About this trial
This project will target university students during their exam periods, whether midterms, finals, regular exams, or make-up exams, as this is a time particularly sensitive to academic stress. Participation will be voluntary, with informed consent, and will take place in a space specially prepared to facilitate creative expression and gentle physical movement.
The intervention aims to address this need through the use of brief expressive and somatic techniques, such as guided drawing, body movement, and symbolic reinterpretation. These practices activate the parasympathetic nervous system, promoting states of calm and security that improve cognitive performance.
The intervention lasts 20 minutes in a single session, integrating spontaneous drawing, guided emotional self-reflection, and gentle body exercises. Incorporating the recording of brain activity using electroencephalography (EEG) during the intervention, in a subgroup of participants with the help of the Emotiv Epoc X device, allowing objective observation of the modulation of brain activity in response to the emotional stimulus of the exam and measuring possible changes in electrical patterns associated with states of anxiety, attention and working memory.
Eligibility criteria
This trial accepts healthy volunteersQualifiers
University students enrolled at the institution where the study will be conducted.
Ages 18 to 35.
Students exhibiting moderate levels of stress or anxiety related to academic assessments.
Students who agree to participate voluntarily and sign the informed consent form.
Disqualifiers
Students with a prior diagnosis of neurological disorders that may affect brain activity recorded by EEG.
Students currently undergoing psychiatric treatment or taking medications that alter brain activity.
Individuals with recent use of psychoactive substances that may interfere with neurophysiological recordings.
Students who do not complete the initial or final assessments of the study.
Trial design
Parallel
Treatments tested in this trial
playful intervention
BehavioralThe intervention lasts approximately 15-20 minutes and consists of three steps: Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (5 minutes): This behavioral therapy aims to increase psychological flexibility. It focuses on accepting negative thoughts and emotions, clarifying goals, and being fully present in the moment (Mindfulness). This therapy is carried out in four steps: Grounding Mindful Acceptance Cognitive defusion Reconnecting with goals Guided drawing (5-10 minutes): It is a form of art-based therapy, where structured graphic activities are used to explore and represent emotions or thoughts. Body Micropractice (5 minutes): These are small somatic interventions that regulate the autonomic nervous system by stimulating the vagus nerve. Conscious movements and breathing.
Treatment groups
Trial outcomes
Primary outcomes
Stress
The Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10) is a tool for measuring psychological stress. A 10-item self-report instrument that measures the degree to which life situations are rated as stressful during the past week. Each item is scored on a Likert scale from 0 (never) to 4 (very often), with a total range of 0 to 40. The scale does not have established clinical cut-off points.
Anxiety
BAI (Beck Anxiety Inventory) An instrument that assesses the presence of anxiety symptoms. It consists of 21 items, each of which presents a sign or symptom, and the person being evaluated must indicate between four options (None, Slightly, Moderately, and Severely). The score is obtained by adding up the 21 items, each item being evaluated on a 4-point scale (from 0 to 3). The total score ranges from 0 to 63 points.
Neurophysiological measures
Neurophysiological, electroencephalographic (EEG) recordings will be performed: Each participant will undergo a five minute EEG recording in resting state, previous to any intervention, 128 Hz sampling rate, from 8 ch, EMOTIV Epoc (AF3, AF4, F3, F4, F7, F8, FC5, FC6), with saline solution for conductivity improvement. Offline EEG features frontal alpha-beta proportion change (if any) will be calculated using windowing power spectra transform. Follow-up five minutes, recordings after each intervention session and post-intervention program will be performed as well.
Secondary outcomes
Working memory
Working Memory will be measured using the Executive Functions in Higher Education Scale (EFEES), a self-report instrument designed to assess various aspects of executive functions in higher education students. It consists of 70 items grouped into four factors: organization (F1) with 28 items, self-control (F2) with 14 items, attentional and inhibitory control (F3) with 15 items, and planning and time management (F4) with 10 items, plus 3 items for validity verification. Each item is answered using a six-point Likert scale, ranging from 0 = Does not describe me at all to 5 = Describes me perfectly.
Decision making
Decision-making will be measured using the Executive Functions in Higher Education Scale (EFEES), a self-report instrument designed to assess various aspects of executive functions in higher education students. It consists of 70 items grouped into four factors: organization (F1) with 28 items, self-control (F2) with 14 items, attentional and inhibitory control (F3) with 15 items, and planning and time management (F4) with 10 items, plus 3 items for validity verification. Each item is answered using a six-point Likert scale, ranging from 0 = Does not describe me at all to 5 = Describes me perfectly.
Inhibitory control
Inhibitory control will be measured using the Executive Functions in Higher Education Scale (EFEES), a self-report instrument designed to assess various aspects of executive functions in higher education students. It consists of 70 items grouped into four factors: organization (F1) with 28 items, self-control (F2) with 14 items, attentional and inhibitory control (F3) with 15 items, and planning and time management (F4) with 10 items, plus 3 items for validity verification. Each item is answered using a six-point Likert scale, ranging from 0 = Does not describe me at all to 5 = Describes me perfectly.
Planning
Planning will be measured using the Executive Functions in Higher Education Scale (EFEES), a self-report instrument designed to assess various aspects of executive functions in higher education students. It consists of 70 items grouped into four factors: organization (F1) with 28 items, self-control (F2) with 14 items, attentional and inhibitory control (F3) with 15 items, and planning and time management (F4) with 10 items, plus 3 items for validity verification. Each item is answered using a six-point Likert scale, ranging from 0 = Does not describe me at all to 5 = Describes me perfectly.
Locations
Sponsors and contacts
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