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CreativityACTISTOPNCT07538453

Active Breaks and Executive Function in Scholars

A study testing Active Break in people with Creativity and Executive Function (Cognition), run by Universitat Jaume I at 1 site in Spain.

Recruiting

Looking for participants now. Contact the study team or a site below to ask about taking part.

Sites and contacts
Official record
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Trial summary

This study aims to examine whether short bouts of exercise (10 minutes) performed during the school day can improve thinking skills, creativity and emotional wellbeing in primary school children. Read more about this study

Who is it for?
Ages 11 to 12 yearsHealthy volunteers can take part
What is being tested?
Active Break
Could I receive a placebo?
No, everyone receives an active treatment
How many people
114 participants
Where
1 siteSpain
Study dates
26 Mar 2026to Jun 2026
Phase
Interventional
Are there results?
Not yet: the study is under way

Key requirements

Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.

  • Ages 11 to 12 years
  • All sexes
  • Healthy volunteers accepted
  • Child

Who may be able to join

  • Students enrolled in the 5th and 6th grades of primary education in the city of Castellón, with continuous academic progression and no history of grade retention.
  • Students without diagnosed physical, neurological, or cognitive disorders.

Who cannot join

  • Students with a history of grade retention.
  • Students with diagnosed learning difficulties or neurodevelopmental disorders.
  • Students presenting any medical or psychiatric disease.
  • Students undergoing chronic pharmacological treatment.

Trial locations and contacts

1 site in 1 country. Contact the study team or a site near you to ask about taking part.

Diego Moliner-Urdiales, PhD contact

+34 964 729782

dmoliner@uji.es

Carlos Babiloni-Lopez, PhD contact

+34 964 729840

cbabilon@uji.es

Spain1 site, 1 recruiting
  • Universitat Jaume I

    Castellon, Castellón, 12071

    Diego Moliner-Urdiales, PhD, +34 964 729782, dmoliner@uji.es

    Carlos Babiloni-Lopez, PhD, +34 964 729840, cbabilon@uji.es

    Recruiting

Other trials in Spain

About this study

Official title: Active-breaks, Learning, Creativity and Emotional Health in Preadolescent Students (ACTISTOP)

This study aims to examine whether short bouts of exercise (10 minutes) performed during the school day can improve thinking skills, creativity and emotional wellbeing in primary school children. Specifically, children aged 11-12 years will be randomly assigned to perform either a short aerobic exercise break, a strength-based exercise break, or a seated control activity. The study will evaluate how these 10 minutes activity breaks influence attention, working memory, creativity, and emotional wellbeing state after completing cognitively demanding tasks. The findings will help to identify effective strategies to integrate physical activity into the classroom to enhance learning and overall well-being in school settings.

Read the detailed description

This study investigates the effects of short classroom-based physical activity breaks on cognitive performance, creativity and emotional wellbeing in primary school children aged 11 to 12 years. Many children spend long periods sitting during the school day, which may negatively affect attention, learning, and overall health. Introducing brief "active breaks" during class time has been proposed as a practical strategy to interrupt sedentary behavior and promote both physical and cognitive benefits.

In this study, participants will be randomly assigned to one of three groups: an aerobic exercise group, a strength-based (neuromuscular) exercise group, or a control group that remains seated and watches a low-demand video. All interventions will last approximately 10 minutes and will be delivered in a standardized format including a warm-up, main activity, and cool-down.

To better reflect real classroom conditions, participants will perform academic tasks (e.g., reading and mathematics) prior to the intervention to induce cognitive fatigue. At baseline, before and after the intervention, children will complete a series of simple tasks and questionnaires designed to assess key aspects of cognitive function, such as attention, working memory, and inhibitory control, as well as creativity and emotional state.

In addition, participants will undergo physical fitness assessments (e.g., strength, cardiorespiratory fitness, and body composition). These measures will be used as potential moderating variables or to explore associations between physical fitness levels and cognitive and emotional responses to the activity breaks.

The main objective of the study is to determine whether these short activity breaks can produce immediate improvements in cognitive, creativity and emotional outcomes, and whether different types of exercise (aerobic vs. strength-based) have distinct effects. The results of this study may help schools and educators design effective, evidence-based strategies to integrate physical activity into daily classroom routines, with the goal of improving students' learning, wellbeing, and overall development.

Being tested
Active Break
Keywords
cognition, attention, creativity, exercise, memory, sedentarism, physical activity, Inhibition, emotions
Medical subject headings
Motor Activity, Inhibition, Psychological

What participants receive

What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.

  • Active BreakOther

    A 10-min active break format was selected to maximize feasibility within school settings. All conditions followed an identical temporal structure consisting of a 1-min warm-up, an 8-min main activity phase, and a 1-min cool-down delivered through standardized instructional videos that guided students in reproducing and observing the correct technique and execution of the exercises.

