Tired brain, wobbly body? study probes link between mental fatigue and balance
NCT ID NCT07650903
First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026
Summary
This study investigates whether mental fatigue makes people less steady on their feet and changes how their spinal reflexes work. Healthy adults aged 18 to 35 will do a mentally tiring computer task or watch a neutral documentary, then have their balance measured on a force plate and their reflexes tested with mild electrical stimulation. The goal is to understand how cognitive tiredness affects physical control, which could inform fall prevention strategies.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- What this could lead to
- If it works, this could help design better strategies to prevent falls in situations where mental fatigue is common, like after long work hours.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small, early-stage study in healthy young adults, so results may not apply to older people or those with balance disorders. The mental fatigue task may not reflect real-world tiredness.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
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Not a phased trial
Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.
- Participants
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About 26 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Expected to start
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Jul 2026
An estimate. Start dates often move.
- Expected to finish
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Dec 2026
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
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Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
- Ages
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18 to 35 years
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Accepted
You do not need to have the condition being studied to take part.
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Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: * Healthy participants aged between 18 and 35 years * Recreational active Exclusion Criteria: * Previous major lower limb injury (last 6 months) * Present neurological or musculoskeletal disorders * Involvement in another concurrent physical or cognitive intervention study
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
How to take part
Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.
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The places running it
1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.
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The official record
ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.
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A doctor treating you
A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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Vrije Universiteit Brussel
Brussels, Pleinlaan 2, 1050, Belgium
More trials for these conditions
Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.
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- Can a tired brain weaken your jump?
- Mental fatigue holds teens back? brain training may unlock better motor learning
- Caffeine and vitamin c may fight mental fatigue to improve strength — a trial puts the combo to the test
- Tired brain, slower steps: study links mental fatigue to changes in gait