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Protocol paper: Evaluating the effect of isometric handgrip exercise on cognitive fatigue while solving logical
Prabhas Agarwal1, Soumen Manna1
1Vardhman Mahavir Medical College and Safdarjung Hospital, New Delhi, India.
Background:
Prolonged logical reasoning induces cognitive fatigue, impairing the processing speed and accuracy. Building on our prior findings that acute isometric handgrip exercise (IHE) enhances working memory and speed, this trial aimed to evaluate whether concurrent, intermittent IHE mitigates cognitive fatigue and preserves capacity during logical reasoning.
Methods:
In this two-arm, parallel-group trial, 100 healthy right-handed medical students (1st and 2nd year, aged 18-25 years) will be randomly allocated (1:1) to the exercise (EXE) or control (CON) group.While completing the logical reasoning questionnaire using Raven's Standard Progressive Matrices with their dominant right hand, EXE participants will perform left-hand intermittent IHE (18-s squeeze at ∼3/10 of Rating of Perceived Exertion, 30-s rest), whereas CON participants will hold the ball without squeezing it.For both groups, at baseline and immediately post-task, attention (Flanker Inhibitory Control and Attention Test) and processing speed (Speeded Matching Test) will be assessed using the NIH Toolbox®V3 software, alongside subjective cognitive fatigue using the Multidimensional Fatigue Inventory (MIF-20). The logical reasoning performance (total score on Raven's Progressive Matrices) will also be compared between groups.
Validation:
Combining standardized neurocognitive and psychometric assessments with a motor-cognitive protocol provides a validated framework for evaluating acute physical interventions for cognitive fatigue.
