Clinical Research Directory

Sports-Based Cognitive Game Program and Attention in Athletes

This study examined whether a 12-week sports-based cognitive game program improves selective attention and changes resting frontal brain-wave activity in physically active university students. One hundred active students (18-23 years) at Düzce University completed baseline tests and were then randomly assigned by computer to an experimental group (n = 50) or a control group (n = 50). The experimental group took part in a basketball-based cognitive game program twice a week for 12 weeks (24 sessions, about 45 minutes each). The games required participants to respond to visual and verbal signals with specific movements, to remember and update information, and to make quick decisions, with difficulty increasing over the 12 weeks. The control group received no program and continued their daily lives. Selective attention was measured with the d2 Attention Test, and resting brain-wave activity was measured with a single EEG electrode at the frontal midline (Fz) as the theta/beta ratio. Both measurements were taken before and after the 12-week period. Participants in the experimental group who missed more than two sessions were excluded from the analysis.

SJFT Performance, Inhibitory Control, and Attention in Young Judokas

This study will examine the relationship between judo-specific physical fitness and cognitive performance in young male judo athletes and will evaluate the immediate effects of the Special Judo Fitness Test (SJFT) on attention and inhibitory control. Licensed male judo athletes who train regularly at least three days per week will be compared with male participants who do not actively participate in sports. Judo athletes will complete a standardized warm-up followed by the SJFT, a judo-specific high-intensity fitness test involving repeated throws performed over three short exercise periods separated by brief rest intervals. Heart rate will be measured immediately after the SJFT and again one minute later. Cognitive performance will be assessed using a computerized Flanker Task, which will measure reaction time and response accuracy while participants respond to relevant visual information and ignore distracting information. Judo athletes will complete the Flanker Task approximately one minute before and one minute after the SJFT. Participants in the control group will complete the same cognitive assessment twice over a similar time interval without performing the physical exercise. The study will aim to determine whether judo-specific physical fitness and judo experience are associated with attention and inhibitory control and whether a single high-intensity judo-specific exercise session will produce an immediate change in cognitive performance.

Acute Effects of Moderate-Intensity Swimming Exercise on Inhibitory Control, Cognitive Flexibility, and Selective Attention

This randomized controlled trial aims to investigate the acute effects of a single session of moderate-intensity freestyle swimming exercise on cognitive performance in healthy young adults. Cognitive functions such as inhibitory control, selective attention, and cognitive flexibility are essential components of executive functioning and play an important role in academic, occupational, and daily activities. A total of 60 healthy adults aged 18-35 years will be randomly assigned to either an exercise group or a control group. Participants in the exercise group will complete a 30-minute session of moderate-intensity freestyle swimming, while participants in the control group will undergo passive seated rest for the same duration. Cognitive performance will be evaluated immediately before and after the intervention using the Eriksen Flanker Task and the Stroop Color-Word Test. These assessments measure reaction time, attention control, information processing speed, and inhibitory control. The study is designed to determine whether a single bout of swimming exercise can produce immediate improvements in executive functions compared with passive rest. Findings from this research may contribute to a better understanding of the relationship between aerobic exercise and cognitive performance and may help inform exercise-based strategies for enhancing cognitive health and performance in healthy individuals.

Beyond Aerobic Fitness: Effects of Coordination and Aerobic Exercise on Executive Functions in School-Aged Children

This randomized controlled trial aims to compare the effects of aerobic exercise and coordination-based exercise on executive functions in school-aged children aged 10 to 12 years. Executive functions, including working memory and selective attention, are essential cognitive skills that support learning, academic achievement, problem-solving, and daily functioning. A total of 78 healthy children will be randomly assigned to one of three groups: an Aerobic Exercise Group, a Coordination Exercise Group, or a Control Group. Participants in the intervention groups will complete supervised exercise sessions lasting 40 minutes, three times per week, for 14 weeks. The aerobic exercise program will include activities designed to improve cardiovascular fitness, while the coordination exercise program will involve tasks requiring motor control, balance, bilateral coordination, and cognitive engagement. Participants in the control group will continue their usual school activities without additional structured exercise. Working memory and selective attention will be assessed before and after the intervention using standardized neuropsychological tests. The findings of this study may improve understanding of how different types of physical activity influence cognitive development in children and may help educators and health professionals design more effective school-based physical activity programs that support both physical and cognitive health.

Neuromodulation and Attention Deficits in MDD

Multimodal study (Behavior, TMS, EEG) combining a sham-controlled intermittent theta burst stimulation (iTBS) intervention with an additional-singleton task and EEG to evaluate whether left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) stimulation enhances cognitive control and modulates maladaptive attention processes in MDD and whether the effects are influenced by neuronavigated versus manual (Beam F3 method) localization of the stimulation site.