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The Role of the Time of Day in the Effects of Exercise on Memory in Heathy Young Adults
NCT04861818 · View on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
Study Summary
Cumulative evidence indicates that a single bout of exercise has beneficial impacts on memory in young adults. From a physiological perspective, acute exercise leads to changes of heart rate variability (HRV), which is associated with memory retrieval process. From a psychological perspective, acute exercise increases the arousal level and thus facilitates cognitive processing including memory storage and retrieval. Such HRV- and/or arousal-based effects of exercise on memory could be differed by the time of day in young adults based on their circadian rhythms of HRV. Moreover, young adults prefer afternoon or evening to morning in their circadian rhythms, demonstrating less wakefulness and lower memory performance in the morning relative to afternoon. Based on the potential psychophysiological mechanisms, exercise could impact young adults' memory differently by the time of day. The investigators aim to 1) determine the extent to which the time of day modulates how moderate-intensity cardiovascular exercise impacts verbal-auditory and visuospatial short- and long-term memory in young adults, and 2) consider potential psychological and physiological markers that may mediate exercise's effects on cognitive performance. As cognitive benefits of exercise might differ by the time of day, it is important to investigate such interaction and make the right recommendations of the timing of exercise for young adults in academic settings.
Conditions Studied
Interventions
- BEHAVIORAL Moderate-intensity aerobic exercise
Study Locations (1)
North Carolina
- UNC Greensboro — Greensboro
Trial Details
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Enrollment Target | 80 participants |
| Start Date | 2021-06-21 |
| Est. Completion | 2025-12-30 |
| Phase | NA |
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Full Details on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗What the Registry Record Tells You About NCT04861818
The ClinicalTrials.gov registry entry for NCT04861818 describes a study currently listed as recruiting. It is categorized as NA, which is the standard way researchers label where a study sits along the investigational pathway from early safety work through later efficacy and post-marketing evaluation. The registered enrollment target is 80 participants, a figure that helps gauge the scale of data the investigators plan to collect. The listed sponsor is University of North Carolina, Greensboro, which has 36 total studies on file at ClinicalTrials.gov, and sponsors are the parties responsible for study design, oversight, and regulatory filings.
The record links to 2 conditions, with Cognitive Change appearing as the primary indexed condition, and to 1 intervention — of which Moderate-intensity aerobic exercise is the first listed. Interventions can include drugs, devices, procedures, behavioral programs, or observational arms, and each is tracked as a separate registry field so that downstream queries can filter accurately. When a trial lists multiple interventions, it usually reflects a multi-arm design or a comparison protocol rather than a single treatment being tested in isolation. The brief summary published in the registry is the clearest source of protocol intent and should be read before drawing conclusions from any sidebar tags.
Geographic footprint matters for practical reasons: NCT04861818 reports 1 study location spanning 1 distinct geographic area — top geographies include North Carolina. A larger site network tends to correlate with broader recruitment capacity, but it does not imply anything about study quality, and site-level enrollment status can diverge from the overall registry status shown above. Every data point on this page comes from the public ClinicalTrials.gov dataset and is reproduced here for reference only; it is not a medical recommendation, an endorsement of the sponsor, or an invitation to enroll. Verify current status, eligibility criteria, and contact details directly at ClinicalTrials.gov, and discuss any participation decision with your own healthcare provider.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is clinical trial NCT04861818 about?
NCT04861818 is a clinical study titled "The Role of the Time of Day in the Effects of Exercise on Memory in Heathy Young Adults". Cumulative evidence indicates that a single bout of exercise has beneficial impacts on memory in young adults. From a physiological perspective, acute exercise leads to changes of heart rate variability (HRV), which is associated with memory retrieval process. From a psychological perspective, acute...
What is the current status of trial NCT04861818?
This trial is currently recruiting. It is a NA study. The enrollment target is 80 participants. The study started on 2021-06-21. Estimated completion is 2025-12-30.
What conditions does trial NCT04861818 study?
This clinical trial studies the following conditions: Cognitive Change, Aerobic Exercise. These conditions were identified from the trial registry and reflect the primary focus areas of the research.
What interventions are being tested in trial NCT04861818?
The interventions under investigation include: Moderate-intensity aerobic exercise (BEHAVIORAL). Each intervention is being evaluated for safety and efficacy as part of this clinical study.
Who is sponsoring clinical trial NCT04861818?
This trial is sponsored by University of North Carolina, Greensboro, which has 36 total clinical trials registered on ClinicalTrials.gov. The sponsor is responsible for the study's design, funding, and regulatory compliance.
Where is trial NCT04861818 being conducted?
This trial has 1 study location across North Carolina. Contact the study sites directly through ClinicalTrials.gov for enrollment availability.
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