Karabuk Merkez

Stroke is a common cause of disability worldwide, often impairing upper limb function and reducing quality of life by limiting independence in daily activities. This trial evaluates the combination of Action Observation Therapy AOT delivered via telerehabilitation against conventional physiotherapy in adults with chronic stroke to assess effects on arm function and quality of life. The study addresses a unique gap by comparing these methods in chronic stroke patients. Participants will be randomly assigned to two groups one receiving AOT via telerehabilitation plus conventional physiotherapy, and the other receiving only conventional physiotherapy. Both groups attend three sessions per week over five weeks. Conventional physiotherapy includes stretching, strengthening, balance, electrotherapy, and endurance exercises administered by physiotherapists in the clinic. Participants will undergo assessments at baseline and after five weeks, including measures of spasticity, motor function, upper extremity function, functional independence, cognitive function, neglect, and quality of life. Researchers will monitor these outcomes to evaluate treatment effects. The total participation duration spans at least five weeks with assessments before and after the intervention period.

Researchers are investigating the immediate effects of myofascial release therapy on neck pain, functional ability, and neck movement in people diagnosed with Text Neck Syndrome TNS. TNS is a condition caused by prolonged forward head posture from excessive use of smartphones and other digital devices, especially among young adults. The study aims to explore how a single session of myofascial release might influence symptoms like neck pain and disability in this population. The treatment involves one session of standardized myofascial release techniques applied to the neck and upper back areas. A trained physiotherapist will perform four specific techniques Single Arm Pull, Lateral Neck Shoulder Release, Thoracic Transverse Release, and Anterior Cervical Release. Each technique lasts about 90-120 seconds and is applied to both sides when appropriate. This study focuses on observing immediate changes before and after this therapy session. Participants will undergo assessments of neck pain intensity using the Numeric Rating Scale, functional disability using the modified Neck Disability Index, and cervical range of motion. These measurements will be taken right before and immediately after the intervention. The study includes volunteers aged 18 to 40 who use mobile devices for more than three hours daily and show symptoms of TNS. The findings will help inform future research and treatment approaches for posture-related neck problems.

This research aims to evaluate the Cognitive Exercise Therapy Approach Biopsychosocial Questionnaire BETY-BQ in adults diagnosed with temporomandibular disorder, a condition affecting the jaw joint and muscles. The study investigates how well BETY-BQ measures depression, physical symptoms, anxiety, quality of life, disability, and function, comparing it with other established questionnaires. Researchers will also assess the stability and internal consistency of BETY-BQ. Participants will complete several questionnaires, including the BETY-BQ, Patient Health Questionnaire-9, Patient Health Questionnaire-15, Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7, Short Form-36, Craniomandibular Pain and Disability Inventory, and Mandibular Function Impairment Questionnaire. For reliability, a group of 30 participants will retake the BETY-BQ after two weeks. To evaluate responsiveness, the same 30 participants will complete the questionnaire again after three months. During the study, participants will be asked to fill out these questionnaires at specified intervals, allowing researchers to analyze test-retest stability and consistency over time. The main outcomes focus on the validity of BETY-BQ in measuring various mental health and functional aspects at baseline, as well as its reliability from baseline to the second week. The study is expected to run until August 2025, involving adults aged 18 to 64 years diagnosed with temporomandibular disorder.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease COPD is a common, preventable, and treatable lung disease that causes persistent and progressive airflow limitation along with chronic respiratory symptoms such as shortness of breath, cough, and sputum production. Preserved Ratio Impaired Spirometry PRISm is a spirometry pattern that does not meet the criteria for COPD but is associated with symptoms, functional impairments, and requires ongoing care. PRISm has been identified as a condition that may lead to COPD development or acute exacerbations and can decrease exercise capacity due to respiratory difficulties and reduced oxygen consumption. This observational study compares respiratory muscle strength, peripheral muscle strength, exercise capacity, and muscle oxygenation among three groups patients with COPD, patients with PRISm, and healthy individuals. The study aims to evaluate these parameters to better understand differences between these groups, as no prior research has compared these factors together in PRISm, COPD, and healthy participants. Participants aged 40 years and older who fit into one of the three groups will be assessed at baseline for upper and lower extremity exercise capacity, respiratory muscle strength and endurance, peripheral muscle strength, muscle oxygenation, dyspnea, and clinical symptoms. Pulmonary function tests including forced vital capacity, forced expiratory volume in one second, flow rates, and peak flow rate will also be measured. The study involves healthy volunteers and includes monitoring of respiratory and muscle function to capture comprehensive information about these conditions.

