Assessment of Physical Activity, Balance, Muscle Strength, and Cognitive Function in Patients Diagnosed With Schizophrenia

Schizophrenia is a serious mental health condition that affects individuals' thinking, perception, emotional responses, and behavior.

Balance in schizophrenia patients is often related to motor skills, coordination, and postural control.

Schizophrenia can cause functional changes in certain areas of the brain. These changes can affect motor functions.

Balance loss in schizophrenia patients can cause difficulties in daily living activities, increased risk of falls, and a decrease in overall quality of life. Therefore, the aim of this study is to evaluate physical activity, balance, muscle strength, and cognitive function in patients diagnosed with schizophrenia.

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Key information

Conditions

Schizophrenia Disorder Mental Disorders Schizophrenia Schizophrenia Spectrum and Other Psychotic Disorders

Age range

18 year–65 year

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Observational

Primary location

Kartal Dr Lütfi Kırdar City Hospital

Istanbul, Turkey (Türkiye)

About this study

Schizophrenia is a serious mental health condition that affects individuals' thinking, perception, emotional responses, and behavior. Treatment for schizophrenia typically involves approaches such as medication and psychotherapy. Balance in schizophrenia patients is often related to motor skills, coordination, and postural control. Although schizophrenia is a mental health disorder, it can also affect patients' physical balance and motor function. Antipsychotic medications, which are frequently used in the treatment of schizophrenia, can have an effect on patients' motor skills. These medications can negatively affect balance in some patients.

Schizophrenia can cause functional changes in certain areas of the brain. These changes can affect motor functions. Hallucinations, which are commonly seen in patients with schizophrenia, can interfere with visual, auditory, or tactile perception, preventing the person from accurately perceiving their surroundings. This can negatively affect physical balance, as the person may not be able to accurately assess dangers in their surroundings or may misperceive their location or distances. Balance loss in schizophrenia patients can cause difficulties in daily living activities, increased risk of falls, and a decrease in overall quality of life. Therefore, the aim of this study is to evaluate physical activity, balance, muscle strength, and cognitive function in patients diagnosed with schizophrenia.

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: No

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

Diagnosis of schizophrenia by a psychiatrist according to DSM-V
aged between 18 and 65 years
being clinically stable
having received continuous pharmacological treatment for at least six months
having the ability to understand and follow verbal and written instructions

Exclusion criteria

major neurological disorders (e.g. epilepsy or Parkinson's disease)
significant orthopaedic impairments affecting balance or strength
substance use disorders (except nicotine)
acute psychotic symptoms and severe intellectual disability

Treatment and study plan

Primary outcomes

International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ):

Time frame: 2 weeks

Used to assess an individual's physical activity level over the past 7 days. The International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) consists of 4 questionnaires. There are long (5 independently asked activity areas) and short (4 general items) versions. The short version consists of questions about the time spent walking and engaging in moderate to vigorous and strenuous activities.
Berg Balance Scale

Time frame: 2 weeks

Berg Balance Scale The scale, consisting of a total of 14 items, assesses patients' balance skills. Each item is scored on a scale of 0-4. 0 = unable to perform, 4 = normal performance. The maximum score is 56, and a high score indicates better balance skills. The physical therapist administers the test by providing the necessary instructions to the patient in a manner they can understand after the patient has rested. The choice of which foot to use in certain items should be left to the patient. The materials required for the test (stopwatch, measuring tape, chair, step, slippers) should be prepared before beginning the assessment.
Handgrip Strength

Time frame: 2 weeks

Handgrip strength was assessed using the JTech Commander GripTrack™ hand dynamometer. Participants performed the measurement according to a standardized testing procedure, and grip strength was recorded in kilograms (kg). Higher values indicate greater handgrip strength.
Mini Mental State Examination

Time frame: 2 weeks

The standardized version of the MMSE (Mini Mental State Examination) developed by Folstein et al. (1975) was adapted by Molloy and Standish (1997). The MMSE allows for cognitive assessment in a short period of time. In this regard, the MMSE is a short, easy-to-administer, and standardized test used to assess global cognitive level. The test is widely used to evaluate the cognitive status of elderly individuals. A validity and reliability study in the Turkish population was conducted by Güngen and colleagues (2002). In their study, Güngen and colleagues (2002) determined that the 23/24 cutoff value of the Standardized Mini Mental Test (SMMT) had a sensitivity of 0.91, a specificity of 0.95, an inter-rater reliability of r:0.99, and a kappa value of 0.92. As a result, it was determined that the Standardized Mini Mental Test is valid and reliable in the Turkish population.

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

Dr. Lutfi Kirdar Kartal Training and Research Hospital

Other Gov

Registry information

Important dates

Study start: 2025
Primary completion: 2025
Study completion: 2025
First posted: Aug 26, 2025
Registry last updated: Aug 19, 2026

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

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Completed