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The Effect of Different Ways of Sitting on Cognitive Performance and Muscle Activity

The Effect of Different Ways of Sitting on Cognitive Performance and Muscle Activity

Status
UNKNOWN
Phases
NA
Study type
Interventional
Source
ClinicalTrials.gov
Registry ID
NCT04716582
Enrollment
21
Registered
2021-01-20
Start date
2019-06-07
Completion date
2021-05-30
Last updated
2021-01-20

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

Sedentary Behavior, Light Intensity Physical Activity

Keywords

sedentary behavior, light physical activity, executive function, active sitting

Brief summary

Academic educations concurs with a lot of sitting. Studies have shown that prolonged sitting not only has disruptive effects on physical health, but also influence mental health and cognition negatively. For physical health evidence grows that short light intense interruptions of sitting time effectively counterbalance the impact of prolonged sitting. It is not clear of light intense physical activity breaks have a similar positive effect on cognitive performance. Also, it is unclear whether cognitive loading might be able to compensate the impact of prolonged sitting.This study compares the effects of uninterrupted sitting with or without cognitive loading and interrupted sitting on cognitive functioning; muscle activation of leg and trunk muscles under various modes of sitting with walking, in order to calibrate the physical impact of different sitting modes.

Detailed description

healthy university students will attend three separate intervention visits with 6-days (no more than 14 days) washout in between: 1) uninterrupted sitting (SIT); 2) uninterrupted sitting with a cognitive task (COGN); 3) sitting interrupted by light physical activity (INTERRUPT). For the SIT and INTERRUPT conditions, subjects watch a series of documentaries while sitting. In the COGN condition, while sitting, participants undergo the online GED test as cognitive load. Four cognitive tests (D2 test, stroop test, trail making test and 2-BACK test) and mood states will be performed before and after each intervention. On a separate day, using surface electromyography, activations of major leg and trunk muscles of sitting on chair, active and passive sitting on a yoga ball and walking were assessed.

Interventions

BEHAVIORALSitting interrupted by light physical activity

Each 30 minutes will be 25 minutes sitting followed by 5 minutes walking that designed as prescribed walking route outside laboratory corridor.

BEHAVIORALSitting with cognitive task

Participants will perform online cognitive task during prolonged sitting.

Participants will watch documentary during prolonged sitting.

Sponsors

Maastricht University
Lead SponsorOTHER

Study design

Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
CROSSOVER
Primary purpose
BASIC_SCIENCE
Masking
NONE

Eligibility

Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to 30 Years
Healthy volunteers
Yes

Inclusion criteria

* age 18-30 years * BMI between 18-28 * steady dietary habits * generally healthy * Female on contraceptive pills/Male

Exclusion criteria

* High score (score: 11-21) in the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale

Design outcomes

Primary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Cognitive processes as assessed using Stroop testchange from baseline after 4 hour intervention on day1, day8, day16Stroop test is a computer-based Stroop word and color test, including congruent trials and incongruent trials to assess inhibition. Reaction time and accuracy of the Stroop test will be collected before and after the intervention
Cognitive processes as assessed using D2 attention testchange from baseline after 4 hour intervention on day1, day8, day16D2 attention test is a paper and pencil test to assess attention. Concentration performance will be collected before and after the intervention.
Cognitive processes as assessed using N back testchange from baseline after 4 hour intervention on day1, day8, day16N back test is a computer-based test, including target images and non-target images. this test is for updating and working memory. The correct reaction number of N back test will be collected before and after the intervention.
Cognitive processes as assessed using Trail making testchange from baseline after 4 hour intervention on day1, day8, day16Trail making test is a computer-based test to assess task-switching. reaction time and accuracy of the trail making test will be collected before and after the intervention.

Secondary

MeasureTime frameDescription
mood status assessed by esteem-related effect scorechange from baseline all mood outcomes after 4 hour intervention on day1, day8, day16mood questionnaire(an abbreviated version of Profile of Mood States (POMS)) will be used before and after the intervention, such as tension, anger, depression, vigor, esteem-related effect, confusion, fatigue, total mood level data included. The scale is 0 to 4.
mood status assessed by confusion scorechange from baseline all mood outcomes after 4 hour intervention on day1, day8, day16mood questionnaire(an abbreviated version of Profile of Mood States (POMS)) will be used before and after the intervention, such as tension, anger, depression, vigor, esteem-related effect, confusion, fatigue, total mood level data included. The scale is 0 to 4.
mood status assessed by fatigue scorechange from baseline all mood outcomes after 4 hour intervention on day1, day8, day16mood questionnaire(an abbreviated version of Profile of Mood States (POMS)) will be used before and after the intervention, such as tension, anger, depression, vigor, esteem-related effect, confusion, fatigue, total mood level data included. The scale is 0 to 4.
mood status assessed by tension scorechange from baseline after 4 hour intervention on day1, day8, day16mood questionnaire(an abbreviated version of Profile of Mood States (POMS)) will be used before and after the intervention, such as tension, anger, depression, vigor, esteem-related effect, confusion, fatigue, total mood level data included. The scale is 0 to 4.
muscle activityrecording 5 minutes' muscle activity for each sitting posture, average RMS will be collected.it will be performed on another experiment day.Muscle activity is measured by the electromyograph (EMG)machine. RMS values will be collected and calculated as muscle activation during each sittings condition
discomfort levelreport discomfort level immediately after each sitting condition(each sitting posture lasts 5 minutes).it will be performed on another experiment day.after each sitting condition, self discomfort level will be asked.0 means no discomfort,10 means the worst discomfort
mood status assessed by total mood level scorechange from baseline all mood outcomes after 4 hour intervention on day1, day8, day16mood questionnaire(an abbreviated version of Profile of Mood States (POMS)) will be used before and after the intervention, such as tension, anger, depression, vigor, esteem-related effect, confusion, fatigue, total mood level data included. The scale is 0 to 4.
mood status assessed by anger scorechange from baseline all mood outcomes after 4 hour intervention on day1, day8, day16mood questionnaire(an abbreviated version of Profile of Mood States (POMS)) will be used before and after the intervention, such as tension, anger, depression, vigor, esteem-related effect, confusion, fatigue, total mood level data included. The scale is 0 to 4.
mood status assessed by depression scorechange from baseline all mood outcomes after 4 hour intervention on day1, day8, day16mood questionnaire(an abbreviated version of Profile of Mood States (POMS)) will be used before and after the intervention, such as tension, anger, depression, vigor, esteem-related effect, confusion, fatigue, total mood level data included. The scale is 0 to 4.
mood status assessed by vigor scorechange from baseline all mood outcomes after 4 hour intervention on day1, day8, day16mood questionnaire(an abbreviated version of Profile of Mood States (POMS)) will be used before and after the intervention, such as tension, anger, depression, vigor, esteem-related effect, confusion, fatigue, total mood level data included. The scale is 0 to 4.

Countries

Netherlands

Outcome results

None listed

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Data processed: Feb 4, 2026