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Completed

NCT Number: NCT07837310

Effects of Play Attention Neurofeedback on Attention and Weightlifting Performance in Adolescent Weightlifters

This study looks at whether a 24-week neurofeedback training program called Play Attention can help adolescent weightlifters pay better attention and lift better. Neurofeedback is a computer-based training method that shows people real-time information about their own brain activity, so they can learn to control it. In this study, adolescent weightlifters take part in the Play Attention program over 24 weeks. Researchers measure the athletes' attention skills and weightlifting performance before and after the program to see whether the training made a difference. The goal is to find out if this kind of brain-training program could be a useful tool to help young athletes focus better and perform better in their sport.

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Key information

Conditions

Athletic Performance Attention Neurofeedback Weightlifting

Age range

13 year–16 year

Sex eligibility

Male

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

Tokat Gaziosmanpasa University Faculty of Sport Science

Center, Eyalet/Yerleşke, 60100, Turkey (Türkiye)

About this study

This is an extended pilot quasi-experimental study examining the effects of a 24-week Play Attention neurofeedback training program on attention and weightlifting performance in adolescent weightlifters. Play Attention is a neurofeedback-based cognitive training system that uses real-time monitoring of attention-related physiological signals, combined with interactive software tasks, to help users develop self-regulation of attentional control.

Participants undergo the Play Attention protocol over a 24-week period, integrated alongside their regular weightlifting training. Attention-related outcomes are assessed using standardized measures administered before and after the intervention period, and weightlifting performance is evaluated using sport-specific performance metrics recorded at the same time points. As a quasi-experimental design, the study does not employ randomized group allocation; comparisons are made using pre-post measurement within the study cohort.

The rationale for the study is that attentional control is a key component of technical execution and consistency in weightlifting, and that neurofeedback training targeting attention may translate into measurable improvements in both cognitive and sport performance outcomes in adolescent athletes, a population in which this type of intervention has been understudied.

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: Yes

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

Inclusion criteria

  • Adolescent athletes actively engaged in competitive Olympic weightlifting training
  • Minimum of [X] years of weightlifting training experience
  • No diagnosed attention-related disorder
  • Willingness and availability to complete the 24-week neurofeedback training protocol
  • Written informed consent from participant and parent/legal guardian

Exclusion criteria

  • Presence of a diagnosed neurological or psychiatric condition
  • Current use of medication affecting attention or cognitive function
  • Injury preventing participation in regular weightlifting training
  • Incomplete participation in the neurofeedback training sessions or outcome assessments

Treatment and study plan

Play Attention Neurofeedback-Based Attention Training

Behavioral

A commercially available neurofeedback-based attention-training system combining software with a wearable BodyWave armband, an interface unit, and Bluetooth connectivity. Participants in the experimental group completed 40 training sessions (approximately 30-40 minutes each) over 24 weeks, in addition to their routine Olympic weightlifting training. The system provides real-time visual and auditory feedback based on attention-related signal activity during game-like cognitive exercises. It is a non-clinical, non-diagnostic system; no scalp EEG was independently recorded in this study.

Primary outcomes

  1. Change in selective and sustained attention measured by the d2 Test of Attention

    Time frame: Baseline and Week 24

    The d2 Test of Attention (Brickenkamp) is a paper-and-pencil test of selective and sustained attention and concentration. Participants scan 14 lines of 47 characters each (658 items in total) and cross out every letter "d" marked with two dashes, within a 20-second limit per line. The score used for this outcome is Concentration Performance (CP), calculated as the total number of items processed minus the total number of errors. CP ranges from a minimum of 0 to a maximum of 658. Higher scores indicate better attention performance. The test will be administered at baseline and at the end of the 24-week intervention.

Secondary outcomes

  1. Change in snatch one-repetition maximum (1RM), measured in kilograms

    Time frame: Baseline and week 24

    The snatch 1RM is the maximum weight, in kilograms, that a participant can lift successfully in a single snatch attempt. Values are recorded in kilograms, with a minimum of 0 kg and no fixed upper limit. Higher values indicate better weightlifting performance. The test will be administered at baseline and at the end of the 24-week intervention.

  2. Change in clean and jerk one-repetition maximum (1RM), measured in kilograms

    Time frame: Baseline and week 24

    The clean and jerk 1RM is the maximum weight, in kilograms, that a participant can lift successfully in a single clean and jerk attempt. Values are recorded in kilograms, with a minimum of 0 kg and no fixed upper limit. Higher values indicate better weightlifting performance. The test will be administered at baseline and at the end of the 24-week intervention.

  3. Change in weightlifting total (sum of snatch and clean and jerk 1RM), measured in kilograms

    Time frame: Baseline and week 24

    The weightlifting total is the sum of the best successful snatch and the best successful clean and jerk attempts, in kilograms. Values have a minimum of 0 kg and no fixed upper limit. Higher values indicate better weightlifting performance. It will be assessed at baseline and at the end of the 24-week intervention.

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

Hasan Erdem Mumcu

Other

Registry information

Official study title

Effects of 24-Week Play Attention Neurofeedback on Attention and Weightlifting Performance: An Extended Pilot Quasi-Experimental Study in Adolescent Weightlifters

Acronym: Weightlifter

Important dates

Study start
2025
Primary completion
2025
Study completion
2026
First posted
Sep 23, 2026
Registry last updated
Sep 23, 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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