Study groups in NCT07538453
Study groupRoleWhat they receive
Rest BreakNo interventionParticipants in the control group will remain seated while watching a silent video with low cognitive load and without verbal interaction for 10 min.
Strength Active BreakExperimentalParticipants assigned to the exercise strength group will perform a vigorous-intensity neuromuscular protocol based on a Tabata structure (20 s work / 10 s rest). The session includes two blocks of four exercises targeting upper body, lower body, and core musculature in alternating sequences designed to ensure balanced neuromuscular stimulation while limiting localized fatigue
Receives: Other: Active Break
Aerobic Active BreakExperimentalParticipants assigned to the aerobic exercise group will perform continuous cardiovascular exercises at moderate intensity. The main phase will consist of two exercise blocks repeated twice, including four aerobic movements performed for 30 s. Exercise sequencing alternates upper- and lower-body movements to promote whole-body involvement and progressive cardiovascular demand. Within each block, the first minute was performed at a low-to-moderate intensity, whereas the second minute was performed at a slightly higher intensity. This intensity pattern was maintained consistently across block repetitions.
Receives: Other: Active Break

What is being measured

The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.

  1. Self-perceived emotional state

    Assessed using a paper-based measure following the Russell's circumplex model of affect, which conceptualizes emotions according to two primary dimensions: activation level (0 = low to 10 = high) and well-being or happiness level (0 = low to 10 = high).

    Measured: Example assessment timeline: baseline assessment (9:00 a.m.); pre-intervention assessment (following cognitively demanding tasks; 10:00 a.m.); and post-intervention assessment (immediately after the active break protocol; 10:25 a.m.).

  2. Executive Function

    The Eriksen Flanker Task and forward and backward digit span tests will be administered online and in paper format, respectively.

    Measured: Example assessment timeline: baseline assessment (9:00 a.m.); pre-intervention assessment (following cognitively demanding tasks; 10:00 a.m.); and post-intervention assessment (immediately after the active break protocol; 10:25 a.m.).

  3. Creativity

    Guilford's divergent thinking test will be administered in paper format.

    Measured: Example assessment timeline: baseline assessment (9:00 a.m.); pre-intervention assessment (following cognitively demanding tasks; 10:00 a.m.); and post-intervention assessment (immediately after the active break protocol; 10:25 a.m.).

Secondary outcomes (19)
  1. Socioeconomic status

    Socioeconomic status will be assessed using the Family Affluence Scale III (FAS III), a self-reported questionnaire with higher scores indicating higher family affluence.

    Measured: Measured once (one-week before the intervention)

  2. Sleep Pattern

    Sleep quality will be assessed using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), a self-reported questionnaire with a global score ranging from 0 to 21, where higher scores indicate poorer sleep quality.

    Measured: Measured once (one-week before the intervention)

  3. Self-reported Physical Fitness

    Self-reported physical fitness will be assessed using the International Fitness Scale (IFIS), which evaluates overall fitness, cardiorespiratory fitness, muscular strength, speed-agility, and flexibility using a 5-point Likert scale (1 = very poor to 5 = very good), where higher scores indicate better perceived physical fitness.

    Measured: Measured once (one-week before the intervention)

  4. Diet Pattern

    Adherence to the Mediterranean diet will be assessed using the Mediterranean Diet Quality Index for children and adolescents (KIDMED), with scores ranging from -4 to 12, where higher scores indicate better adherence to the Mediterranean diet.

    Measured: Measured once (one-week before the intervention)

  5. Physical Activity Enjoyment

    Enjoyment of physical activity will be assessed using the Physical Activity Enjoyment Scale (PACES), consisting of 16 items rated on a 5-point Likert scale (1 to 5), with total scores ranging from 16 to 80, where higher scores indicate greater enjoyment of physical activity.

    Measured: Measured once (one-week before the intervention)

  6. Affective State

    Negative affect will be assessed using the Negative Affect subscale of the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS), which consists of 10 items rated on a 5-point Likert scale (1 = very slightly or not at all to 5 = extremely), with total scores ranging from 10 to 50, where higher scores indicate greater negative affect.

    Measured: Measured once (one-week before the intervention)

  7. Sedentary Behavior

    Sedentary behavior will be assessed using the Children and Adolescents Physical Activity and Sedentary Questionnaire (CAPAS-Q), which estimates daily time spent in sedentary activities. Results are expressed in minutes per day, where higher values indicate greater sedentary behavior.

    Measured: Measured once (one-week before the intervention)

  8. Resting Heart Rate

    Resting heart rate will be assessed using a heart rate monitor, expressed in beats per minute (bpm), with lower values indicating better cardiovascular fitness.

    Measured: Measured once (one-week before the intervention)

  9. Systolic Blood Pressure

    Systolic blood pressure will be measured using an automated sphygmomanometer and expressed in millimeters of mercury (mmHg).

