Academic educations concurs with a lot of sitting. Studies have shown that prolonged sitting not only has disruptive effects on physical health, but also influence mental health and cognition negatively. For physical health evidence grows that short light intense interruptions of sitting time effectively counterbalance the impact of prolonged sitting. It is not clear of light intense physical activity breaks have a similar positive effect on cognitive performance. Also, it is unclear whether cognitive loading might be able to compensate the impact of prolonged sitting.This study compares the effects of uninterrupted sitting with or without cognitive loading and interrupted sitting on cognitive functioning; muscle activation of leg and trunk muscles under various modes of sitting with walking, in order to calibrate the physical impact of different sitting modes.
healthy university students will attend three separate intervention visits with 6-days (no more than 14 days) washout in between: 1) uninterrupted sitting (SIT); 2) uninterrupted sitting with a cognitive task (COGN); 3) sitting interrupted by light physical activity (INTERRUPT). For the SIT and INTERRUPT conditions, subjects watch a series of documentaries while sitting. In the COGN condition, while sitting, participants undergo the online GED test as cognitive load. Four cognitive tests (D2 test, stroop test, trail making test and 2-BACK test) and mood states will be performed before and after each intervention. On a separate day, using surface electromyography, activations of major leg and trunk muscles of sitting on chair, active and passive sitting on a yoga ball and walking were assessed.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
BASIC_SCIENCE
Masking
NONE
Enrollment
21
Each 30 minutes will be 25 minutes sitting followed by 5 minutes walking that designed as prescribed walking route outside laboratory corridor.
Participants will perform online cognitive task during prolonged sitting.
Participants will watch documentary during prolonged sitting.
Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences
Maastricht, Limburg, Netherlands
Cognitive processes as assessed using Stroop test
Stroop test is a computer-based Stroop word and color test, including congruent trials and incongruent trials to assess inhibition. Reaction time and accuracy of the Stroop test will be collected before and after the intervention
Time frame: change from baseline after 4 hour intervention on day1, day8, day16
Cognitive processes as assessed using D2 attention test
D2 attention test is a paper and pencil test to assess attention. Concentration performance will be collected before and after the intervention.
Time frame: change from baseline after 4 hour intervention on day1, day8, day16
Cognitive processes as assessed using N back test
N back test is a computer-based test, including target images and non-target images. this test is for updating and working memory. The correct reaction number of N back test will be collected before and after the intervention.
Time frame: change from baseline after 4 hour intervention on day1, day8, day16
Cognitive processes as assessed using Trail making test
Trail making test is a computer-based test to assess task-switching. reaction time and accuracy of the trail making test will be collected before and after the intervention.
Time frame: change from baseline after 4 hour intervention on day1, day8, day16
mood status assessed by tension score
mood questionnaire(an abbreviated version of Profile of Mood States (POMS)) will be used before and after the intervention, such as tension, anger, depression, vigor, esteem-related effect, confusion, fatigue, total mood level data included. The scale is 0 to 4.
Time frame: change from baseline after 4 hour intervention on day1, day8, day16
mood status assessed by anger score
mood questionnaire(an abbreviated version of Profile of Mood States (POMS)) will be used before and after the intervention, such as tension, anger, depression, vigor, esteem-related effect, confusion, fatigue, total mood level data included. The scale is 0 to 4.
Time frame: change from baseline all mood outcomes after 4 hour intervention on day1, day8, day16
mood status assessed by depression score
mood questionnaire(an abbreviated version of Profile of Mood States (POMS)) will be used before and after the intervention, such as tension, anger, depression, vigor, esteem-related effect, confusion, fatigue, total mood level data included. The scale is 0 to 4.
Time frame: change from baseline all mood outcomes after 4 hour intervention on day1, day8, day16
mood status assessed by vigor score
mood questionnaire(an abbreviated version of Profile of Mood States (POMS)) will be used before and after the intervention, such as tension, anger, depression, vigor, esteem-related effect, confusion, fatigue, total mood level data included. The scale is 0 to 4.
Time frame: change from baseline all mood outcomes after 4 hour intervention on day1, day8, day16
mood status assessed by esteem-related effect score
mood questionnaire(an abbreviated version of Profile of Mood States (POMS)) will be used before and after the intervention, such as tension, anger, depression, vigor, esteem-related effect, confusion, fatigue, total mood level data included. The scale is 0 to 4.
Time frame: change from baseline all mood outcomes after 4 hour intervention on day1, day8, day16
mood status assessed by confusion score
mood questionnaire(an abbreviated version of Profile of Mood States (POMS)) will be used before and after the intervention, such as tension, anger, depression, vigor, esteem-related effect, confusion, fatigue, total mood level data included. The scale is 0 to 4.
Time frame: change from baseline all mood outcomes after 4 hour intervention on day1, day8, day16
mood status assessed by fatigue score
mood questionnaire(an abbreviated version of Profile of Mood States (POMS)) will be used before and after the intervention, such as tension, anger, depression, vigor, esteem-related effect, confusion, fatigue, total mood level data included. The scale is 0 to 4.
Time frame: change from baseline all mood outcomes after 4 hour intervention on day1, day8, day16
mood status assessed by total mood level score
mood questionnaire(an abbreviated version of Profile of Mood States (POMS)) will be used before and after the intervention, such as tension, anger, depression, vigor, esteem-related effect, confusion, fatigue, total mood level data included. The scale is 0 to 4.
Time frame: change from baseline all mood outcomes after 4 hour intervention on day1, day8, day16
muscle activity
Muscle activity is measured by the electromyograph （EMG）machine. RMS values will be collected and calculated as muscle activation during each sittings condition
Time frame: recording 5 minutes' muscle activity for each sitting posture, average RMS will be collected.it will be performed on another experiment day.
discomfort level
after each sitting condition, self discomfort level will be asked.0 means no discomfort,10 means the worst discomfort
Time frame: report discomfort level immediately after each sitting condition(each sitting posture lasts 5 minutes).it will be performed on another experiment day.
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