Sports-Based Cognitive Game Program and Attention in Athletes

NCT07749937 | Completed

• 1 other identifier: E-78187535-050.04-426788
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 95
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

This study looked at whether a 12-week sports-based cognitive game program could improve attention and change brain activity in athletes. Ninety-five active athletes from Düzce University were randomly placed into two groups. One group (45 people) took part in a cognitive game program twice a week for 12 weeks, in addition to their regular sports training. Each session lasted 45 minutes and included games designed to build attention, reaction speed, decision-making, and multitasking skills. The other group (50 people) continued their usual sports training without any additional program. Before and after the 12 weeks, all participants completed a paper-and-pencil attention test (the d2 Attention Test) and had a short, painless brain-wave recording (EEG) taken from the forehead area while sitting quietly with their eyes closed. The researchers compared how much each group's attention scores and brain-wave patterns changed over the 12 weeks. The results showed that the group who took part in the cognitive game program improved significantly more in attention performance than the group who did not, and also showed a favorable change in their brain-wave pattern (a lower theta/beta ratio, which is linked to better attention control). The group that continued regular training without the program showed little change in either measure. These findings suggest that adding structured, game-based cognitive training to regular sports training may offer additional benefits for attention and brain function beyond physical training alone.

Conditions

Selective Attention; Attention Performance in Athletes

Keywords

Attention; EEG Theta/Beta Ratio; Athletes; Cognitive Performance; Game Development Program

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (2)

• d2 Attention Test Total Net Error (TNE) Score

  Selective attention performance measured by the Total Net Error (TNE) score of the d2 Attention Test, calculated as TNE = TN (total correctly marked targets) - E2 (commission errors). Higher scores indicate better selective attention performance.

  Baseline (pre-test) and after 12 weeks (post-test)

• Fz EEG Theta/Beta Ratio

  Prefrontal EEG theta (4-8 Hz) to beta (13-21 Hz) power ratio, recorded from the Fz electrode using the Nexus 10 Mk II device during a 10-minute eyes-closed resting condition. Lower ratios indicate better attention regulation and prefrontal inhibitory capacity.

  Baseline (pre-test) and after 12 weeks (post-test)

Study Arms (2)

Experimental Group

EXPERIMENTAL

Participants received a 12-week sports-based cognitive game development program (24 sessions, twice weekly, 45 min/session) in addition to regular sports training.

Behavioral: Sports-Based Cognitive Game Development Program

Control Group

NO INTERVENTION

Participants continued their regular sports training without any additional intervention during the 12-week period.

Interventions

Sports-Based Cognitive Game Development Program BEHAVIORAL

A structured, five-stage sports-based cognitive game development program delivered twice weekly for 12 weeks (24 sessions total, 45 minutes per session), in addition to participants' regular sports training. The program followed a gradual cognitive load principle across five stages: (1) adaptation and basic cognitive infrastructure, (2) attention and reaction development, (3) decision-making and strategy, (4) concentration and multitasking performance, and (5) reinforcement and transfer to sport. Each session included five components: greeting and orientation (3 min), attention warm-up exercises (5 min), cognitive reaction games (15 min), strategy and decision-making games (15 min), and evaluation/closing (7 min). Sessions were delivered by a single PhD-level sport sciences researcher.

Experimental Group

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years - 25 Years
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64)

You may qualify if:

• Actively engaged in sports/regular athletic training
• No neurological or psychiatric diagnosis in the past six months
• Continuing a regular exercise program throughout the study period
• Full participation in all intervention sessions (for experimental group) or willingness to continue regular sports training (for control group)
• Aged 18-25 years
• Voluntary participation with written informed consent

You may not qualify if:

• Neurological or psychiatric diagnosis within the past six months
• Inability to attend the required number of sessions
• Withdrawal of informed consent

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Duzce University: lead

Study Sites (1)

Duzce University, Faculty of Sport Sciences

Düzce, 81620, Turkey (Türkiye)

Location

Study Officials

• Yeşer Eroğlu Eskicioğlu, PhD

  Duzce University

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: NONE
• Masking Details: No masking was applied in this study. Due to the nature of the intervention (an in-person, game-based cognitive-physical training program), it was not feasible to blind participants, the practitioner delivering the sessions, or the researchers to group assignment.
• Purpose: BASIC SCIENCE
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Associate Professor

Model Details: Participants were randomly assigned to one of two parallel arms: an experimental group receiving a 12-week sports-based cognitive game development program (24 sessions, twice weekly) in addition to regular sports training, or a control group continuing regular sports training only. Both arms were followed concurrently for 12 weeks with pre- and post-intervention assessments.

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: August 3, 2026
• First Posted: August 6, 2026
• Study Start: February 1, 2026
• Primary Completion: April 30, 2026
• Study Completion: April 30, 2026
• Last Updated: August 6, 2026

Record last verified: 2026-08

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will share
• Shared Documents: STUDY PROTOCOL
• Time Frame: Data will be made available beginning immediately following publication of the article, with no end date. There are no restrictions on the type of analyses for which data may be requested, provided the request includes a methodologically sound proposal and is directed to the corresponding author.
• Access Criteria: Data requests will be reviewed by the corresponding author. Access will be granted to qualified researchers who submit a methodologically sound proposal describing the intended use of the data. Requestors should contact the corresponding author (yesereskicioglu@duzce.edu.tr) with a written request outlining the research question and analysis plan. De-identified individual participant data will be shared via secure electronic transfer following approval of the request.

Locations

TU (1)