Muévete conCiencia: Exercise and Mind-Body Program for University Students
Trial statusNot yet recruiting
Trial phaseNot applicable
Trial typeInterventional
Biological sexAll
Age18-25
SponsorUniversidad San Sebastián
About this trial
The goal of this clinical trial is to evaluate whether different physical exercise and mind-body interventions can improve executive functions and reduce stress in first-year university students.
The study focuses on healthy undergraduate students, men and women, aged approximately 18-25 years, enrolled in health-related programs at a Chilean university.
The main questions it aims to answer are:
Do high-intensity dual-task physical exercise interventions improve executive functions (working memory, inhibitory control, and cognitive flexibility) and reduce stress in university students? Do mind-body exercise interventions (Tai Chi) reduce stress levels, measured through self-report and psychobiological biomarkers (cortisol)? Are there differential effects between high-intensity dual-task exercise, low-to-moderate intensity mind-body exercise, and cognitive training on executive functioning and stress-related outcomes?
Researchers will compare:
* high-intensity dual-task exercise group, * low-to-moderate intensity mind-body exercise group (Tai Chi), and * cognitive training group,
To determine whether physically integrated motor-cognitive training produces greater improvements in executive functions and stress biomarkers than mind-body exercise or cognitive stimulation alone.
Participants will:
Complete baseline pre-intervention and post-intervention assessments, Neuropsychological tests of executive functions (working memory, inhibitory control, cognitive flexibility), Self-reported academic stress questionnaires, Psychobiological measures of stress (hair cortisol, salivary cortisol), Physical activity, anthropometric, and sociodemographic assessments.
Participate for 12 weeks (22 sessions, twice per week) in one of the following interventions:
High-intensity dual-task physical exercise, combining aerobic, strength, and motor-cognitive tasks; Low-to-moderate intensity mind-body exercise (Tai Chi) emphasizing mindful movement, balance, breathing, and attentional control; Cognitive training sessions using a structured digital program. All sessions will be conducted in supervised, controlled settings by trained professionals, following standardized protocols to ensure safety, consistency, and adherence.
Eligibility criteria
This trial accepts healthy volunteersQualifiers
Enrolled in a health-related undergraduate program at Universidad San Sebastián, Concepción campus (Chile).
Willing and able to attend scheduled intervention sessions and complete baseline and post-intervention assessments.
Provides written informed consent prior to participation.
Disqualifiers
Diagnosis of neurological disease or severe psychiatric disorder that may interfere with participation or outcome validity.
Medical or musculoskeletal condition that contraindicates participation in moderate-to-vigorous physical exercise.
Regular participation in another structured exercise program during the study period or being a competitive athlete.
Trial design
Design model
Parallel
Treatments tested in this trial
Motor-Cognitive Dual-Task Exercise (DT)
Behavioralsessions include warm-up, circuit-based functional training integrating simultaneous motor and cognitive tasks (e.g., working memory, inhibitory control, cognitive flexibility), and cool-down. Exercise intensity is moderate to vigorous (≈64-89% HRmax), monitored using heart-rate monitoring and Borg's perceived exertion scale, with progressive overload across weeks.
Tai Chi Mind-Body Exercise (TC)
BehavioralTai Chi program based on a simplified Yang-style sequence. Sessions emphasize slow coordinated movements, balance, breathing, and mindful attention. Exercise intensity is low to moderate (≈55-70% HRmax), with progressive learning of movement sequences and focus on physiological and emotional
Cognitive Stimulation (CS)
BehavioralCognitive training program using digital graphomotor tasks delivered via specialized software. Sessions target executive functions (attention, working memory, planning, inhibitory control) through adaptive tasks with immediate feedback and individualized difficulty adjustment.
Treatment groups
297 Participants
are divided into 3 treatment groupsGroup A: Dual-Task (DT)Experimental treatment 1 intervention
Group B: Tai Chi (TC)Experimental treatment 1 intervention
Group C: Cognitive Training (CT)Active comparator 1 intervention
Trial outcomes
Primary outcomes
1
Working memory
Working memory will be assessed using the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale - Fourth Edition (WAIS-IV) Digit Span subtest (total raw score). Scores range from 0 to 48. Higher scores indicate better working memory performance.
Time frame
Baseline (pre-intervention) and immediately after completion of the 12-week intervention (post-intervention).2
Inhibitory Control
Inhibitory control will be assessed using the Stroop Color and Word Test. Performance will be recorded as the number of correctly completed items within the standard time limit. Scores range from 0 to 100. Higher scores indicate better inhibitory control.
Time frame
Baseline (pre-intervention) and immediately after completion of the 12-week intervention (post-intervention).3
Cognitive Flexibility
Trail Making Test Parts A and B (TMT) using normative data for the Latin American Spanish-speaking adult population. The TMT assesses the ability to alternate between mental sets and manage divided attention demands. The score is the completion time for each part of the TMT-A (Minimum = 0; maximum = 100) and TMT-B (Minimum = 0; maximum = 300). Lower completion time indicates better performance.
Time frame
Baseline (pre-intervention) and immediately after completion of the 12-week intervention (post-intervention)Secondary outcomes
1
Physiological Stress Salivary Cortisol
Salivary cortisol levels reflect physiological stress associated with hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis activity. Changes in physiological stress in response to the interventions will be assessed non-invasively through salivary cortisol determination using a competitive ELISA assay. Cortisol concentrations will be expressed in µg/dL. The analytical measurement range of the assay is approximately 0.012-3.0 µg/dL. Higher values indicate greater physiological stress.
Time frame
Baseline (pre-intervention) and immediately after completion of the 12-week intervention (post-intervention).2
Depression, anxiety, and Stress symptoms
Symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress will be assessed using the Depression Anxiety Stress Scales (DASS-21). The scale consists of 21 items rated on a Likert scale from 0 ("did not apply to me at all") to 5 ("applied to me very much or most of the time"), reflecting the extent to which each statement describes the participant's experiences over the previous week (Minimum = 0; maximum = 126). Higher scores indicate more global symptoms. The DASS-21 is a brief self-report measure with well-established psychometric properties in university student populations.
Time frame
Baseline (pre-intervention) and immediately after completion of the 12-week intervention (post-intervention).3
Academic stress
Academic Stress Scale (Barraza-Macías) - 33-item self-report instrument assessing academic stressors, coping strategies, and stress-related physical, psychological, and behavioral reactions. the total score range Minimum = 33; maximum = 165. Higher scores indicate more global symptoms.
Time frame
Baseline (pre-intervention) and immediately after completion of the 12-week intervention (post-intervention).4
Physical Activity
Physical activity will be assessed using the International Physical Activity Questionnaire - Short Form (IPAQ-SF). Physical activity will be expressed as MET-minutes per week depending on reported activity. Higher scores indicate higher levels of physical activity.
Time frame
Baseline (pre-intervention) and immediately after completion of the 12-week intervention (post-intervention).Other outcomes
1
Intervention adherence
Intervention adherence will be assessed by recording attendance at the scheduled intervention sessions. A participation rate will be calculated as the percentage of attended sessions relative to the total number of planned sessions (attendance/24 sessions × 100). Higher percentages indicate greater adherence to the intervention.
Time frame
Throughout the 12-week intervention periodSponsors and contacts
Click on the lead sponsor to view all of their trials.
Universidad San Sebastián
Lead sponsor
Agencia Nacional de Investigación y Desarrollo
Collaborator
Source ClinicalTrials.gov
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