Clinical Research Directory

Gamified Versus Regular Exercise Snacks on Stationary Bikes, as One 10-Minute or Two 5-Minute Sessions a Day, for Children in an Inclusive Primary School

The goal of this pilot clinical trial is to learn how short exercise breaks, often called exercise snacks, on stationary exercise bikes can best be offered during the school day to students in Primary 4 to 6 at an inclusive primary school in Macao, including autistic students. It will also learn whether the program is practical and safe in an inclusive school. The main questions it aims to answer are: When the bike screen shows a game with points and a ranking among the four riders in the group, do students ride farther per scheduled minute than when the same screen shows a regular display with a cartoon cyclist, heart rate, distance and time remaining? Is any extra riding on game days larger when the 10 minutes are ridden at once than when they are split into two 5-minute rides, and is it accompanied by better or worse feelings during and after the ride? When the same 10 minutes are split into two 5-minute rides, do students receive the same riding dose and are they as focused on their classwork afterwards? How many planned rides actually happen and are completed, and what support do autistic students need? The investigators expect students to ride more on game days. Whether that extra riding comes with better or worse feelings, and whether it depends on ride length. The comparison with the waitlist group only estimates how large the differences are, to help plan a larger study. Thirty-two riders ride in fixed groups of four on 3 fixed school days a week for 8 weeks, 10 minutes a day: one 10-minute ride a day for 4 weeks and two 5-minute rides a day for the other 4 weeks. Within each 4-week period, the display shown to a group on each riding day is randomly assigned, with equal numbers of game and regular-display days, and the same virtual tracks are used under both displays. Riders wear a heart-rate arm band and answer a few picture-supported questions before, during and after each ride. Trained observers, who do not know which display or schedule students are on, record how focused students are on their classwork in the lesson after riding. Sixteen waitlist students follow the usual school routine, complete the same assessments, and receive access to the bikes after the study. All students complete a short tablet attention task and questionnaires about exercise motivation and quality of life before and after the 8 weeks.

Visual Function Screening System With Special Needs Children and Typical Preschoolers

The early visual screening of children plays a critical role in promoting visual development, especially for those with visual impairments. Among various approaches, eye-tracking based visual assessment has emerged as a promising tool, particularly for infants, toddlers, and children with developmental disabilities who are unable to complete traditional vision tests. The object of this study is to design and investigate the effectiveness of using a deep learning based, individualized eye-tracking system to assess visual function, specifically visual acuity and visual field, in typical preschool children and infants under the age of three. This study aims to establish a reliable, noninvasive visual screening method that accommodates the diverse needs and abilities of young children.

ACT Dad Interview: ACT for Fathers of Children With Special Needs

The goal of this qualitative study is to develop a therapy protocol for fathers of children with special needs in Hong Kong. The therapy is called Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), which helps people cope with difficult emotions by building psychological flexibility - the ability to accept and adjust to hard situations. The main questions it aims to answer are: 1. What are the experiences and needs of fathers raising children with special needs? 2. What content and format of an ACT programme would be most helpful for these fathers? Researchers will conduct focus group interviews with two groups of participants: fathers raising children with special needs and social workers who work with these families. The interviews will take about 60 to 90 minutes each. Participants will: 1. Take part in a recorded focus group interview 2. Share their experiences, challenges, and views on what an ACT program should include The findings will be used to develop a protocol for an ACT programme to improve the mental health of fathers raising children with special needs.