Clinical trial NCT03863340: Short Interventions to Prevent Trapezius Muscle Fatigue in Computer Work
Official title: Trapezius Muscle Fatigue of Long Duration: a Likely Neuromuscular Control Issue
Study type: INTERVENTIONAL
Overall status: COMPLETED
Phase: NA
Conditions: Muscle Fatigue
Trapezius Muscle Strain
Keywords: muscle fatigue
work-related disorders
trapezius myalgia
sustained working task
high-density EMG
Lead sponsor: Swiss Federal Institute of Technology
Sponsor class: OTHER
Collaborators: name: University of Turin, Italy
name: University of Lausanne
name: University of Michigan
First posted: 2019-03-05
Enrollment: 30
Sex: ALL
Minimum age (years): 18
Maximum age (years): 40
Standard ages: ADULT
Accepts healthy volunteers: yes
Intervention model: SEQUENTIAL
Intervention model description: Randomized controlled laboratory experiment. 30 subjects are randomly assigned to two full day experiments either starting with the conditions including additional short interventions or without them.
Primary purpose: PREVENTION

Brief summary: This study is expected to demonstrate that during experimental days of seated computer work sustained and focalized low-level muscle activity contributes to the development of long-lasting fatigue effects (and thus possible disorder). On days with and without frequent interruptions, signs of fatigue and the activity pattern of the trapeze muscle are registered and compared using electromyographic registrations of the trapezius muscle.

Detailed description: 30 healthy adults without chronic neck pain participated in a laboratory study designed to simulate two full workdays of computer work. Within each session, participants performed five 50-min working activities separated by 10-min breaks: i) Use a computer keyboard to type a text presented on the left side of the screen; ii) do the typing task with the desk height set10 cm above elbow height; iii) play the computer game Spider Solitaire implemented in Windows 10; iv) Stroop test (This test consists of reading the name of a color whose text is in a color different from the name. The color name was then selected from a multiple-choice panel displaying color names; v) the same online puzzle game was presented to all participants. Assembling the puzzle was performed by drag and drop actions. The work periods were not disrupted (on the "control day") whereas two short interruptions of 5-min were introduced at 1/3 and 2/3 of each working period on the "intervention day". During these interruptions, participants were asked to perform "muscle disrupting/relaxing" activities. For each experimental session a 30-min lunch break took place between the third and the fourth work periods. The specific sequence of work activity type and disrupting/relaxing activities was randomized across participants; however, for each participant the order of work activities remained the same for the two experimental sessions (control and intervention days). The order of control and intervention days was also randomized between participants.

A set of six measures were performed at specific time intervals during each experiment: before the first work activity, before and after lunch, immediately and 1 hour after the fifth (last) work activity: i) upper trapezius activation, assessed through the temporal EMG profile recorded by a single bipolar signal; and ii) through the spatio-temporal distribution of EMG activity detected by a 2D array of electrodes (64 channels); iii) muscle fatigue, quantified by changes in electrically induced muscle twitch force signals, iv) isometric performance, v) dynamic performance; iii) cognitive and physical load and stress level. In addition, personality traits (anxiety level), perceived workload and musculoskeletal symptoms were evaluated as covariates.

Eligibility criteria: Inclusion Criteria:

* healthy experienced computer workers

Exclusion Criteria:

* chronic pain (more than 30 days within the last 12 months according to the Nordic Questionnaire (Kuorinka et al 1987);
* pathologies of the neck,
* prior and actual shoulder or neck pain caused by an accident,
* skin disease in the neck or shoulder area,
* BMI \> 30,
* sleep disorders (e.g. apnea, restless legs syndrome),
* use of medications such as psychotropic drugs, muscle relaxants or analgesics within the last 3 days prior to the experiment,
* pregnancy.
* any shoulder/neck pain on the day before the experiment.

Primary outcomes:
measure: EMG profile recorded by a single bipolar electrode: Rest-time
timeFrame: Continuously from the beginning to 370 min (end) of the simulated working activity of both the control and intervention day
measure: Spatio-temporal distribution of EMG activity: Area of muscle activity
timeFrame: Continuously from the beginning to 370 min (end) of the simulated working activity of both the control and intervention day
measure: Muscle fatigue: Change of muscle twitch
timeFrame: Change between 30 min before the beginning of the simulated working activity and 30 min after the end of the simulated working activity of both the control and intervention day
measure: Muscle fatigue: Change of dynamic force control accuracy
timeFrame: Change between 30 min before the beginning of the simulated working activity and 30 min after the end of the simulated working activity of both the control and intervention day
Secondary outcomes:
measure: EMG profile recorded by a single bipolar electrode: Static activity
timeFrame: Continuously from the beginning to 370 min (end) of the simulated working activity of both the control and intervention day
measure: Spatio-temporal distribution of EMG activity: Magnitude of activity
timeFrame: Continuously from the beginning to 370 min (end) of the simulated working activity of both the control and intervention day
measure: Spatio-temporal distribution of EMG activity: Number of active epochs
timeFrame: Continuously from the beginning to 370 min (end) of the simulated working activity of both the control and intervention day
measure: Muscle fatigue: Change of static force control
timeFrame: Change between 30 min before the beginning of the simulated working activity and 30 min after the end of the simulated working activity of both the control and intervention day
measure: Muscle fatigue: Change of force control in ramp contraction
timeFrame: Change between 30 min before the beginning of the simulated working activity and 30 min after the end of the simulated working activity of both the control and intervention day
Other outcomes:
measure: Localized musculoskeletal discomfort
timeFrame: At the start, and 70min, 130min, 190min, 310min, 370 min after the beginning of the simulated working activity of both the control and intervention day
measure: Visual and general fatigue
timeFrame: At the start, and 70min, 130min, 190min, 310min, 370 min after the beginning of the simulated working activity of both the control and intervention day
measure: Effort
timeFrame: At the start, and 70min, 130min, 190min, 310min, 370 min after the beginning of the simulated working activity of both the control and intervention day
measure: EMG profile recorded by a single bipolar electrode: Dynamic activity
timeFrame: Continuously from the beginning to 370 min (end) of the simulated working activity of both the control and intervention day
measure: Spatio-temporal distribution of EMG activity: Centroid of active regions
timeFrame: Continuously from the beginning to 370 min (end) of the simulated working activity of both the control and intervention day
Locations:
Study officials:
affiliation: Federal Institute of Technology Zurich
name: Thomas Läubli, MD
role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR
References: