Clinical Research Directory

The Acute Effects of Onnit Alpha Brain on Cognition and Mood States

The purpose of this randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover study is to evaluate the efficacy of the acute effects of an investigational supplement (Alpha Brain or Alpha Brain 2.0) on improving cognitive performance, vigilance, and subjective mood in healthy adults compared to placebo during a period of acute sleep deprivation under conditions of controlled sleep deprivation.

Investigating the Effects of Time-of-day and Menstrual Cycle Phase (Low and High Progesterone) on Female's Cognitive and Strength Performance

This study is designed to determine whether time-of-day and menstrual cycle phase influence athletic performance and is expected to contribute valuable insight into how both time-of-day, and hormonal factors can influence performance and expand existing research. This study aims to support more inclusive, effective and personalised approaches to training and competition schedules for female athletes. The study will involve two testing days that require a participant to complete a compilation of tests at 07:00, 12:00 and 18:00 hours. The testing days will be arranged for when a participant is in phase 1 (lowest levels of progesterone in the menstrual cycle) and phase 4 (highest level of progesterone in the menstrual cycle). The tests will examine a participant's executive function and physical strength. This study will aim to recruit thirty 18-30-year-old females from Lancaster University who identify with a sport that they train \~3 times a week for with a purpose to compete. The females recruited must have a regular menstrual cycle and no history of sleep disorders. Aim: To investigate the effects of time-of-day and menstrual cycle phase (low and high progesterone levels) on executive function and strength in females. Objectives: 1. To determine the effects of time-of-day on executive function and strength tests. 2. To determine the effects of menstrual cycle phase on executive function and strength tests. 3. To examine if there is an interaction between time-of-day and menstrual cycle phase on executive function and strength tests.

Evaluation of the Impact of a Nutritional Formulation on Cognitive Performance Following Stress Exposure.

The proposed project will evaluate the synergistic effects of a nutritional formulation, 'Think Tank' on cognitive performance following exposure to a psychological and physical stressor. Adopting a double-blind repeated measures cross-over design, middle-aged females (40-60 years) will be recruited to take part in a two-stage research study that will examine whether the formulation enhances cognitive performance and subjective well-being following the challenge of a stressor, compared to placebo. Cognitive assessments will examine the impact of the nutritional formulation on working memory, sustained attention, cognitive flexibility and inhibitory control. The study will also assess physiological (heart rate, blood pressure and cortisol) and subjective (well-being, anxiety, positive and negative mood, stress) markers of stress reactivity. The study will also explore levels sleep quality, mental and physical fatigue, effort, productivity, and perceived impact of the intervention.

Motor-Focused Exercise and Brain Development in Preschool Children

This study will test whether a structured motor-focused exercise program can improve both brain function and gross motor skills in preschool children. About 110 children aged 4 to 6 years will be recruited from kindergartens in Changsha, China. Classes will be randomly assigned to receive either (1) motor-focused physical education three times per week for 16 weeks, or (2) ordinary physical education of the same frequency and duration. The motor-focused program includes playful, game-based activities designed to strengthen locomotor skills (such as running and hopping) and object-control skills (such as throwing and catching). The main outcome will be changes in children's gross motor skills, measured with a standardized motor test (TGMD-3). Brain activity will also be assessed using portable electroencephalography (EEG) during rest and simple tasks related to attention and memory. Parents and teachers will complete short questionnaires about children's behavior and executive function. The results of this study may provide new insights into how physical education influences both movement skills and brain development in early childhood.

Effects of Resistance and Dual-Task Training on Physical, Oculomotor, and Executive Functions in Older Adults With MCI

The goal of this clinical trial is to determine the effect of a combined therapeutic intervention program with anaerobic exercises (resistance exercises) and dual tasks on the physical, oculomotor, and executive functions of older adults with mild cognitive impairment. The main questions it aims to answer are: • How effective will a therapeutic intervention program combining resistance exercises with dual tasks be in improving the physical, oculomotor, and executive functions of older adults with mild cognitive impairment living in the community? Researchers will compare the effectiveness of a resistance exercise training program combined with dual tasks versus a resistance-only exercise training program to see if it improves the physical, oculomotor, and executive functions of older adults with mild cognitive impairment Participants Will: * Receive resistance exercises, resistance exercises combined with dual tasks. or the standard health care. The intervention programs will consist of 3 weekly sessions over 8 weeks. * Before the start and after the completion of the programs, they will be evaluated using a battery of tests. This includes sociodemographic and general health background, physical fitness tests, as well as assessments of executive functions and oculomotor Saccadic movements and anti-saccadic error. * be required to sign a consent form.

Exploring the Cognitive Benefits of a Blackcurrant-Based Supplement in Normobaric Hypoxia

This study investigates the cognitive effects of Ārepa, a blackcurrant-based drink, under simulated high-altitude conditions (4,500m normobaric hypoxia for \~180 minutes). Using a double-blind, randomised, placebo-controlled crossover design, participants will consume either the nootropic blackcurrant-based drink or a taste-matched placebo. Cognitive testing (\~80 minutes) includes Trail-making, Stroop, N-back, Serial 7s/3s, and RVIP tasks. Physiological measures (heart rate, SpO₂, blood) and biomarkers (MAO-B, BDNF, hsCRP, S100B, Prolactin, C3G, Sarmentosin) will be assessed. Scales will evaluate mood, wellbeing, and perceived effects. The aim is to determine if the nootropic drink can support cognitive function in hypoxic environments.

