Clinical trials

The goal of this clinical trial is to examine the feasibility and acceptability of a brief guided self-help wellbeing intervention for autistic adults accessing UK secondary mental health services. The study also aims to begin to evaluate whether use of the workbook is associated with any changes in wellbeing. The main questions it aims to answer are: 1. Is it feasible to recruit and retain autistic adults to participate in the study? 2. Do participants find the workbook acceptable and relevant? 3. Are there measurable improvements in wellbeing following workbook use? 4. What changes, if any, do participants recommend for future versions of the intervention? Participants will: * Take part in 4-6 sessions of 30-60 minutes using the guided self-help workbook with the support of a trained National Health Service support worker, assistant psychologist, or mental health professional * Complete wellbeing questionnaires before, during, and after using the workbook * Complete brief daily wellbeing ratings throughout the study * Take part in a 1:1 semi-structured interview of up to an hour to discuss their experience of the workbook

The goal of this clinical trial is to examine the feasibility and acceptability of an online programme that is based on Compassionate Mind Training (CMT) over four-weeks. The programme intends to share information and strategies to reduce diabetes distress, self-criticism, and shame, and improve physical health in people who have Type 1 and Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus.

This study investigates how isometric exercise training (IET) affects blood pressure in physically inactive adults. Isometric exercise involves sustained muscle contractions without movement-for example, pushing against a fixed object. Previous research has shown that IET may help reduce blood pressure, but the mechanisms involved are not fully understood. The purpose of this study is to assess both the immediate (acute) and long-term (chronic) effects of IET on cardiovascular outcomes. Participants will complete a series of lab-based exercise sessions over several weeks. In these sessions, they will perform repeated bouts of isometric leg extensions while seated on an exercise machine designed to measure muscle force. Throughout the study, researchers will monitor participants' blood pressure, heart rate, and muscle activity. Acute responses-such as post-exercise hypotension (a short-term drop in blood pressure)-will be measured immediately after exercise. Chronic changes, such as resting blood pressure improvements, will be evaluated across the training period. Additional measurements will include heart rate variability (HRV), which gives insight into autonomic nervous system activity, and electromyography (EMG), which tracks muscle fatigue and activation patterns. These data will help explore potential mechanisms behind the cardiovascular benefits of IET. By examining how repeated sessions of isometric exercise influence blood pressure and related physiological responses, this research may support the use of IET as a non-pharmacological strategy for managing or preventing hypertension in physically inactive individuals.

This clinical trial aims to investigate the neurophysiological mechanisms of placebo and nocebo effects on sports performance, using Electroencephalography (EEG) and isometric strength testing of the lower extremities. The primary objective of this trial is to identify temporal mechanisms and cortical regions and networks involved in generating placebo and nocebo effects before (expectation) and at onset of athletic performance (perception). The trial will include four groups, two of them experimental, one an active control and one natural history, meaning participants in this group will receive no intervention and won't be EEG controlled. Data will be collected on two occasions with baseline data for EEG, expectations and performance as well as key participant characteristics being collected on day one. On day two, in a deceptive process, participants in the two experimental groups will take an inert substance presented as either performance enhancing or inhibiting and subsequently experience a reinforcement of beliefs via exposure to explicit adjectives. EEG data will be collected during reinforcement of beliefs. In the active control group, participants will receive no substance, but this group will follow the same procedure as the experimental groups with neutral adjectives. Participants will then perform isometric strength and fatigue resistance tests on an isometric dynamometer. EEG data as well as subjective data on expectations and rating of perceived exhaustion will be collected.