An observational study in Cervical Radiculopathy and Forward Head Posture, sponsored by Cairo University. Not yet recruiting at 1 site in Egypt. Open to participants aged 25 Years to 44 Years. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2026-10-30.
Sponsored by Cairo University · Observational
PURPOSE:
This study aims to:
BACKGROUND:
Forward head posture (FHP) is a condition characterized by anterior translation of the head, resulting in sagittal plane misalignment of the cervical spine. It has become increasingly common in the digital era due to prolonged screen use and sedentary lifestyles. Previous studies have reported that this altered posture and the associated mechanical load on the cervical spine may be correlated with deficits in executive functions, including attention, processing speed, and working memory in older adults.
Executive function refers to higher-order cognitive processes responsible for goal-directed behaviour, such as maintaining and manipulating information in short-term memory and selecting task-relevant information. The prefrontal cortex (PFC) plays a central role in regulating these functions through its extensive neuroanatomical connections with multiple cortical and subcortical brain regions, allowing it to participate in several neural networks involved in cognitive control.
Recent evidence suggests that cognitive dysfunction may arise not only from localized lesions within these networks but also from degenerative or functional alterations affecting their integrity.
HYPOTHESES:
RESEARCH QUESTION:
Is there an association between Forward Head Posture (FHP), Pain intensity and executive dysfunction in patients with Cervical Radiculopathy (CR)?
504 studies on the registry are indexed under Radiculopathy; 147 are open to participants now.
This study's planned enrollment of 80 is below the median of 93 across 100 observational studies indexed under Radiculopathy.
Browse Radiculopathy studies →Cairo University is the lead sponsor of 4,929 studies on the registry; 1,450 are open to participants now.
Of its 37 completed or terminated interventional studies of FDA-regulated products, 5 (14%) have results posted.
Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.
Adult patients aged 25 to 44 years of both sexes with chronic (more than 3 months) unilateral cervical radiculopathy due to disc prolapse at the C5-C6 or C6-C7 level, with pain radiating to one upper extremity. Diagnosis is established by a physician through clinical examination using provocative tests such as the Spurling test and/or confirmed by cervical spine MRI. Participants will be recruited from the Faculty of Physical Therapy, Kafrelsheikh University, and private clinics, and allocated into two groups according to the presence of forward head posture: Group A (FHP group) with a craniovertebral angle below 50°, and Group B (non-FHP group) without forward head posture. The age range corresponds to the normative age category used by the CogniFit platform for interpreting cognitive scores.
Go through the criteria one by one — yes, no or not sure — and take the list to your doctor or the study team. Kept in this browser only.
Patients diagnosed as cervical radiculopathy due to disc prolapse at the level of C5-C6 or C6-C7 for more than 3 months with pain that radiated to only one upper extremity (unilateral) (Menna Allah Badwy et al., 2025)
Exclusion Criteria:
Patients with cervical myelopathy
Patients diagnosed with cervical radiculopathy who have forward head posture (e.g., craniovertebral angle below the cutoff value). They will be assessed for executive functions.
Patients diagnosed with cervical radiculopathy without forward head posture. They will be assessed for executive functions.
Cognitive inhibition assessed by CogniFit Stroop Test
Cognitive inhibition will be assessed using CogniFit's Stroop test, a digitized replica of the original task. The participant is asked to press the spacebar (go action) only if the color name on the screen is printed in the matching color, and to refrain from pressing (no-go) if the color of the letters does not match the printed color name. Performance on the test will be recorded as the outcome score.
Time frame: Baseline (single assessment session at enrollment)
Mental flexibility assessed by CogniFit Trail Making Test (TMT)
Mental flexibility will be assessed using CogniFit's Trail Making Test, a digitized replica of the original task. It consists of two parts. In Part A, participants see numbers inside circles and tap them in ascending order. In Part B, participants see both numbers and letters and must alternate between them in ascending sequence (e.g., 1-A-2-B). The test should be completed as quickly as possible, with faster completion times indicating better performance.
Time frame: Baseline (single assessment session at enrollment)
Working memory assessed by CogniFit Digit Span Test
Working memory will be assessed using CogniFit's Digit Span Test, a digitized replica of the task of the same name. The participant is required to remember and reproduce increasingly longer number sequences that appear one at a time on the screen. The test begins with a two-number sequence.
Time frame: Baseline (single assessment session at enrollment)
Plan to share: No
From the registry record's own update history. This site started tracking changes on Sep 25, 2026; for anything earlier, see the record history on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
This study is not yet recruiting, as verified in Oct 2026. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.
Get an email when the registry record changes — status, dates, results — or when someone posts here.
Sign in to followQuestions and observations about this study, from anyone following it. Not medical advice, and not a channel to the study team — their contact details are on the registry record.
Sign in to join the discussion. Reading takes no account; posting does. You choose a display name, and a pseudonym is the default.
Nothing here yet. If you are running this trial, taking part in it, or weighing whether to, this is the place to say so.