Clinical trials

This randomized controlled trial will investigate the effects of a 6-week polarized aerobic training intervention on vascular and cardiorespiratory function in apparently healthy sedentary adults aged 30-50 years. Polarized training is characterized by a high proportion of low-intensity aerobic exercise combined with a smaller volume of high-intensity interval exercise, potentially providing complementary haemodynamic and physiological stimuli that support vascular adaptations and cardiovascular health. Although polarized training has been extensively studied in athletic populations, its effects on vascular function in sedentary adults remain insufficiently understood. Thirty participants will be randomly assigned in a 1:1 ratio to either a supervised polarized aerobic training group or a non-exercising control group. The intervention will consist of a 6-week supervised cycle ergometer training program performed three times per week and prescribed according to individual ventilatory thresholds obtained during cardiopulmonary exercise testing. Training sessions will combine low-to-moderate-intensity continuous exercise and high-intensity interval exercise. Participants allocated to the control group will maintain their habitual sedentary lifestyle throughout the study period. The primary outcome will be endothelial function assessed by brachial artery flow-mediated dilation. Secondary outcomes will include arterial stiffness assessed by pulse wave velocity, central haemodynamics, microvascular function, cardiorespiratory fitness, skeletal muscle function, pulmonary function, respiratory muscle strength, and circulating biomarkers related to vascular health. Outcome measures will be assessed at baseline and after completion of the 6-week intervention period. The findings of this study may improve understanding of vascular and systemic adaptations to polarized aerobic training and help inform future exercise-based strategies for cardiovascular risk reduction in apparently healthy sedentary adults.

This study examines the effects of repetitive peripheral magnetic stimulation (rPMS) on foot invertor muscle strength, morphology, and the height of the medial longitudinal arch (MLA) in individuals with flat feet. The rPMS will be applied non-invasively to the extrinsic and intrinsic foot muscles three times per week for twelve weeks. The experimental group will receive rPMS targeting the invertor muscles of the foot, while the control group will not receive stimulation but will follow the same measurement schedule. Assessments will be performed at baseline, after 6 weeks, and after 12 weeks of intervention. The primary outcome will be the change in the height of the MLA, evaluated using dynamic navicular drop assessment during gait. Secondary outcomes will include changes in the isometric inversion torque of the foot invertors and morphological adaptations of the tibialis posterior muscle assessed by ultrasound imaging. This study seeks to determine whether rPMS can improve the height of the MLA, foot invertor muscle strength and structural stability in adults with flat feet. The findings may contribute to developing new, non-invasive therapeutic approaches for improving foot function and preventing musculoskeletal imbalances related to flat foot deformity.

In this study, investigators will use the IFT 30-15 test, a six-minute walking test, and a treadmill test to assess the participants' cardiorespiratory fitness. For the treadmill cardiopulmonary exercise test (CPET), we will measure indirect gas exchange using a CPET device (K5). Maximum heart rate (HRmax) will be measured with a Polar heart rate monitor (model H10). The six-minute walking test will follow standardized procedures, and the treadmill test will follow a protocol of gradually increasing speed each minute. The study will involve two groups of participants: healthy individuals and pre-hypertensive individuals. While the IFT 30-15 test has been validated on a diverse range of athletes and physically active individuals, it has not yet been validated in individuals with similar characteristics to our participants (BMI \> 30 and limited cardiovascular function). Additionally, a variety of hemodynamic measures and other physical function measures such as sit-to-stand and push-ups will be assessed for all participants.

The study will be conducted as a prospective, double-blind, parallel, randomized, placebo-controlled study at the Dental Clinic of University Medical Centre Ljubljana. It will involve a one-month test period, during which the test subjects will use either placebo, Electrolysed Oxidising Saline (EOS) or chlorhexidine (CHX) in the form of a mouthwash as an adjunct to the non-surgical treatment of chronic periodontitis (i.e. root planing and scaling). The study will include 60 subjects selected from consecutively scheduled patients referred by their personal dentists for periodontal treatment at the Dental Clinic of University Medical Centre Ljubljana.

24 patients with missing premolar teeth and healed sockets will be recruited. They will be randomized into two groups to supplied with tissue-level (n=12) or bone-level (n=12) 10-mm long 4-mm wide zirconia implants. Primary and secondary stabilities will be measured with International Stability Quotient (ISQ) device. After 3 months, ceramic crowns will be supplied. Implant survival rates and parameters in relation to periimplant soft-tissues and bone health and anatomy will be recorded and evaluated after 1, 3 and 5 years.

The study evaluates the effect of anaesthetic agents to depth of anaesthesia. An improved PK-PD model wil be developed that will provide the basis for understanding the mechanisms, simulating various scenarios and developing algorithms for better and safer administration of anaesthetic agents.

