An interventional study of High-Intensity Interval Training and Exercise Snacks in Intellectual Disability, sponsored by University of Macau. Not yet recruiting at 1 site in China. Open to participants aged 18 Years to 35 Years. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2026-08-12.
Sponsored by University of Macau · Not applicable, Interventional, and Basic science
Intellectual disability (ID) is a neurodevelopmental disorder accompanied by sedentary lifestyles, which worsens cognitive function and physical health. Short-duration high-frequency exercise snacks (ES) may be a feasible intervention for adults with ID. This randomized controlled crossover study aims to explore the acute effects of exercise snacks, conventional HIIT and daily routine control on cognitive function, stereotyped behaviors and prefrontal cortex activation in adults with mild to moderate ID. All participants will receive three intervention conditions with a 1-week washout period between each trial. Neurophysiological indicators including EEG and heart rate variability will be measured to reveal the underlying mechanisms.
Background:
Adults with intellectual disability commonly maintain sedentary daily routines, resulting in progressive decline in physical fitness and cognitive performance. Traditional long-duration exercise interventions are difficult to implement for this population due to behavioral and cognitive limitations. Exercise snacks, consisting of repeated ultra-short exercise bursts, are easy to carry out and show promising benefits for cognition.
Methods:
A randomized controlled crossover design will be adopted. Twenty-four adults aged 18-35 years with mild to moderate ID will complete three conditions in random sequence: no-exercise control, high-intensity interval training (HIIT), and exercise snacks (ES). A 1-week washout interval separates different interventions.
Intervention protocols:
Main measurements include prefrontal cortex activation via EEG, cognitive function, stereotyped behaviors, and heart rate variability. Repeated-measures statistical models will be used for data analysis.
387 studies on the registry are indexed under Intellectual Disability; 105 are open to participants now.
This study's planned enrollment of 24 is below the median of 58 across 248 interventional studies indexed under Intellectual Disability.
Browse Intellectual Disability studies →University of Macau is the lead sponsor of 14 studies on the registry; 10 are open to participants now.
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Exclusion Criteria:
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Informed consent
Before you join, the study team explains what taking part involves — its purpose, what happens, the risks and possible benefits — and answers your questions, so you can decide freely. Consent is usually recorded on a form (the informed consent form, ICF) signed by you or, where the law allows, by someone legally authorised to decide for you.
You can keep asking questions during the study, you are told of new information that matters, and you can choose to leave at any time.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
Participants maintain their usual daily activities without additional prescribed exercise. Daily physical activity will be recorded throughout the intervention period.
Twice-daily short-bout exercise snacks. Each session includes 5 sets of 6-second high-knee exercise with 9 seconds rest between sets.
Behavioral: Exercise Snacks
One intervention session scheduled in the afternoon. The protocol consists of 10 sets of 6-second high-knee exercise, separated by 9 seconds of rest between sets.
Behavioral: High-Intensity Interval Training
Acute high-intensity interval training protocol: 10 × 6 s high-knee exercise with 9 s rest between sets, completed in a single afternoon session.
Twice-daily short-bout exercise snacks. Each session includes 5 sets of 6-second high-knee exercise with 9 seconds rest between sets.
Changes in cognitive function assessed by cognitive test battery
Changes in cognitive performance measured after each intervention condition, including attention and executive function.
Time frame: Baseline and immediately after the acute intervention
Prefrontal cortex activation measured by electroencephalography (EEG)
Changes in prefrontal cortical brain activity indexed by EEG power spectrum during cognitive tasks.
Time frame: Baseline and immediately after the acute intervention
Plan to share: Yes — De-identified individual participant data will be available upon reasonable request to the corresponding investigator after study completion and main publication. Data sharing will be subject to a formal data use agreement.
Supporting information: Study protocol, Statistical analysis plan, Informed consent form, Analytic code
Time frame: Data and supporting materials will be available starting 6 months following the publication of primary study outcomes, and remain accessible for up to 5 years thereafter.
Access criteria: Qualified researchers who submit a methodologically sound research proposal. Requests need to be sent to the corresponding investigator and a data use agreement must be signed.
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This study is not yet recruiting, as verified in Jul 2026. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.
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University of Macau