Physical Fitness and Hot Executive Function in Alzheimer's Risk

This 18-month study tracks how physical fitness relates to executive function in older adults, aiming to determine if fitness improvements predict better cognitive performance. Participants complete assessments at baseline and 18 months, including cardiorespiratory fitness (YMCA bike test), muscle strength (chest and leg press tests), and executive function (computer tasks with brain activity recording via EEG). Additional measures include physical activity questionnaires, cognitive screening (MMSE), memory tests (digit span), demographics (age, sex, education), and blood tests for APOE ε4 gene status. No exercise program will be provided, allowing observation of natural fitness-cognition relationships in daily life.

Health-related Physical Fitness and Executive Function in Older Adults: A Prospective Study

This study aims to explore the relationship between health-related physical fitness and behavioural and electrophysiological aspects of cool and hot executive function in older adults through a year prospective study design. The main questions it aims to answer whether changes in health-related physical fitness will positively predict changes in behavioural and electrophysiological aspects of cool and hot executive functions in older adults. The participants will be asked to complete pre-test, a one-year observation period, and post-test. Both pre- and post-tests will measure health-related physical fitness, executive function, and various demographic variables and covariates. Health-related physical fitness assessments include cardiorespiratory endurance (YMCA submaximal cycle test), muscular strength (grip strength, chest press, and leg press), muscular endurance (30-second chair stand, 30-second bicep curl), flexibility (range of motion), and balance (Balance Error Scoring System). Executive function will be measured using the Stroop test and emotional Stroop test, with concurrent EEG recording of brain activity. Demographic variables and covariates include sex, age, years of education, annual income, Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) Taiwan short form, World Health Organisation Quality of Life Brief Assessment (WHOQOL-BREF) Taiwan version, Geriatric Depression Scale, Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), digit span tests, and step count recorded by mobile phones or watches over the previous month, resting heart rate, and resting blood pressure. No interventions will be conducted during the one-year observation period, maintaining participants' normal daily living conditions.

3-Dimensional Evaluation of Body Perception

The goal of this observational study is to evaluate the changing body perception of amputees aged 18-65 years using prostheses through different personal perspectives of the right-left distinction. In addition, we aimed to examine the relationship between possible changes in body perception and visual spatial perception and neurocognitive performances. The main questions that this study aimed to answer are as follows: 1. Is there a difference between the amputee group and the control group in terms of parameters related to body perception? 2. Is there a difference between the amputee group and the control group in terms of neurocognitive skills? 3. Is there any difference between the amputee group and the control group in terms of visual spatial perception abilities? To examine whether changes in body perception in amputees affect neurocognitive performance, visuospatial perception and perspective perception and the relationship between them will be compared with a healthy control group. The assessments to be applied to both groups can be summarised as follows: * Demographic information such as age, gender, and education level will be recorded. * Mini-mental state test will be used to assess the cognitive level. * Edinburgh Handedness Scale will be used to determine the dominant side. * Right-left discrimination and personal perspective perception will be assessed using a desktop programme. * The clock drawing test and Benton line orientation test will be used to visual spatial perception. * A computer based program called The Central Nervous System (CNS) Vital Signs Neurocognitive Test Battery will be used to asesses neurocognitive abilities.

ACT for Mental Health in Neurological Disorders

The goal of this clinical trial is to examine the efficacy of this manual for mental health in people with mixed neurological disorders, including post-COVID. These conditions are often associated with cognitive impairment, which may hamper the effects of psychoterapy. Executive functioning and especially the ability to abstract thinking may be useful for individuals using Acceptance and Commitment Therapy. Therefore, the main questions research questions are: * Is this intervention effective in improving mental health? * Do executive functions predict the extent of social participation and mental health at the end of therapy? Participants will take part in 8 weekly group therapy sessions of 100 minutes each.

CogniFit Computerized Cognitive Training in Primary School Students in Hong Kong

This study aims to address these gaps by conducting a comprehensive evaluation of the effects of CogniFit training in children. The primary objective of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of CogniFit training on executive functions among primary school students in Hong Kong. Specific objectives include: 1. To assess the effectiveness of CogniFit training on improving executive functions, such as working memory, attention, and inhibitory control in children compared to a waitlist control group. 2. To assess the effectiveness of CogniFit training on improving executive functions, such as working memory, attention, and inhibitory control in children compared to an active control group that will receive Cogmed training. Participants will be randomly assigned to one of three groups: 1) the CogniFit training group; 2) the Cogmed Group, and 3) the wailist controlled group. Participants in the two computerized cognitive training groups (CogniFit/Cogmed Group) will receive training in the first phase of intervention, while the waitlist control group will CogniFit trainings in the second phase of intervention. Participants who receive the computerized cognitive training will complete 24 sessions of training, 15-20 minutes each, conducted three times per week spanning 8 weeks. These programs comprise a range of game-like exercises targeting various cognitive skills, including working memory, attention, and inhibitory control, with automatic level advancement after each exercise. To investigate the intervention effectiveness, children will be asked to complete a set of cognitive tests covering inhibitory control, attention, and working memory prior to the intervention (i.e., Time 1), immediately after the 8-week training (i.e., Time 2), and 2 months after the training (i.e., Time 3, a 2-month follow up). The assessment will take around 1 hour and it will be conducted at participants' schools. Also, parents will be asked to complete a questionnaire assessing children's behaviours at home and schools at 3 time points.

Examining Executive Functions in Medical Students Across Different Types of Study Breaks

This study aims to expand on previous findings and compare the effects of an active break (ten minutes of walking or upper body movement), a digital break (ten minutes of phone use), and no break on memory and attention in medical students after a prolonged period of studying. The List Learning Task, Stroop Test, and Sustained Attention to Response Task will be administered to measure memory, executive function, and attention, respectively. Information on how different types of breaks affect memory and attention may prompt medical students to be more mindful and intentional of the way they spend their time in between studying.

Do Motor Synchrony Games Improve Self Regulation?

The goal of this study is to determine if progressively more challenging playground games (motor synchrony games) improve executive function in preschool-aged children.