The goal of this observational study is to investigate whether ankle evertor muscle fatigue impairs force perception and alters neuromuscular activation patterns during submaximal isometric contractions, and whether these effects differ between individuals with chronic ankle instability (CAI) and individuals without CAI.

This study will investigate the effects of ankle evertor muscle fatigue on gait stability during treadmill walking with mechanical perturbations. Participants will walk at two speeds (0.4 m/s and 1.0 m/s) while random medial and lateral perturbations (\<10% body weight) are applied to the pelvis. Surface EMG from ankle muscles and center of pressure (COP)-based gait parameters (e.g., step length, step width, single support duration, COP trajectory) will be analyzed before and immediately after an isotonic fatigue protocol of the ankle evertors.

Degenerative cervical disc disease can cause neck pain, nerve symptoms, dizziness, and problems with balance and head movement control. The neck contains many sensory receptors that provide information about head position and movement to the brain. When cervical discs degenerate or compress nearby structures, this sensory communication may be disrupted. As a result, patients may experience reduced accuracy and coordination of head movements. Anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF) is a standard surgical procedure used to relieve nerve or spinal cord compression caused by cervical disc disease. The procedure is effective in reducing pain and neurological symptoms. However, it is not well understood whether ACDF also improves the way the neck and nervous system work together to control head movement. The purpose of this study is to evaluate early changes in cervical movement control after ACDF. Patients scheduled for ACDF will be assessed before surgery and again one week after surgery. A group of healthy participants without neck pain will be assessed at the same time interval for comparison. Cervical movement control will be measured using a computer-based head-tracking task. During this task, participants follow a moving target on a screen using controlled head movements. The system records measures of tracking accuracy and timing. The primary research question is whether ACDF results in measurable short-term improvements in objective cervical movement control compared with healthy individuals over the same time period. It is hypothesized that patients undergoing ACDF will demonstrate improvement in specific movement-control measures after surgery. However, broader patterns of movement-control impairment may not fully normalize in the early postoperative period. The results of this study may improve understanding of how cervical spine surgery affects sensorimotor function and may help inform postoperative rehabilitation strategies.

The goal of this clinical trial is to study if kinematic training based on novel kinematic assessment clasification approach can decrease chronic neck pain and prevent its reoccurance better than conventional kinematic training in adults. The main question\[s\] it aims to answer \[is/are\]: Does clustering patients with neck pain based on head and neck movement characteristics lead to more efficient kinematic rehabilitation training and improved clinical outcomes Researchers will compare effects of cluster specific kinematic training to see if it effects pain levels and its reoccurance. Participants will \[describe the main tasks participants will be asked to do, interventions they'll be given and use bullets if it is more than 2 items\].

In this study, the investigators will evaluate acute changes in vascular function measures after moderate-intensity continuous and high-intensity interval exercise in healthy and prehypertensive individuals. Participants will be subjected to three separate visits: control condition (30 min rest), moderate-intensity continuous exercise, and high-intensity interval exercise. The investigators will measure aerobic capacity using a cardiopulmonary exercise test (CPET) using indirect gas-exchange to derive subsequent exercise intensity and maximal oxygen uptake. The investigators will evaluate different measures of vascular function (Pulse-wave velocity, Flow-mediated slowing, microvascular function) before and after each condition. The study will involve two groups of participants: healthy individuals and prehypertensive individuals. The investigators aim to establish the reliability and validity of less-established methods of vascular function assessment (flow-mediated slowing and microvascular function) against established measures (pulse-wave velocity). The acute response of vascular function to different exercise intensities has not yet been thoroughly researched using the aforementioned measures in individuals with similar characteristics to the proposed study cohort.

Periodontal disease is an oral disease characterized by microbially associated, host-mediated inflammation of the periodontium. In the treatment of periodontal disease, conventional periodontal therapy includes both surgical and non-surgical approaches. Non-surgical therapy (i.e. scaling and root planing - SRP) remains an essential part of periodontal therapy. Here, diseased root surface debridement utilizing different hand and ultrasonic instrumentation is performed to facilitate periodontal re-attachment and to reduce the bacterial mass in the periodontal pocket. In the last decade, the use of lasers (light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation) has occupied part of the dialogue within periodontology due to several proposed advantages. In the arena of periodontology, laser use, as an adjunct to non-surgical therapy, was demonstrated to enhance periodontal healing; however, it is still the matter of debate. Among laser applications, low-level laser therapy is recommended for its pain-reducing, woundhealing and anti-inflammatory effects. Hyaluronic acid is a non-sulfated glycosaminoglycan and a major component of the extracellular matrix. It is found in various body fluids, such as gingival crevicular fluid, saliva, serum and synovial fluid. Anti-inflammatory, anti-edematous and anti-bacterial activities of hyaluronic acid have been investigated in dentistry, specially in periodontology.