The goal of this observational study is to develop an upper extremity neurocognitive performance test battery, determine its reliability and validity, and investigate the effect of neurocognitive load on test performance in athletes and healthy volunteers aged 18-40.
The main questions it aims to answer are:
Are the developed upper extremity neurocognitive tests reliable and valid tool for assessment?
Does the addition of neurocognitive load significantly affect upper extremity physical performance scores?
Are the neurocognitive performance test results related to shoulder rotator cuff muscle strength, rate of force development, and shoulder function?
Researchers will compare the neurocognitive performance of athletes to healthy non-athlete individuals to see if the test battery can effectively differentiate between these two groups (discriminative validity).
Participants will:
Complete demographic forms and questionnaires regarding activity level and shoulder function.
Undergo shoulder range of motion and isometric strength/rate of force development assessments.
Perform a battery of 4 neurocognitive tests integrated with a light-based reaction system.
Perform the same functional tests without neurocognitive load to serve as a baseline for comparison.
(Athletes only) Attend additional sessions to evaluate the feasibility of the tests and to assess test-retest reliability with a one-week interval.
Eligibility
Sex
ALL
Min age
18 Years
Max age
40 Years
Healthy volunteers
Accepted
Inclusion Criteria
General Inclusion Criteria (Both Groups):
* Individuals between the ages of 18 and 40
* No passive range of motion limitations in the shoulder joint
* Classified as healthy with no history of injury in the past year according to the Extended Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire
* Volunteered to participate in the study\[cite: 1\].
Athlete Group Specific Criteria:
* Physically active individuals
* Currently active in sports clubs in Ankara and/or applied to the Hacettepe University Department of Sports Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation
* History of training or physical activity at least three times a week for the past year
* Participation in recreational or competitive above or below shoulder height sports
Control Group Specific Criteria:
* Healthy individuals who have applied to the Hacettepe University Department of Sports Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation Unit
* Does not engage in regular physical activity
* History of training or physical activity fewer than three times a week over the past year
* No participation in recreational or competitive sports
Exclusion Criteria
* Presence of symptomatic upper extremity pathology
* History of upper extremity and/or trunk injury or surgery in the last 12 months
* History of ongoing neck pain, neurological symptoms in any extremity, or back, hip, or knee pain in the last 12 months
* Presence of a health condition that could cause a decrease in shoulder strength, such as inflammatory arthritis or neurological disorders
* Presence of any systemic disease
* Presence of visual or hearing impairments
Primary outcome measure(s)
Test-Retest Reliability of the Neurocognitive Test Battery — Baseline (Session 2) and 1 week later (Session 3) Evaluated using the Intraclass Correlation Coefficient (ICC) to determine the consistency of scores obtained from the four neurocognitive tests when administered one week apart to the athlete group.
Concurrent Validity — During the second evaluation session (approx. 60 minutes). Measured by analyzing the correlation (Pearson or Spearman coefficients) between the neurocognitive performance test results and physical parameters, including shoulder rotator cuff isometric strength and Rate of Force Development (RFD).
Discriminative Validity — Single evaluation session (approx. 60 minutes). Measured by comparing the neurocognitive performance scores between the athlete group and the healthy control group to determine if the battery can distinguish between different activity levels.
Trial sites (1)
Facility
City
Region
Status
Hacettepe University, Faculty of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation, Department of Sports Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation
This page summarises publicly available registry data for informational purposes — not medical advice. Eligibility is determined by each study team; patients should discuss participation with their clinician.
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