An interventional study of Family-Based Functional Fitness Exercise and Independent Functional Fitness Exercise in Cognition, sponsored by Penn State University. Not yet recruiting. Open to female participants aged 3 Years and older, including healthy volunteers. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2026-07-02.
Sponsored by Penn State University · Not applicable, Interventional, and Basic science
The purpose of this study is to examine how participating in exercise together versus separately influences brain function, cognitive performance, mood, and parent-child connection in mother-child dyads. Mothers and their children will complete two fitness class visits at a participating community fitness facility/CrossFit affiliate. During one visit, mothers and children will exercise in separate age-appropriate classes, and during the other visit they will exercise together in a shared class. Before and after each exercise session, participants will complete brief assessments of cognition, mood, and brain activity using a portable electroencephalography (EEG) device. Findings from this pilot study will help determine the feasibility of conducting community-based neuroscience research and may inform future family-centered physical activity programs designed to support brain, emotional, and social health.
Physical activity is associated with improvements in cognitive function, emotional well-being, and overall health across the lifespan. Emerging evidence suggests that social and relational contexts may influence the benefits derived from physical activity, yet little research has examined how exercising together versus separately affects parent-child dyads. Understanding these effects may inform the development of family-centered physical activity interventions that promote both physical and psychological health.
The purpose of this pilot study is to evaluate the feasibility of conducting community-based neurocognitive research within fitness settings and to explore acute changes in cognitive, emotional, and neurophysiological outcomes following exercise. Mother-child dyads will participate in two exercise conditions: a shared exercise session in which mothers and children participate together, and a separate exercise session in which mothers and children participate in age-appropriate classes independently. A within-subjects design will allow each dyad to experience both conditions.
Cognitive performance, mood, and brain activity will be assessed before and after exercise using brief computerized assessments and portable electroencephalography (EEG). Feasibility outcomes will include recruitment, retention, adherence, participant acceptability, and data quality. Exploratory analyses will examine whether exercise context (shared versus separate participation) is associated with differences in cognitive, emotional, and neurophysiological responses.
Findings from this study will provide preliminary data to support future investigations of family-based physical activity interventions and their potential effects on brain health, emotional well-being, and parent-child relationships.
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Exclusion Criteria *Mother*
Participants assigned to this condition will complete a mother-child exercise session together at a participating community fitness facility/CrossFit affiliate. The session will consist of approximately 60 minutes of instructor-led functional fitness activities, including a warm-up, skill or strength-based exercises, conditioning activities, and cool-down. Mothers and children will participate alongside one another throughout the session. Cognitive performance, mood, and brain activity will be assessed immediately before and after the exercise session using brief computerized tasks, questionnaires, and portable electroencephalography (EEG). Participants will complete this condition once during the study.
Behavioral: Family-Based Functional Fitness Exercise
Participants assigned to this condition will complete exercise sessions in separate age-appropriate classes at a participating community fitness facility/CrossFit affiliate. Mothers will participate in an adult functional fitness class, while children will participate in a youth fitness class occurring concurrently. Sessions will last approximately 60 minutes and will include instructor-led warm-up, skill or strength-based exercises, conditioning activities, and cool-down. Mothers and children will exercise independently and will not participate in the same class activities during this condition. Cognitive performance, mood, and brain activity will be assessed immediately before and after the exercise session using brief computerized tasks, questionnaires, and portable electroencephalography (EEG). Participants will complete this condition once during the study.
Behavioral: Independent Functional Fitness Exercise
A supervised mother-child functional fitness exercise session conducted in a community fitness setting. Mothers and children participate together in approximately 60 minutes of age-appropriate exercise activities.
Participants will complete an approximately 60-minute functional fitness exercise session in a community fitness setting. Mothers will participate in an instructor-led adult fitness class while children simultaneously participate in an age-appropriate youth fitness class. Sessions may include warm-up activities, movement skill instruction, strength or conditioning exercises, games, and cool-down activities. Mothers and children will exercise separately throughout the session and will not participate in the same class activities. This condition is designed to examine the effects of exercise performed independently compared with exercise performed together as a mother-child dyad.
Feasibility of Community-Based EEG Assessment
Feasibility will be evaluated through recruitment, retention, session completion, questionnaire completion, cognitive task completion, and acquisition of usable EEG recordings using the EMOTIV EPOC X portable electroencephalography system. Data quality will be assessed by the proportion of participants providing analyzable EEG and cognitive data.
Time frame: Throughout study completion (approximately 2 study visits over 1-2 weeks)
Cognitive Performance (Symbol Search Task)
Processing speed and visual attention will be assessed using the M2C2 Symbol Search task. Outcomes include response accuracy and reaction time.
Time frame: Pre- and post-exercise during each study visit (approximately 60 minutes)
Positive and Negative Affect
Mood will be assessed using the 10-item International Positive and Negative Affect Schedule Short Form (I-PANAS-SF). Scores for positive affect and negative affect will be calculated according to published scoring procedures.
Time frame: Immediately before and after each exercise session (approximately 60 minutes)
Parent-Child Connectedness
Parent-child connectedness will be assessed using the Inclusion of Other in the Self (IOS) Scale, a validated single-item pictorial measure of perceived interpersonal closeness. Mothers select one of seven increasingly overlapping pairs of circles representing the relationship between themselves and their child. Scores range from 1 (least connected) to 7 (most connected), with higher scores indicating greater perceived parent-child connectedness.
Time frame: Immediately following each exercise condition
Exercise Enjoyment
Enjoyment of the exercise session will be assessed using the Physical Activity Enjoyment Scale (PACES), a validated measure of enjoyment experienced during physical activity. Scores range from 1 to 5, with the overall score calculated as the mean of all items. Higher scores indicate greater enjoyment of the exercise session.
Time frame: Immediately following each exercise condition
Neurophysiological Activity
Brain activity will be assessed using the EMOTIV EPOC X wireless electroencephalography (EEG) system. Outcomes may include resting-state spectral power within delta, theta, alpha, beta, and gamma frequency bands, as well as frontal alpha asymmetry and other exploratory EEG-derived markers of cognitive engagement and neural activation.
Time frame: Immediately before and after each exercise session (approximately 60 minutes)
No study locations are listed for this record.
Plan to share: No — Individual participant data will not be made publicly available because the study involves a small sample size and includes potentially identifiable cognitive, physiological, and neurophysiological data from mother-child dyads. Data will be reported in aggregate form to protect participant confidentiality and privacy.
No publications or documents are linked to this record.
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