    Measured: Measured once (one-week before the intervention)

  10. Diastolic Blood Pressure

    Diastolic blood pressure will be measured using an automated sphygmomanometer and expressed in millimeters of mercury (mmHg).

    Measured: Measured once (one-week before the intervention)

  11. Daily physical activity

    Students will wear an accelerometer (GENEActiv; Activinsights Ltd, Kimbolton, UK) during one week.

    Measured: During one week before the intervention procedure.

  12. Handgrip Strength Test

    Upper-body muscular strength will be assessed using the handgrip strength test with a dynamometer, expressed in kilograms (kg), where higher values indicate greater muscular strength.

    Measured: Measured once (one-week before the intervention)

  13. 20-m Shuttle Run Test

    Cardiorespiratory fitness will be assessed using the 20-m shuttle run test, with performance expressed as the number of completed stages or laps, where higher values indicate better cardiorespiratory fitness.

    Measured: Measured once (one-week before the intervention)

  14. Standing Long Jump Test

    Lower-body muscular power will be assessed using the standing long jump test, expressed in centimeters (cm), where greater distances indicate higher muscular power.

    Measured: Measured once (one-week before the intervention)

  15. 4x10-m Shuttle Run Test

    Speed and agility will be assessed using the 4 × 10-m shuttle run test, with performance expressed in seconds (s), where lower times indicate better performance.

    Measured: Measured once (one-week before the intervention)

  16. Body Weight

    Body weight will be measured using electrical bioimpedance (Tanita DC-360 portable S) and expressed in kilograms (kg).

    Measured: Measured once (one-week before the intervention)

  17. Height

    Height will be measured using a stadiometer (SECA 213) and expressed in centimeters (cm).

    Measured: Measured once (one-week before the intervention)

  18. Body Mass Index (BMI)

    Body mass index (BMI) will be calculated from weight and height measurements and expressed in kilograms per square meter (kg/m²).

    Measured: Measured once (one-week before the intervention)

  19. Body Fat Percentage

    Body fat percentage will be assessed using electrical bioimpedance (Tanita DC-360 portable S) and expressed as a percentage (%), where higher values indicate higher adiposity.

    Measured: Measured once (one-week before the intervention)

Timeline

From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.

  1. First posted20 Apr 2026
  2. Study start26 Mar 2026
  3. Primary completionJun 2026 (estimated)
  4. Study completionJun 2026 (estimated)

Resources

More details

For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.

Study design
Study type
Interventional
Phase
Phase N/A
Primary purpose
Treatment
Allocation
Randomised
Intervention model
Parallel groups
Model description
This study is a three-arm randomized controlled trial with a parallel-group design. Participants will be randomly allocated to one out of three groups: an aerobic exercise active break, a strength-based active break, or a non exercise group (control condition). Outcomes will be assessed at 3 time points (baseline, post-cognitive fatigue, and post-intervention) to evaluate the acute effects of the intervention.
Masking
Double blind
Who is masked
Investigator, Outcomes assessor
Enrolment
114 participants (estimated)
IDs, dates and publications
ClinicalTrials.gov ID
NCT07538453
Sponsor's protocol ID
PID2023-148956OB-I00
Other IDs
CEISH/21/2025
Acronym
ACTISTOP
Status last verified
Apr 2026
First submitted
1 Apr 2026
Last updated
20 Apr 2026
Results posted
No
Data monitoring committee
No
FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
No
Individual data sharing
Yes: All data collected in this project will anonymized and shared upon completion of the study. The dataset will be deposited in the institutional repository of Universitat Jaume I (http://repositori.uji.es) or in Zenodo within the Universitat Jaume I Research Data community (https://zenodo.org/communities/universitatjaumei). Within these repositories, a DOI will be assigned, the data will be described according to the appropriate metadata schema, and any data eligible for open access will be distributed under a Creative Commons license.

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

A study testing Active Break in people with Creativity and Executive Function (Cognition), run by Universitat Jaume I at 1 site in Spain.

The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.

Who may be eligible to take part?

The sponsor lists 2 inclusion and 4 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.

Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?

The record says: looking for participants now, as of the sponsor's last update on 20 Apr 2026. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.

Where is the study taking place?

The record lists 1 site in Spain. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.

What are the possible benefits and risks?

They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.

Are results available for this study?

This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.

How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?

Contact Diego Moliner-Urdiales, PhD (+34 964 729782, dmoliner@uji.es), or a site near the patient. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.

What does the primary outcome measure?

Self-perceived emotional state (time frame: Example assessment timeline: baseline assessment (9:00 a.m.); pre-intervention assessment (following cognitively demanding tasks; 10:00 a.m.); and post-intervention assessment (immediately after the active break protocol; 10:25 a.m.).). The study lists 3 primary outcomes in all. It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.

Where can I read the original study information?
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?

No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.

How often is this information updated?

AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 20 Apr 2026.

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