Effects of Different Exercise Protocols on Physical and Cognitive Changes in People With Chronic Neck Pain

NCT07432425 | Recruiting DMC

• 1 other identifier: KA-23031
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 21
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

This study aims to investigate the effects of different exercise approaches on physical status, cognitive functions, brain structures, and blood biomarkers in individuals with chronic neck pain.

Conditions

Neck Pain; Chronic Neck Pain

Keywords

Neck Pain; Exercise; Cognition; Neuropsychological test; Neuroimaging; Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• Pain Intensity

  Numerical scales are among the frequently used one-dimensional pain intensity scales because they are easy to use and effective. In the application, volunteers are asked to choose the number that best describes their pain intensity. Zero indicates no pain, while 10 represents the worst pain imaginable.

  Baseline, 6th week, and 12th week

Other Outcomes (16)

• Global Cognition

  Baseline and 12th week

• Biochemical Measurements

  Baseline and 12th week

• Neuromaging

  Baseline and 12th week

Study Arms (3)

Aerobic exercise group

EXPERIMENTAL

Aerobic exercise training will be applied 3 days a week for 3 months and each participant will participate in a total of 36 exercise sessions individually.

Other: Aerobic exercise

Strengthening exercise group

EXPERIMENTAL

Strengthening exercise training will be applied 3 days a week for 3 months and each participant will participate in a total of 36 exercise sessions individually.

Other: Strengthening exercise

Posture and stretching exercise group

OTHER

Posture and stretching exercise training will be applied 3 days a week for 3 months and each participant will participate in a total of 36 exercise sessions individually as the control intervention.

Other: Posture and strentching exercise

Interventions

Aerobic exercise OTHER

Participants will receive a total of 36 sessions of treatment, 3 sessions per week for 12 weeks. Aerobic exercise training will be performed with a bicycle ergometer, and a 5-minute warm-up (pedaling without resistance) program will be applied before the exercise training, finished by a 5-minute cool-down program (pedaling without resistance). Details of the intervention is described below: 60% of maximum heart rate, for 30 minutes (1-2nd weeks), 60% of maximum heart rate, for 45 minutes (3-4th weeks), 60% of maximum heart rate, for 60 minutes (5-6th weeks), mid-examination (at the end of the 6th week), 75% of maximum heart rate, for 30 minutes (7-8th weeks), 75% of maximum heart rate, for 45 minutes (9-10th weeks), 75% of maximum heart rate, for 60 minutes (11-12th weeks)

Aerobic exercise group

Strengthening exercise OTHER

A 5-minute warm-up (neck and upper extremity range of motion exercises) will be applied before the exercise training, and finished by a 5-minute cool-down program (neck and upper extremity range of motion exercises). Details of the intervention is described below: Isometric neck exercise (MVC 80%,2x10) and Theraband resistive neck and upper body exercises 10 RM-2x10 (1-2nd weeks), Isometric neck exercise (MVC 80%,3x10) and Theraband resistive neck and upper body exercises 10 RM-3x10 (3-4th weeks), Isometric neck exercise (MVC 80%,3x15) and Theraband resistive neck and upper body exercises 10 RM-3x15 (5-6th weeks) , mid-examination (6th week), Isometric neck exercise (MVC 80%,2x10) Theraband resistive neck and upper body exercises 10 RM-2x10 (7-8th weeks), Isometric neck exercise (MVC 80%,3x10) Theraband resistive neck and upper body exercises 10 RM-3x10 (9-10th weeks), Isometric neck exercise (MVC 80%,3x15) Theraband resistive neck and upper body exercises 10 RM-3x15 (11-12th weeks)

Strengthening exercise group

Posture and strentching exercise OTHER

Posture and stretching exercises and stretching exercises will be applied as a control treatment to volunteers with chronic neck pain included in the control group, and at the end of the study, these people will be included in the training program according to the exercise approach that is effective.

Posture and stretching exercise group

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 20 Years - 65 Years
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: No
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

• Participants aged 20-65
• Having neck pain at least 3 months and rated as 3 or more according to the Numeric Rating Scale
• Having a score of 10 or more according to the Neck Disability Index
• Having a score of 24 or above according to the Mini Mental State Examination
• Right hand dominancy according to Edinburgh Handedness Inventory
• Having at least a primary school graduate

You may not qualify if:

• Having neuropsychiatric, neurologic, metabolic, cardiovascular, and inflammatory disease(s)
• Participating in a rehabilitation program for neck pain in the last 6 months
• Having an exercise or sports history of 6 months or more
• Presence of brain parenchymal lesion on MRI
• Presence of materials in the body such as jewelry, metal, hearing aid, pacemaker, lead that cannot be removed and are not suitable for MRI
• History of neck or shoulder surgery
• Being pregnant or having given birth within the last year

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Hacettepe University: lead

Study Sites (1)

Hacettepe University Faculty of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation

Ankara, Altindag, Turkey (Türkiye)

RECRUITING

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Neck Pain; Motor Activity

Interventions

Exercise; Posture

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Pain; Neurologic Manifestations; Signs and Symptoms; Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms; Behavior

Intervention Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Motor Activity; Movement; Musculoskeletal Physiological Phenomena; Musculoskeletal and Neural Physiological Phenomena

Study Officials

• Ahmet Ilkay Isikay, Associate Professor

  Faculty of Medicine, Department of Neurosurgery, Hacettepe University

  STUDY CHAIR

• Asli Pinar, Professor

  Faculty of Medicine, Department of Medical Biology, Hacettepe University

  STUDY CHAIR

• Ezgi Yetim Arsava, PhD

  Faculty of Medicine, Department of Neurology, Hacettepe University

  STUDY CHAIR

• Erdem Karabulut, Professor

  Faculty of Medicine, Department of Biostatistics, Hacettepe University

  STUDY CHAIR

• Rahsan Gocmen, Associate Professor

  Faculty of Medicine, Department of Radiology, Hacettepe University

  STUDY CHAIR

Central Study Contacts

Zeynep Güven, MsC

CONTACT

90+3123052525; fztzeynepguven@gmail.com

Songul Atasavun-Uysal, Professor

CONTACT

+903123052525; songula@hacettepe.edu.tr

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: NONE
• Purpose: TREATMENT
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Professor

Model Details: Participants who meet the inclusion criteria will be assigned into 3 groups: aerobic exercise group, strengthening exercises group or control group. Assignment to groups will conduct with the stratified block randomization technique according to age, gender and education level variables.

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: January 25, 2026
• First Posted: February 25, 2026
• Study Start: May 1, 2025
• Primary Completion: March 30, 2026
• Study Completion: March 30, 2026
• Last Updated: February 25, 2026

Record last verified: 2026-01

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

TU (1)