Psychomotor

Researchers are investigating the relationship between functional measures of balance and gait and objective kinetic and kinematic parameters in people with Multiple Sclerosis (MS). This cross-sectional observational study aims to understand how biomechanical gait and balance data collected through the Vicon motion analysis system relate to clinical assessments of balance, gait, and physical performance. The study seeks to identify which biomechanical factors are most closely linked to functional abilities and mobility challenges in MS. Participants will attend a single laboratory session where they will undergo biomechanical analysis of balance and gait using the Vicon motion capture system. They will also complete standardized functional tests including the Mini Balance Evaluation Systems Test, Functional Gait Assessment, Short Physical Performance Battery, and a 2-Minute Walk Test. Additionally, they will fill out questionnaires assessing fear of falling and fatigue and have their lower-limb spasticity evaluated with the modified Ashworth Scale. During the session, which takes about 40 minutes for the primary kinetic and kinematic analysis and additional time for functional assessments, researchers will collect detailed movement data alongside clinical measures. This data will be analyzed to explore correlations between biomechanical parameters and functional outcomes. The study includes assessments of postural control, gait performance, physical endurance, fatigue, and spasticity. The findings aim to improve understanding of movement impairments in MS and support better clinical assessments and rehabilitation approaches.

Researchers are evaluating how supportive environments, policies, and practices in licensed childcare centers in British Columbia (BC) can increase physical activity and motor skills among children aged 2.5 to 6 years. The study builds on provincial Active Play Standards and the Appetite to Play program, aiming to assess the impact of an enhanced intervention called Appetite to Play + that supports childcare providers in sustaining active play best practices. The Appetite to Play + intervention includes advanced training for childcare managers and staff through workshops and e-learning modules focused on physical literacy, fundamental movement skills, and creating supportive environments for active play and healthy eating. Childcare centers participating in the study are randomized to either receive this intervention immediately or after a 3-month waitlist period, with the control group having access to standard Appetite to Play materials. Participants, including childcare managers, staff, and children, will be involved in baseline and follow-up assessments up to 6 months post-intervention. Researchers will measure changes in active play practices at childcare centers and children's motor skill development, along with characteristics of childcare settings and providers. The study includes questionnaires, observations, and data collection at multiple time points to monitor adherence and outcomes throughout the trial.

Researchers are evaluating the long-term safety and effectiveness of a combined treatment using xanomeline tartrate/trospium chloride in an immediate release capsule (KarXT) and xanomeline enteric capsules (KarX-EC) for people with agitation associated with Alzheimer's Disease. This study includes participants who have completed previous related studies CN012-0023 or CN012-0024. The goal is to observe how well these treatments work and how safe they are over an extended period. The study involves giving participants specified doses of KarXT and KarX-EC on certain days. This is an open-label study, meaning both the researchers and participants know what treatment is being given. The trial is non-randomized and does not include a placebo group. The treatment period lasts up to about 30 weeks, during which participants take the study medications and are closely monitored. Participants will be involved in regular assessments throughout up to approximately 30 weeks. Researchers will track any treatment-emergent side effects and other adverse events, along with specific measures such as movement scales, body weight and BMI changes, heart rate and blood pressure checks, laboratory tests, ECGs, and cognitive assessments like the Mini-mental State Examination and ADAS-Cog. Safety monitoring includes assessment of suicidal thoughts and prostate symptom severity. This comprehensive monitoring aims to understand the treatment impacts and participant safety during the study.

Researchers are evaluating whether brief sounds or tones played during a limited recovery sleep period after 40 hours of sleep deprivation can enhance the restorative effects of sleep and improve performance during the following awake period. This study involves healthy adults aged 18 to 39 and aims to understand how acoustic stimulation during slow-wave sleep affects alertness and cognitive functions. Participants will experience two nights of approximately four-hour recovery sleep after sleep deprivation. During these recovery sleeps, one group will receive acoustic stimulation via the Philips SmartSleep device during slow-wave sleep, while the other group will receive sham treatment without acoustic stimulation. The device is applied prior to bedtime on both recovery nights to deliver or withhold the acoustic signals. Throughout the study, participants' performance and alertness will be assessed using various tests including the Psychomotor Vigilance Task, mathematical processing tests, mood scales, and sleepiness scales over several days. Sleep and wakefulness will also be monitored via polysomnographic recordings and actigraphy. The study includes safety monitoring and adherence checks, with total participation spanning multiple days to capture effects during and after sleep deprivation and recovery.

Researchers are evaluating treatments for acute agitation in psychiatric patients when de-escalation methods do not work. The study aims to find the best medication to reduce suffering and prevent harm or the use of restraints in emergency psychiatric settings. This research focuses on two less-studied drugs compared to the current standard care. The plan includes building a platform to test new treatments and improve care quality for agitated patients. The study tests three medication options: sublingual dexmedetomidine, buccal midazolam, and oral lorazepam. Each drug may be given with a possible second dose two hours later. Participants are randomly assigned to one of these treatments without masking. The goal is to compare how well these drugs control agitation in hospital psychiatric settings. Participants will be monitored for agitation levels using the Excited Component of the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PEC) at multiple times after dosing. Researchers will also track whether patients become calm or asleep, the use of physical or mechanical restraints, rescue medications, and patient satisfaction within 24 hours after treatment. The study runs until December 2027 and involves regular assessments during the inpatient stay to evaluate safety and treatment effects.

