Effects of Standing Desks and Intermittent Walking on Cognitive Fatigue

NCT07576413 | Completed

• 1 other identifier: 18-49.1
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 31
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

The objective of this randomized-controlled crossover design was to identify inter-individual responses to the use of sitting desks, standing desks and two minutes of walking after twenty-eight minutes of sitting on the performance of cognitive tasks and moods in healthy undergraduate and graduate students. Participants were randomly assigned to an order of interventions and were asked to perform 26 minutes of cognitive tasks followed by completing 2 minutes of surveys where they were asked about their moods. Following the 28 minute cognitive battery participants were given a 2 minute break. In the seated condition participants performed all tasks on a seated desk and had to remain seated for their 2 minute break. In the standing condition participants performed the entire battery standing and had to remain standing for the 2 minute break. In the intermittent walking condition, participants performed all tasks in a seated condition and for their 2 minute break, participants were asked to walk for 2 minutes at a pace that they felt comfortable.

Conditions

Sitting Position; Overexertion From Maintaining Prolonged Standing Position; Walking

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (10)

• Profile of Mood Survey- Short Form Vigor on a 0 to 20 scale from baseline to the end of the study

  Using the self-reported Profile of Mood Survey-Short Form participants reported their moods on the vigor scale of the POMS-SF

  28 minutes, 58 minutes, 88 minutes

• Profile of Mood Survey- Short Form Fatigue on a 0 to 20 scale from baseline to the end of the study

  Using the self-reported Profile of Mood Survey-Short Form participants reported their moods on the fatigue scale of the POMS-SF

  28 minutes, 58 minutes, 88 minutes

• Profile of Mood Survey- Short Form Tension on a 0 to 20 scale from baseline to the end of the study

  Using the self-reported Profile of Mood Survey-Short Form participants reported their moods on the tension scale of the POMS-SF

  28 minutes, 58 minutes, 88 minutes

• Profile of Mood Survey- Short Form Depression on a 0 to 20 scale from baseline to the end of the study

  Using the self-reported Profile of Mood Survey-Short Form participants reported their moods on the depression scale of the POMS-SF

  28 minutes, 58 minutes, 88 minutes

• Profile of Mood Survey- Short Form Anger on a 0 to 20 scale from baseline to the end of the study

  Using the self-reported Profile of Mood Survey-Short Form participants reported their moods on the anger scale of the POMS-SF

  28 minutes, 58 minutes, 88 minutes

• Changes on the Profile of Mood Survey- Short Form Confusion on a -4 to 16 scale from baseline to the end of the study

  Using the self-reported Profile of Mood Survey-Short Form participants reported their moods on the confusion scale of the POMS-SF

  28 minutes, 58 minutes, 88 minutes

• Changes in state mental energy were measured on a 0 to 300 scale from baseline to the end of the study

  Using the state mental and physical energy and fatigue scale participants reported their state mental energy.

  28 minutes, 58 minutes, 88 minutes

• Changes in state mental fatigue were measured on a 0 to 300 scale from baseline to the end of the study

  Using the state mental and physical energy and fatigue scale participants reported their state mental fatigue.

  28 minutes, 58 minutes, 88 minutes

• Changes in state physical fatigue were measured on a 0 to 300 scale from baseline to the end of the study

  Using the state mental and physical energy and fatigue scale participants reported their state physical fatigue.

  28 minutes, 58 minutes, 88 minutes

• Changes in state physical energy were measured on a 0 to 300 scale from baseline to the end of the study

  Using the state mental and physical energy and fatigue scale participants reported their state physical energy.

  28 minutes, 58 minutes, 88 minutes

Secondary Outcomes (10)

• Performance on the concentration task grid

  15 minutes, 45 minutes, 75 minutes

• Performance on the continuous performance task

  6 minute, 36 minutes, 66 minutes

• Performance on the distractor task

  16 minutes, 46 minutes, 76 minutes

• Performance on the Erikson Flanker task

  19 minutes, 49 minutes, 79 minutes

• Performance on the Paced Visual Serial Addition Task

  17 minutes, 47 minutes, 77 minutes

Study Arms (3)

Sitting desk

ACTIVE COMPARATOR

Participants were asked to perform all tasks in a sitting condition

Behavioral: Performance of cognitive tasks

Standing desk

EXPERIMENTAL

Participants were asked to perform all tasks while standing

Behavioral: Performance of cognitive tasks

Intermittent walking

EXPERIMENTAL

Participants were asked to walk for 2 minutes at a self-selected pace after 28 minutes of performing tasks while seated.

Behavioral: Performance of cognitive tasks

Interventions

Performance of cognitive tasks BEHAVIORAL

Participants performed a series of cognitive tasks on all 3 days

Intermittent walking; Sitting desk; Standing desk

Eligibility Criteria

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

You may qualify if:

• years in age

You may not qualify if:

• Use of any prescription medications for any chronic conditions
• current acute illness
• chronic illnesses
• color blindness
• inability to stand for 90 minutes

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Clarkson University: lead

Study Sites (1)

Clarkson University

Potsdam, New York, 13699, United States

Location

Study Officials

• Ali Boolani, PhD

  Clarkson University

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: SINGLE
• Who Masked: OUTCOMES ASSESSOR
• Purpose: PREVENTION
• Intervention Model: CROSSOVER
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: SPONSOR

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: May 4, 2026
• First Posted: May 8, 2026
• Study Start: June 1, 2018
• Primary Completion: December 15, 2018
• Study Completion: December 15, 2018
• Last Updated: May 8, 2026

Record last verified: 2026-05

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

US (1)