Effects of a Complex, Partnered Martial Arts-based Intervention on Cognitive Processing.

NCT05530148 | Completed

• 1 other identifier: 23222
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 72
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

The investigators' study is designed to test whether prolonged exposure to a martial arts-based intervention (three complex, partner exercises based on Filipino, Chinese and Thai martial arts practices), can improve cognitive processing to a greater degree than resistive exercise of a similar intensity.

Conditions

Cognitive Change; Processing, Visual Spatial

Keywords

Cognitive Performance; Complex movement; Skill Acquisition; Processing Speed

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• Processing Speed (Latent Factor)

  Cognitive processing speed will be modeled within a latent variable framework reflecting standardized scores from four heterogeneous assessments involving visual stimuli. Performance for all of these tasks will be measured by number of correct responses (accuracy) as well as reaction/decision-making times.

  8 weeks

Secondary Outcomes (5)

• Godin Leisure-Time Exercise Questionnaire

  8 weeks

• Memory

  8 weeks

• Enjoyment of Exercise

  8 weeks

• Perceived Mental Fatigue

  8 weeks

• Perceptions of Mastery

  8 weeks

Other Outcomes (3)

• Grip strength task

  8 weeks

• Dot task

  8 weeks

• Trail-Making Test

  8 weeks

Study Arms (2)

Martial Arts Group

EXPERIMENTAL

Participants will be trained in the martial arts exercises using both in-person group sessions and asynchronous remote learning via video content distributed to them each week. Participants will be asked to attend as many of the 24 in-person sessions as they can. Heartrate will be monitored periodically to make sure the intensity of exercise is consistent with mild to moderate cardiovascular exercise as in the active comparator.

Behavioral: Martial Arts Training Group

Flexing, Toning and Balance

ACTIVE COMPARATOR

Flexibility, Toning and Balance or FTB will be used to refer to our resistive exercise comparison. As in the experimental group, participants will be asked to attend as many of the 24 in-person intervention sessions as they can, whilst also practicing the exercises remotely via video content distributed to them. The remote portion of this intervention will be asynchronous. Heart-rate will be monitored periodically to make sure the intensity of exercise is consistent with mild to moderate cardiovascular exercise as in the martial arts experimental group.

Behavioral: Flexing, Toning and Balance

Interventions

Martial Arts Training Group BEHAVIORAL

Participants in the experimental intervention group will attend as many of the 24 in-person training sessions as possible, and complete remote solo training at their leisure, for the duration of the intervention period. During the in-person sessions, they will be instructed in the three exercises practiced in the experimental group, known as hubud, chi sau and padwork. Hubud is a turn-based, partnered, coordination drill involving moves derived from numerous martial arts, most often seen in the Filipino martial art of Kali. Chi Sau is a simultaneous contact drill from Chinese Kung Fu, specifically the Wing Chun school. Padwork is an amalgam of punching and kicking combinations used against focus pads or padded sticks to improve coordination, most commonly seen in kickboxing and Muay Thai. Participants will aim to reach a level of comfort and competency in the basic, non-competitive aspects of these exercises by the end of their participation in this intervention.

Martial Arts Group

Flexing, Toning and Balance BEHAVIORAL

Participants in the active comparator group will attend as many of the 24 in-person training sessions as possible, and complete remote solo training at their leisure, for the duration of the intervention period. During the in-person sessions, participants will start with a 5-minute warmup of basic joint mobilization exercises and dynamic stretching techniques. After this, participants will engage in a mild intensity circuit of exercises using resistance bands, bodyweight exercises and stability/balance exercises for approximately 50 minutes. The last 5 minutes of the session will be left for cooldown exercises and light stretching. Heartrate will be monitored regularly in order to prevent these exercises exceeding the relative intensity of the Martial Arts intervention group. Participants will be allowed to talk and interact with research assistants in order to keep socialization effects consistent across groups.

Also known as: Resistive Exercise Group, Active Comparison Group

Flexing, Toning and Balance

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years - 45 Years
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64)

You may qualify if:

• Men and Women between the ages of 18-45 years reporting lower levels of physical activity (sedentary or mild physical activity levels only)

You may not qualify if:

• Anyone who is physically active (≥30 minutes, 3 or more times/week, for the last 3 months) and/or a regular practitioner of martial arts and/or highly complex coordination drills such as dance and exercises related to coordinated movement (≥30 minutes, 3 or more times/week, for the last 3 months).
• Anyone with serious chronic medical conditions that would preclude them from participating without a physician present, or anyone with a risk of seizure, or anyone having psychiatric and/or neurological disorders.
• Pregnant women or anyone with recent (within the two months) surgery on their shoulders, elbows, knees or hips.
• Anyone who is currently diagnosed with depression and is receiving treatment (medication or counselling) for their depression.
• Anyone incapable of performing the following movements at a moderate intensity- sitting, standing, kicking, pulling, pushing, bending one's elbows or bending one's knees.
• Anyone who scores 1 or more on the Physical Activity Readiness Questionnaire
• Anyone refusing or unwilling to be randomized into either of the conditions.
• Anyone with insufficient proficiency (fluency) in English to understand the
• Anyone with blood pressure readings exceeding our safety limits (systolic \>160 and diastolic \>90)
• Anyone who has tested positive for COVID-19 within the last 60 days

Sponsors & Collaborators

• University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign: lead

Study Sites (1)

Exercise, Technology, and Cognition Laboratory - Louise Freer Hall 284

Urbana, Illinois, 61801, United States

Location

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Spatial Processing

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Spatial Behavior; Behavior

Study Officials

• Sean P Mullen, PhD

  University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: SINGLE
• Who Masked: OUTCOMES ASSESSOR
• Masking Details: Outcomes assessors will be masked to group allocation. Participants will not be masked from knowledge of the other group, but will only receive the training from one specific training group.
• Purpose: OTHER
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Associate Professor

Model Details: The study is a single-blind randomized trial with parallel groups design involving an experimental exercise and an exercise comparison.

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: August 30, 2022
• First Posted: September 7, 2022
• Study Start: September 1, 2022
• Primary Completion: April 11, 2023
• Study Completion: April 17, 2023
• Last Updated: May 11, 2023

Record last verified: 2023-05

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

US (1)