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NCT Number: NCT04137211

Acute Effects of Sitting and Physical Activity on Brain Health

The specific aim of this study is to understand how a working day composed of prolonged sitting, sitting regularly interrupted by light aerobic exercise or resistance exercise affects an important mechanism underpinning healthy brain functions, namely cerebral blood flow. It is primarily focused on investigating these effects in ecologically valid conditions, i.e. activity patterns that closely resemble a typical day at the office.

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Key information

Conditions

Healthy Adults

Age range

40 year–60 year

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

The Swedish School of Sport and Health Sciences (GIH)

Stockholm, 114 86, Sweden

About this study

The study will be a controlled crossover experimental trial with three conditions involving 13 adult participants aged between 40 and 60 years. Each participant will complete each of the three experimental conditions, separated by a washout period of minimum four days. As well, physical activity behaviours and sleep the day/night before the test day will be measured. The first visit will be a familiarization session. On the second, third, and fourth visits, participants will undergo three different standardized 3-hour interventions in a randomized order. Before and immediately after the three-hour interventions, blood pressure, augmentation index, and cerebral hemodynamic response of the prefrontal cortex during standardized cognitive tasks (1,2, and 3-back tests) will be measured. Additionally, saliva samples will be collected the morning of the test day and before and after the interventions, blood glucose will be assessed continuously during the trial, and fitness will be measured at the familiarization visit.

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: Yes

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

Inclusion criteria

  • Has a BMI under 35kg/m2

Exclusion criteria

  • Has diabetes, epilepsy, or circulatory conditions
  • Has experienced heart failure, stroke, or myocardial infarction
  • Takes treatment for high blood pressure, sleep disorders, depression, or psychosis

Treatment and study plan

Prolonged sitting with social break

Behavioral

Participants are required to sit for three hours (reading is permitted), with a toilet break in between. Every thirty minutes participants will have a short social break. Test day begins at 7:30 with pretest measures, followed by the intervention at about 9:00, which will end around 12:00, with subsequent posttest measures.

Prolonged sitting with walk break

Behavioral

Participants are required to sit for three hours (reading is permitted), with a toilet break in between. Every thirty minutes participants will have a physical activity break, where they will perform a brisk walk for about three minutes on a treadmill at a predetermined speed and grade based on the fitness test performed during the familiarization session. Test day begins at 7:30 with pretest measures, followed by the intervention at about 9:00, which will end around 12:00, with subsequent posttest measures.

Prolonged sitting with simple resistance activities

Behavioral

Participants are required to sit for three hours (reading is permitted), with a toilet break in between. Every thirty minutes participants will have a physical activity break, where they will perform simple resistance activities following a video for about three minutes. Test day begins at 7:30 with pretest measures, followed by the intervention at about 9:00, which will end around 12:00, with subsequent posttest measures.

Primary outcomes

  1. Changes in cerebral blood flow

    Time frame: before to after 3 hour intervention

    Oxygenated and deoxygenated hemoglobin concentration changes measured with functional near-infrared spectroscopy

Secondary outcomes

  1. Augmentation index

    Time frame: before to after 3 hour intervention

    as a measure of arterial stiffness

  2. Blood glucose levels

    Time frame: during the 3 hour intervention

  3. Cortisol

    Time frame: before to after 3 hour intervention

  4. Mood

    Time frame: before to after 3 hour intervention

    measured with the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS) comprised of 20 affect states (10 positive and 10 negative), each affect state scored on a scale going from 1 (very slightly or not at all) to 5 (extremely)

  5. Sleepiness

    Time frame: before to after 3 hour intervention

    measured with Karolinska Sleepiness Questionnaire; goes from 1 (extremely alert) to 9 (extremely sleepy)

  6. Cognitive performance

    Time frame: before to after 3 hour intervention

    nback cognitive test (time and accuracy)

  7. Alertness

    Time frame: before to after 3 hour intervention

    measured with a Visual Analogue Scale (VAS)

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

The Swedish School of Sport and Health Sciences

Other

Collaborators

  • ICA-gruppen
  • Intrum AB
  • Itrim
  • Monark Exercise
  • SATS
  • The Knowledge Foundation

Registry information

Official study title

Acute Effects of Sitting and Physical Activity on Cerebrovascular Circulation Among Adults

Important dates

Study start
2019
Primary completion
2020
Study completion
2020
First posted
Oct 23, 2019
Registry last updated
Dec 15, 2022

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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