Does Stress Change EEG Measures in Students: A Feasibility Study
- Conditions
- ElectroencephalogramStress
- Registration Number
- NCT06636253
- Lead Sponsor
- Scotland College of Chiropractic
- Brief Summary
Psychological stress is a frequent human affection and has a considerable impact on modern society, and tertiary-level students often report increased stress levels as the semester progresses. While many questionnaires assess psychological stress, they do not capture objective data. Much research has shown that electroencephalography (EEG) can capture objective markers of stress, and recent studies have shown that EEG can even classify stress levels.
This study aims to assess the feasibility of using EEG to objectively assess stress over the course of a semester of work in chiropractic students engaged in a Masters level course in Scotland.
- Detailed Description
The study's primary aim is to assess the feasibility of a more extensive future study. The investigators also hypothesise that as the semester progresses, participants will exhibit changes in their EEG outcomes that may be related to longitudinal or direct stressors.
Study design and setting This study will be an observational study with a stress-related questionnaire (Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale - 21 (DASS-21)) over three time-points.
Participants The investigators aim to recruit 10 participants and assess them three times over the course of their semester, early, middle, and late semester, with at least a four-week gap between each data collection. The investigators aim to recruit only healthy Scottish chiropractic students with no prior diagnosed mental disorder and who are capable of understanding the study procedure.
Procedure Following screening for eligibility and consent, i.e., visit one (baseline), participants will be asked to answer a questionnaire and undergo EEG measurement and Montreal imaging stress task (MIST). The same EEG and questionnaire procedure will be performed in the remaining two data collection sessions.
Each EEG recording session, with the participant seated, will consist of a two-minute resting state with the eyes closed for a baseline relaxation level among the participants. A following two-minute eyes-open phase will take place. After which, participants will be asked to perform the experimental phase of the MIST task, a following two-minute recording phase will be with the eyes open, and a final two-minute resting phase with eyes closed will conclude the task.
The investigators aim to conclude the data collection around 16 weeks after the initial participant is recruited.
Recruitment & Eligibility
- Status
- RECRUITING
- Sex
- All
- Target Recruitment
- 10
Healthy Scottish chiropractic students with no prior diagnosed mental disorder and who are capable of understanding the study procedure.
A pre-diagnosed mental health disorder
Study & Design
- Study Type
- OBSERVATIONAL
- Study Design
- Not specified
- Primary Outcome Measures
Name Time Method Feasibility - Adverse 12 weeks Adverse events - were any adverse events either minor or significant, recorded at any time throughout the trial
Feasibility recruitment rates 0, 6, 12 weeks recruitment rates - how many people were recruited ove rthe study time period
Feasibility - retention 0, 6, 12 weeks Participant retention - how many participants completed the full study
Feasibility - queries 12 weeks queries from participants - how many question did participants ask and were they answerable
Feasibility - ease 12 weeks Ease of data collection - was the data collection procedure manageable for the investigator
- Secondary Outcome Measures
Name Time Method Electroencephalogram recordings 12 weeks Time Frequency Analysis: For EEG data acquired during the Montreal Imaging Stress Task (MIST), we will also quantify continuous changes in power of EEG frequency bands as a function of time (i.e., prior to, during and after the Montreal Imaging Stress Task (MIST)).
Trial Locations
- Locations (1)
Scotland College of Chiropractic
🇬🇧Edinburgh, United Kingdom