The core region, made up of muscles around the torso, is vital for body stability and athletic performance. This research evaluates how adding core strength training to regular training affects jumping, agility, speed, balance, and shooting speed in amateur soccer players aged 18 to 35. The study is sponsored by Karabuk University and aims to address the need for standardized core training approaches in athletes. Participants will be randomly assigned to one of two groups. The experimental group will do progressive core strengthening exercises three times per week for eight weeks, while the control group will continue their usual training routines. This comparison will help understand the additional benefits of targeted core exercises. During the study, jumping, balance, agility, speed, and core endurance will be measured both before and after the eight-week intervention. These assessments will help track performance changes. Participants will be monitored throughout, and the study will last for the full eight weeks of training plus assessment periods.

Low back pain is a common musculoskeletal issue that can greatly reduce quality of life by limiting daily activities and causing chronic discomfort. This study focuses on people with chronic non-specific low back pain, where poor core stability and diaphragm dysfunction may worsen symptoms. Researchers aim to explore how adding diaphragm relaxation to spinal stabilization exercises affects pain, disability, quality of life, central sensitization, and trunk muscle endurance. Participants will be randomly assigned to one of two groups. One group will receive spinal stabilization exercises three times a week for eight weeks, while the other group will do the same exercises plus manual diaphragm relaxation three times a week for the same duration. The study is designed with triple masking to reduce bias in the results. During the study, pain severity, disability, quality of life, central sensitization, and trunk muscle endurance will be measured at the start and after the eight-week intervention. Participants will engage in regular exercise sessions, and researchers will monitor their progress and responses to treatment. The total participation time spans the eight weeks of intervention, allowing for assessment of changes related to the added diaphragm relaxation technique.

Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome OSAS is a long-term condition marked by repeated airway blockages during sleep, causing low oxygen levels and disrupted rest. This condition can impact how individuals notice and understand sensations in their bodies, but the connection between body awareness and clinical aspects like breathing function and symptom severity in OSAS has not been fully studied. The research aims to explore how body awareness relates to respiratory health, disease severity, fatigue, breathlessness, and sleep quality in adults with OSAS. This observational study focuses on adults diagnosed with OSAS confirmed by sleep tests and an apnea-hypopnea index of 5 or higher. Participants will be observed without receiving experimental treatments. The study will assess body awareness alongside measures of lung function, disease severity, fatigue, breathlessness, and sleep quality, all recorded at the start of the study. Participants will undergo assessments measuring their body awareness, breathing difficulties, disease status, fatigue level, sleep quality, and several lung function tests such as forced vital capacity and peak flow rate. These evaluations will help researchers understand how these factors are connected in people with OSAS. The study will run until mid-2027, with participation involving baseline evaluations but no interventional treatments.

This research aims to compare two types of Action Observation Therapy AOT interventionsunimanual and bimanual activitiesfor improving arm function, daily living activities, and quality of life in adults living with chronic stroke. Stroke causes neurological damage leading to disabilities, including significant impairment in upper limb function, which affects independence and quality of life. The study addresses the gap in understanding which AOT approach is more effective for rehabilitation of upper extremity functions in these patients. Participants will be randomly assigned to one of three groups AOT with unimanual activities, AOT with bimanual activities, or conventional physiotherapy alone. Those in the AOT groups will receive 30 minutes of therapy focused on either unimanual or bimanual activities delivered at home through telerhabilitation, combined with 45 minutes of conventional physiotherapy including stretching, strengthening, and other exercises at the clinic. Each group will attend three sessions per week over five weeks. During the study, participants will be assessed before and after the five-week intervention for spasticity, motor and upper extremity function, cognitive function, independence in daily activities, and quality of life. Evaluations will include standardized scales such as the Brunnstrom staging and Mini Mental Test. The study uses double-blind methods and tracks outcomes related to arm function and life quality to determine differences between the AOT approaches and conventional therapy.