Sedentary Activities and Passive-to-Intense Effects on Neuro-Cognitive States

Study Results

Results pending

The study team has not published outcome measurements, participant flow, or safety data for this trial yet. Check back later for updates.

Basic Information

Get a concise snapshot of the trial, including recruitment status, study phase, enrollment targets, and key timeline milestones.

Recruitment Status

ENROLLING_BY_INVITATION

Clinical Phase

NA

Total Enrollment

8 participants

Study Classification

INTERVENTIONAL

Study Start Date

2025-03-01

Study Completion Date

2026-05-30

Brief Summary

Review the sponsor-provided synopsis that highlights what the study is about and why it is being conducted.

Prolonged sedentary behavior is linked to poorer metabolic health, yet its effect on cognitive load and brain function remains unclear. Evidence indicates that "mentally active" sedentary tasks (e.g., reading) may support cognition, whereas "mentally passive" tasks (e.g., scrolling social media) may impair it. The cognitive demands associated with these behaviors across the general population are still poorly defined. This project will compare the acute neurophysiological and perceptual responses elicited by mentally active versus passive sedentary tasks across various age groups and in individuals with specific health conditions (i.e., obesity), clarifying how these behaviors differ in the cognitive load they impose. Neuro-cognitive, physiological, and perceptual responses will be assessed with a multimodal battery that includes portable electroencephalography combined with functional near-infrared spectroscopy (EEG + fNIRS; MUSE), eye-tracking (Pupil Core), alertness and visual fatigue via critical flicker fusion testing (CFFT; Lafayette Instrument), autonomic balance through heart-rate variability (HRV) recorded with a Polar H10 monitor, and the self-reported cognitive load assessed using the NASA Task Load Index (NASA-TLX). We hypothesise that mentally passive sedentary activities will elicit a lower cognitive load than mentally active tasks. By comparing different age groups and health conditions within a single protocol, the study will generate an initial set of group-specific data; subsequent independent studies can build on these findings to explore moderation effects in greater depth. Collectively, the results will provide both the theoretical rationale and the empirical evidence needed to sustain the "mentally active" versus "mentally passive" terminology in sedentary-behaviour research, with the ultimate aim of improving mental and cognitive health.

Related Clinical Trials

Explore similar clinical trials based on study characteristics and research focus.

Frequency of Interrupting Sitting and Cognitive Function

NCT06700187

Sedentary Behaviors Breaking Prolonged Sitting With Physical Activity

RECRUITING NA

Prefrontal Cortex Dynamics of the Elderly During a Cognitive Stimulation Programme

NCT04693611

Dementia Neurocognitive Disorders Cognitive Impairment +3 more

COMPLETED NA

Effects of Exercise on Memory in Healthy and Brain-Injured Individuals

NCT01939769

Traumatic Brain Injury

TERMINATED PHASE1

Cognitive Multi-Tasking Training in Healthy Older Adults

NCT04195230

Age-related Cognitive Decline

COMPLETED NA

Effectiveness of Reminiscence Therapy Versus Cognitive Stimulation in Older Adults With Cognitive Decline

NCT05187572

Cognitive Decline

COMPLETED NA

Detailed Description

Dive into the extended narrative that explains the scientific background, objectives, and procedures in greater depth.

Conditions

See the medical conditions and disease areas that this research is targeting or investigating.

Cognition Sedentary Behaviors

Study Design

Understand how the trial is structured, including allocation methods, masking strategies, primary purpose, and other design elements.

Allocation Method

RANDOMIZED

Intervention Model

CROSSOVER

This intra-individual study will be conducted in three separate days. The first day will be performed the "familiarization day" for those being evaluated, assessing basal (through spontaneous sitting activity) and maximal (through N-back test) cognitive load and additionally, the evaluators will conducted physical measures (e.g., body composition through DEXA, fitness by the 3-minute step and strength using dynamometer (Jamar Plus + Digital Hand Dynamometer, Sammons Preston, USA), and sociodemographic questionnaire. The second day, the evaluators will conduct four randomized activities. Finally, the third day, the evaluators will conduct the final 3 activities, which also will be randomized between mentally passive and active activities.

Primary Study Purpose

TREATMENT

Blinding Strategy

DOUBLE

Participants Investigators

Doble-blind. Both participants and the statistician were blinded to the intervention condition; however, the assessors administering the activities were not blinded.

Study Groups

Review each arm or cohort in the study, along with the interventions and objectives associated with them.

Baseline Cognitive Condition

Group Type ACTIVE_COMPARATOR

Baseline Cognitive Load

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Participants will sit quietly for 5 minutes to establish baseline spontaneous neurophysiological parameters.

Maximum Cognitive Load Condition

Group Type ACTIVE_COMPARATOR

Maximum Cognitive Load

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Participants will perform a working memory task (through N-back 1-to-3) to evaluate the upper limit of cognitive demand.

Experimental Mentally Active and Mentally Passive Sedentary Activities

Group Type EXPERIMENTAL

Mental active/pasive activities

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Participants will engage in 7 activities, presented in a randomly assigned order across two separate days, to assess their impact on cognitive load:

1. playing a videogame (Tetris ®)
2. listening a podcast (including a final question)
3. watching a documentary (including a final question)
4. reading a document extract (including a final question)
5. watch a reality show extract (including a final question)
6. listening music, they like it
7. scrolling their Tik-Tok/Instagram

Interventions

Learn about the drugs, procedures, or behavioral strategies being tested and how they are applied within this trial.

Maximum Cognitive Load

Participants will perform a working memory task (through N-back 1-to-3) to evaluate the upper limit of cognitive demand.

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Mental active/pasive activities

Participants will engage in 7 activities, presented in a randomly assigned order across two separate days, to assess their impact on cognitive load:

1. playing a videogame (Tetris ®)
2. listening a podcast (including a final question)
3. watching a documentary (including a final question)
4. reading a document extract (including a final question)
5. watch a reality show extract (including a final question)
6. listening music, they like it
7. scrolling their Tik-Tok/Instagram

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Baseline Cognitive Load

Participants will sit quietly for 5 minutes to establish baseline spontaneous neurophysiological parameters.

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Eligibility Criteria

Check the participation requirements, including inclusion and exclusion rules, age limits, and whether healthy volunteers are accepted.

Inclusion Criteria

* Children aged 5 to 17 years, attending school.
* Adults aged 18 and above, without an upper age limit.
* Participants with and without specific health conditions, such as obesity.
* Ability to perform sedentary activities and comprehend instructions.

Exclusion Criteria

* Severe visual impairments affecting reading or text visualization.
* Use of conventional glasses and history of migraine or epilepsy (due to preventive request for the flicker fusion test)
* Current use of medications that significantly influence cognitive function (unless the health condition being evaluated requires it).
* Other conditions interfering with cognitive or neurophysiological assessments.

Minimum Eligible Age

5 Years

Eligible Sex

ALL

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes