Monitoring the Effect of Mental Fatigue on Physical Performance Using Wearable Sensors and Physiological Parameters

NCT ID: NCT07323810

Last Updated: 2026-01-07

Basic Information

• Recruitment Status: RECRUITING
• Clinical Phase: NA
• Total Enrollment: 30 participants
• Study Classification: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Start Date: 2026-01-31
• Study Completion Date: 2026-06-30

Brief Summary

Mental fatigue (MF) negatively affects both cognitive and physical performance, increasing the risk of errors in high-stakes environments such as sports and surgery. Traditional methods to assess MF rely on subjective self-report scales, which are prone to bias, or on complex brain measurements (e.g. EEG) that are impractical outside laboratory settings. This study aims to develop a real-time, objective monitoring method for MF using wearable physiological sensors. The study will recruit healthy, trained runners (18-35 years old) who will complete both an MF-inducing cognitive task (Stroop test) and a control condition (watching a documentary) in a randomized, counterbalanced, crossover design. Heart rate variability, respiration rate, and pupil metrics will be continuously recorded using wearable devices. Machine learning models will be used to predict MF-level as well as the effect of MF on physical performance (5-km time trial on a treadmill) using the physiological data as input.

Conditions

Mental Fatigue

Study Design

• Allocation Method: RANDOMIZED
• Intervention Model: CROSSOVER
• Primary Study Purpose: BASIC_SCIENCE
• Blinding Strategy: SINGLE

Study Groups

Mental Fatigue Condition

The mental fatigue task will involve a modified Stroop test, adapted from previous research. Words will appear on the screen in 34-point font for 1000 milliseconds, with the inter-stimulus interval personalized based on each participant's Stroop max test performance. Stroop task duration will be 60 minutes for every participant. Participants will be instructed to respond as quickly and accurately as possible.

Group Type: EXPERIMENTAL

Mental Fatigue

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

Mental fatigue (MF) is a psychobiological state characterized by feelings of tiredness and/or a measurable decline in performance following prolonged or intense cognitive activity.

Control condition

The control task will consist of watching a pre-approved, emotionally neutral 60-minute documentary.

Group Type: NO_INTERVENTION

No interventions assigned to this group

Interventions

Mental Fatigue

Mental fatigue (MF) is a psychobiological state characterized by feelings of tiredness and/or a measurable decline in performance following prolonged or intense cognitive activity.

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion Criteria

• Healthy (no neurological, cardiovascular or musculoskeletal disorders of any kind)
• Male or female
• No prior knowledge of the concept of MF
• No medication
• Non-smoker
• 18-35 years of age
• Experienced runners: (≥15km/week and/or ≥2u/week during the last 6 months)

Exclusion Criteria

• Injuries in the past 6 months, affecting running performance
• Suffering from a chronic health condition (could be neurological, cardiovascular, internal or musculoskeletal)
• Participating in any concomitant care or research trials
• History of suffering from any mental/psychiatric disorders
• Use of medication
• Use of caffeine and heavy efforts 24 hours prior each trial
• Suffering from colour vision deficiencies
• Not eating a standardized meal, the morning of each trial and the evening before each trial

• Minimum Eligible Age: 18 Years
• Maximum Eligible Age: 35 Years
• Eligible Sex: ALL
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

Sponsors

Vrije Universiteit Brussel

OTHER

Sponsor Role: lead

Responsible Party

Bart Roelands

Professor Doctor

Responsibility Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Locations

Brussels Labo voor Inspanning en Topsport

Brussels, , Belgium

Site Status: RECRUITING

Countries

Belgium

Central Contacts

Emilie Schampheleer, Msc

Role: CONTACT

emilie.schampheleer@vub.be

26292222 ext. +32

Facility Contacts

Emilie Schampheleer, Msc

Role: primary

emilie.schampheleer@vub.be

26292222 ext. +32

Other Identifiers

EC-2025-113

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id