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NCT Number: NCT07525414

Core Stability and Hand Function in Dental Students

The goal of this clinical trial is to evaluate whether a core stability exercise program can improve core endurance, hand grip strength, pinch strength, and manual dexterity in dental students. The study will include adult dental students who are enrolled at a university and do not have any musculoskeletal or neurological conditions.

The main questions it aims to answer are:

Does a 6-week core stability exercise program improve core endurance in dental students? Does the exercise program improve hand grip strength, pinch strength, and manual dexterity compared to usual daily activities?

Researchers will compare a core stability exercise group to a control group to determine whether the exercise program is more effective than routine daily activities.

Participants will:

Be randomly assigned to either an exercise group or a control group Participate in a supervised core stability exercise program three times per week for 6 weeks (exercise group only) Continue their usual daily activities without additional exercise (control group) Undergo assessments of core endurance, hand grip strength, pinch strength, and manual dexterity before and after the intervention period

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Key information

Conditions

Core Stability Behavior Dental Students Hand Grip Strength Manual Dexterity Motor Activity

Age range

18 year and older

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: Yes

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

Inclusion criteria

  • Students enrolled in the Faculty of Dentistry at Burdur Mehmet Akif Ersoy University
  • Aged 18 years or older
  • Right-hand dominant
  • No diagnosed musculoskeletal, chronic systemic, or neurological disorder
  • No regular exercise habits
  • Able to understand and follow study instructions
  • Able to speak and understand Turkish
  • Willing to participate voluntarily and provide informed consen

Exclusion criteria

  • History of spinal or upper extremity injury or surgery
  • Presence of disc pathology or cervical spine disorders
  • Severe pain affecting upper extremity function
  • Any acute injury occurring during the study period that may affect performance
  • Inability to complete assessments
  • Withdrawal from the study for any reason

Treatment and study plan

Core Stability Exercise Program

Behavioral

A structured and progressive core stability exercise program will be conducted over 6 weeks, with three supervised sessions per week. Each session will last 30-45 minutes and include warm-up, core stabilization exercises, and cool-down.

The program consists of three progressive phases: Weeks 1-2 focus on core activation and static exercises on a stable surface (e.g., abdominal draw-in, bridge, plank); Weeks 3-4 include dynamic exercises on a stable surface (e.g., bird-dog, curl-up, superman); Weeks 5-6 involve resistance and unstable surface training (e.g., Swiss ball exercises, rotational movements, resisted exercises).

All sessions will be supervised by a physiotherapist. Exercise intensity and progression will be individualized based on participant performance, and safety will be monitored throughout.

Primary outcomes

  1. Core Endurance

    Time frame: Baseline and after 6 weeks

    Core endurance will be assessed using the McGill core endurance test battery, including trunk flexor endurance, trunk extensor endurance, and side bridge tests. The duration (in seconds) that participants can maintain each position will be recorded.

Secondary outcomes

  1. Hand Grip Strength

    Time frame: Baseline and after 6 weeks

    Hand grip strength will be measured using a hydraulic hand dynamometer. Three measurements will be taken for each participant, and the average value will be used for analysis.

  2. Pinch Strength

    Time frame: Baseline and after 6 weeks

    Pinch strength will be measured using a pinch meter, including tip-to-tip, lateral (key pinch), and palmar (three-point pinch) grip types. Three measurements will be taken and averaged.

  3. Manual Dexterity

    Time frame: Baseline and after 6 weeks

    Manual dexterity will be assessed using the Purdue Pegboard Test, including dominant hand, non-dominant hand, both hands, and assembly tasks. Scores will be recorded as the number of items completed within specified time periods.

Study contacts

Contact information is provided by the study sponsor or research team.

Akın Süzer, PT, PhD

CONTACT

[email protected]

+90 555 484 3024

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

Burdur Mehmet Akif Ersoy University

Other

Registry information

Official study title

Effects of Core Stability Exercises on Core Endurance, Handgrip Strength, Pinch Grip Strength, and Manual Dexterity in Dental Students: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Acronym: CORE-DENT Tria

Important dates

Study start
2026
Primary completion
2027
Study completion
2027
First posted
Apr 13, 2026
Registry last updated
Apr 13, 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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