immediately post-intervention
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Subjective mental fatigue will be assessed using a visual analog scale (VAS) ranging from 0 (no fatigue) to 100 (extreme fatigue).
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During intervention (every 15 minutes) and immediately post-intervention
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Secundaire uitkomstmaten
Uitkomstmaat |
Maatregel Beschrijving |
Tijdsspanne |
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Spinal Reflex Excitability (H-reflex Modulation)
Tijdsspanne: Pre-intervention and immediately post-intervention across sitting, bipedal stance, and unipedal stance conditions
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Spinal reflex excitability will be assessed using H-reflex amplitude (H50 and Hmax), normalized to maximal M-wave (Mmax), recorded from the triceps surae muscles (soleus, medial gastrocnemius, lateral gastrocnemius) during sitting, bipedal stance, and unipedal stance.
Changes will be compared between mental fatigue and control conditions.
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Pre-intervention and immediately post-intervention across sitting, bipedal stance, and unipedal stance conditions
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Surface Electromyography (EMG) Activity of Postural Muscles
Tijdsspanne: Continuous recording during postural tasks, pre-intervention and immediately post-intervention (each condition)
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Muscle activation will be assessed using root mean square (RMS) electromyography (EMG) activity recorded from the soleus, medial gastrocnemius, lateral gastrocnemius, tibialis anterior, vastus medialis, and multifidus muscles, normalized to maximal M-wave (MMAX).
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Continuous recording during postural tasks, pre-intervention and immediately post-intervention (each condition)
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Hip / Leg Movement (IMU Angular Velocity)
Tijdsspanne: Pre-intervention and immediately post-intervention during bipedal and unipedal stance
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Hip and leg movements will be assessed using inertial measurement unit (IMU) sensors placed at the proximal femoral epicondyle.
Outcome is the resultant angular velocity across movement axes during postural tasks.
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Pre-intervention and immediately post-intervention during bipedal and unipedal stance
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Medewerkers en onderzoekers
Hier vindt u mensen en organisaties die betrokken zijn bij dit onderzoek.
Sponsor
Onderzoekers
- Studie directeur: Bart Roelands, Professor, Vrije Universiteit Brussel
Studie record data
Deze datums volgen de voortgang van het onderzoeksdossier en de samenvatting van de ingediende resultaten bij ClinicalTrials.gov. Studieverslagen en gerapporteerde resultaten worden beoordeeld door de National Library of Medicine (NLM) om er zeker van te zijn dat ze voldoen aan specifieke kwaliteitscontrolenormen voordat ze op de openbare website worden geplaatst.
Bestudeer belangrijke data
Studie start (Geschat)
1 juli 2026
Primaire voltooiing (Geschat)
1 september 2026
Studie voltooiing (Geschat)
1 december 2026
Studieregistratiedata
Eerst ingediend
11 juni 2026
Eerst ingediend dat voldeed aan de QC-criteria
15 juni 2026
Eerst geplaatst (Werkelijk)
16 juni 2026
Updates van studierecords
Laatste update geplaatst (Werkelijk)
16 juni 2026
Laatste update ingediend die voldeed aan QC-criteria
15 juni 2026
Laatst geverifieerd
1 juni 2026
Meer informatie
Termen gerelateerd aan deze studie
Trefwoorden
Aanvullende relevante MeSH-voorwaarden
Andere studie-ID-nummers
- MFspinal
Plan Individuele Deelnemersgegevens (IPD)
Bent u van plan om gegevens van individuele deelnemers (IPD) te delen?
NEE
Beschrijving IPD-plan
Individual participant data will not be shared.
Due to the sensitive nature of physiological and health-related data and GDPR restrictions, data access will be limited to the study investigators.
De-identified aggregated results will be reported in publications.
Informatie over medicijnen en apparaten, studiedocumenten
Bestudeert een door de Amerikaanse FDA gereguleerd geneesmiddel
Nee
Bestudeert een door de Amerikaanse FDA gereguleerd apparaatproduct
Nee
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