Denna sida har översatts automatiskt och översättningens korrekthet kan inte garanteras. Vänligen se engelsk version för en källtext.

Mental Fatigue Effects on Posture and Spinal Reflexes

15 juni 2026 uppdaterad av: 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.

Studieöversikt

Status

Har inte rekryterat ännu

Betingelser

Studietyp

Interventionell

Inskrivning (Beräknad)

26

Fas

  • Inte tillämpbar

Kontakter och platser

Det här avsnittet innehåller kontaktuppgifter för dem som genomför studien och information om var denna studie genomförs.

Studiekontakt

Studieorter

Deltagandekriterier

Forskare letar efter personer som passar en viss beskrivning, så kallade behörighetskriterier. Några exempel på dessa kriterier är en persons allmänna hälsotillstånd eller tidigare behandlingar.

Urvalskriterier

Åldrar som är berättigade till studier

  • Vuxen

Tar emot friska volontärer

Ja

Beskrivning

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

Studieplan

Det här avsnittet ger detaljer om studieplanen, inklusive hur studien är utformad och vad studien mäter.

Hur är studien utformad?

Designdetaljer

  • Primärt syfte: Grundläggande vetenskap
  • Tilldelning: Randomiserad
  • Interventionsmodell: Crossover tilldelning
  • Maskning: Enda

Vapen och interventioner

Deltagargrupp / Arm
Intervention / Behandling
Experimentell: 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.
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.
Experimentell: 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.
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.

Vad mäter studien?

Primära resultatmått

Resultatmått
Åtgärdsbeskrivning
Tidsram
Center of Pressure (CoP) Displacement (Postural Sway)
Tidsram: Pre-intervention and immediately post-intervention (each experimental session)
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.
Pre-intervention and immediately post-intervention (each experimental session)
Subjective Mental Fatigue
Tidsram: During intervention (every 15 minutes) and immediately post-intervention
Subjective mental fatigue will be assessed using a visual analog scale (VAS) ranging from 0 (no fatigue) to 100 (extreme fatigue).
During intervention (every 15 minutes) and immediately post-intervention

Sekundära resultatmått

Resultatmått
Åtgärdsbeskrivning
Tidsram
Spinal Reflex Excitability (H-reflex Modulation)
Tidsram: Pre-intervention and immediately post-intervention across sitting, bipedal stance, and unipedal stance conditions
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.
Pre-intervention and immediately post-intervention across sitting, bipedal stance, and unipedal stance conditions
Surface Electromyography (EMG) Activity of Postural Muscles
Tidsram: Continuous recording during postural tasks, pre-intervention and immediately post-intervention (each condition)
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).
Continuous recording during postural tasks, pre-intervention and immediately post-intervention (each condition)
Hip / Leg Movement (IMU Angular Velocity)
Tidsram: Pre-intervention and immediately post-intervention during bipedal and unipedal stance
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.
Pre-intervention and immediately post-intervention during bipedal and unipedal stance

Samarbetspartners och utredare

Det är här du hittar personer och organisationer som är involverade i denna studie.

Utredare

  • Studierektor: Bart Roelands, Professor, Vrije Universiteit Brussel

Studieavstämningsdatum

Dessa datum spårar framstegen för inlämningar av studieposter och sammanfattande resultat till ClinicalTrials.gov. Studieposter och rapporterade resultat granskas av National Library of Medicine (NLM) för att säkerställa att de uppfyller specifika kvalitetskontrollstandarder innan de publiceras på den offentliga webbplatsen.

Studera stora datum

Studiestart (Beräknad)

1 juli 2026

Primärt slutförande (Beräknad)

1 september 2026

Avslutad studie (Beräknad)

1 december 2026

Studieregistreringsdatum

Först inskickad

11 juni 2026

Först inskickad som uppfyllde QC-kriterierna

15 juni 2026

Första postat (Faktisk)

16 juni 2026

Uppdateringar av studier

Senaste uppdatering publicerad (Faktisk)

16 juni 2026

Senaste inskickade uppdateringen som uppfyllde QC-kriterierna

15 juni 2026

Senast verifierad

1 juni 2026

Mer information

Termer relaterade till denna studie

Plan för individuella deltagardata (IPD)

Planerar du att dela individuella deltagardata (IPD)?

NEJ

IPD-planbeskrivning

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.

Läkemedels- och apparatinformation, studiedokument

Studerar en amerikansk FDA-reglerad läkemedelsprodukt

Nej

Studerar en amerikansk FDA-reglerad produktprodukt

Nej

Denna information hämtades direkt från webbplatsen clinicaltrials.gov utan några ändringar. Om du har några önskemål om att ändra, ta bort eller uppdatera dina studieuppgifter, vänligen kontakta register@clinicaltrials.gov. Så snart en ändring har implementerats på clinicaltrials.gov, kommer denna att uppdateras automatiskt även på vår webbplats .

Prenumerera