Researchers are studying how different levels of fatigue during power training affect strength, movement, and muscle function in healthy older adults aged 65 to 85 years. The study aims to understand the immediate and recovery effects of varying fatigue levels on muscle soreness, exercise effort, and physical performance to help design safer and more effective training programs for this age group. Participants will complete three supervised power-training sessions on a pneumatic leg press machine about one week apart. Each session involves 4 sets with different fatigue levels: stopping when movement speed drops by 10% (low fatigue), stopping at 30% speed loss (moderate fatigue), or performing cluster sets with rest breaks to match the volume of the moderate fatigue session while maintaining low fatigue. Movement speed is continuously monitored during exercise. During the study, participants undergo strength and mobility tests before and after exercise, provide small blood samples to measure physiological responses, rate exercise effort, and report muscle soreness up to two days post-exercise. Researchers will measure outcomes like maximum voluntary contraction, torque development, muscle activity, muscle oxygenation, blood markers, functional performance tests, perceived exertion, and delayed muscle soreness over multiple timepoints. Participants are monitored for safety and recovery throughout the trial, which lasts about three weeks in total.

Researchers are investigating the bioavailability and kinetics of Aronia Melanocarpa extract (AME) in healthy young adults aged 18 to 35 and older adults aged 55 to 75. The study aims to understand how AME, which contains anthocyanins and other polyphenols, is absorbed and processed in the body. This research is conducted by Maastricht University Medical Center and involves healthy volunteers with specific health criteria. Participants will consume a drink made from Aronia Melanocarpa extract and water during a test day. The study focuses on measuring AME and its metabolites over time to assess how the body absorbs and processes the extract. Blood samples, urine, and fecal samples will be collected at various time points from the start of ingestion up to 48 hours afterward to analyze these compounds. During the study, participants will undergo frequent blood draws, urine collection, and fecal sampling to track the presence of Aronia metabolites. Baseline characteristics like length, weight, and blood pressure will also be recorded. The study monitors these outcomes to evaluate the extract's kinetics and bioavailability, with the entire observation period lasting up to 48 hours following supplementation.

Researchers are evaluating how the combined use of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) and action observation therapy (AOT) may help improve hand motor recovery in people who have had a stroke. This study focuses on understanding the brain mechanisms involved when these two therapies are used together, as both have shown promise separately for stroke rehabilitation. The trial is a randomised controlled study involving 60 participants with chronic stroke from Sabah, Malaysia. Participants will be randomly assigned to one of three groups: one group will receive active anodal tDCS with AOT, another will receive sham (placebo) tDCS with AOT, and the third will receive active tDCS alone. The treatment involves 10 sessions over two weeks in a clinic, where tDCS is applied for 20 minutes and AOT or control videos are watched for 30 minutes during each session. After the clinic phase, participants will continue home-based AOT or control video practice for 30 minutes a day, five days a week, for eight weeks. During the 10-week study, participants will attend outpatient sessions monitored by a physiotherapist to ensure proper participation and will be assessed at baseline, after two weeks, and at the end of 10 weeks. Researchers will measure changes in brain motor pathways using motor evoked potentials (MEPs) and evaluate clinical hand function using standard tests. Participant activity levels will be tracked using a perceived exertion scale, and safety and compliance will be closely monitored throughout the study.

Researchers are evaluating the use of intranasal scopolamine gel (DPI-386) to help reduce motion sickness and improve sensorimotor performance. This study involves both astronauts on space missions and ground-control participants exposed to motion such as centrifuge training, parabolic flights, and capsule recovery operations. The goal is to test the medication's feasibility and effectiveness in real operational settings, with astronauts from missions like SpaceX Polaris Dawn, Axiom, and the International Space Station. Participants will self-administer a 0.4 mg dose of intranasal scopolamine gel during training and operational exposures to motion. They will learn to apply the medication in a 15-minute training session and complete debriefs about symptoms, side effects, and ease of use. Astronauts may take the drug before or after motion exposure to prevent or treat symptoms. Control participants may use other motion sickness medications such as promethazine or meclizine. Both groups will complete surveys before, during, and after exposure to capture symptom severity and medication effectiveness. Throughout the study, participants will complete questionnaires on motion sickness symptoms, side effects, and medication feasibility. Surveys will track symptoms daily during and after exposure, including nausea, vertigo, headache, and drowsiness. Researchers will measure motion sickness using the Pensacola Diagnostic Index nausea scale and assess symptom impact on functional tasks. The study includes a one-week monitoring period for outcome measures, with data collected on medication use and recovery recommendations.

This research aims to evaluate how combining game profile-based training with small-sided games affects football players' strength, endurance, and overall performance. The study focuses on male football players aged 18 to 30 who have at least two years of playing experience and good health and fitness. The goal is to provide targeted and realistic training that simulates real game conditions to improve players' skills and physical abilities. Participants are divided into three groups: one group receives only game profile-based training, where sessions replicate specific match scenarios based on performance data analysis; another group practices only small-sided games, which involve playing in smaller teams on reduced fields; the third group combines both training methods. This design allows researchers to assess the individual and combined effects of these training approaches over time. During the study, players will undergo assessments of endurance, strength, and performance at the start, 6 weeks, and 12 weeks into the training. Researchers will monitor attendance and adherence to the training program, ensuring participants remain actively engaged. The study includes regular evaluations to understand how these training methods impact technical skills, stamina, and overall football performance.