MD · Physiology

Physiology thesis topics, with the design and feasibility for each

A physiology thesis is usually done on volunteers rather than patients, which sounds easier and is not: recruitment, consent and a laboratory slot for every participant fall entirely on the resident, and a healthy-volunteer study needs ethics approval and written consent exactly like a clinical one. The equipment decides the question, so establish early what the department actually has working, whether it is the polygraph, a calibrated spirometer, a cycle ergometer or only a stopwatch and a sphygmomanometer. Examiners press on standardisation: time of day, posture, room temperature, the interval since the last meal or coffee, and whether the same person made every measurement.

Topic register · 44 entries · 6 designs^[6]

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NMC PGMER-2023
NBEMS 180 days / 26 months
UGC 2018 · under 10%
ICMR 2017 · ethics

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Study design

Feasibility in a teaching unit

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Showing 44 of 44 topics

The sample figure on each plate is a planning range read off the design, not a calculated answer. Your own number comes from a calculation against your own assumptions — the difference you would call clinically meaningful, the variability in your setting, the power you want — and it belongs in the synopsis with those assumptions written beside it.

Topic 01 / 44
Link to this entry
Short-term heart rate variability in adults with a regular yoga practice compared with age-matched non-practitioners
DesignCross-sectionalFeasibilityModerate
Primary outcome
Time domain and frequency domain heart rate variability indices from a five-minute supine recording
Collection time
9 to 12 months
Sample, as a planning figure
roughly 40 to 70 per group, subject to a proper calculation
What your unit must already have
- A physiograph or data acquisition system with heart rate variability analysis software
- A quiet temperature-controlled recording room with fixed session timings
- A definition of regular practice fixed before recruitment, stating frequency and minimum duration
- Ethics approval and written consent, since the participants are volunteers who gain nothing clinically from the recording
What derails it
Heart rate variability shifts with the time of day, with caffeine and with the previous night's sleep, so record all three and schedule every participant in the same two-hour window, or the group difference will be a scheduling artefact.
Topic 02 / 44
Link to this entry
Cardiovascular autonomic function test battery in type 2 diabetes compared with age and sex matched non-diabetic participants
DesignCase-controlFeasibilityModerate
Primary outcome
Results of a standard battery of deep breathing, Valsalva, standing and handgrip tests expressed as the respective ratios
Collection time
12 to 15 months
Sample, as a planning figure
roughly 40 to 70 per group, subject to a proper calculation
What your unit must already have
- Continuous electrocardiogram recording with beat-to-beat analysis
- A mercury-free sphygmomanometer or automated device validated for the standing test
- A diabetes clinic that will refer patients for a test session of about an hour
- Ethics approval and written consent covering a test session of about an hour for patients attending for routine care
What derails it
Beta blockers and anticholinergic drugs invalidate the battery, so screen current medication at recruitment rather than on the day, because a diabetic OPD population is heavily medicated and late exclusions will gut your sample.
Topic 03 / 44
Link to this entry
Blood pressure response to the cold pressor test in normotensive young adults with and without a family history of hypertension
DesignCase-controlFeasibilityStraightforward
Primary outcome
Peak rise in systolic and diastolic blood pressure during the cold pressor test and the recovery time
Collection time
9 months
Sample, as a planning figure
roughly 40 to 70 per group, subject to a proper calculation
What your unit must already have
- Ice water maintained at a recorded temperature with a thermometer in the bath
- A validated blood pressure device and a fixed measurement schedule
- A structured family history proforma with a stated definition of positive history
- Ethics approval and written consent, with the right to withdraw the hand at any moment explained before immersion
What derails it
Family history taken as a yes or no answer is unreliable in young adults who have never asked at home, so require a named relative with a stated age at diagnosis, because a misclassified exposure makes the whole comparison meaningless.
Topic 04 / 44
Link to this entry
Spirometric indices in traffic police personnel compared with personnel in indoor duties
DesignCross-sectionalFeasibilityModerate
Primary outcome
Forced vital capacity, forced expiratory volume in one second and their ratio, expressed as percent predicted
Collection time
9 to 12 months
Sample, as a planning figure
roughly 60 to 100 per group, subject to a proper calculation
What your unit must already have
- A calibrated spirometer with a daily calibration log and a portable option if testing on site
- Written permission from the police department in addition to ethics approval
- A structured exposure history covering years of outdoor duty and smoking
What derails it
Permission from the police department takes months and must be in writing from the right rank, so start that correspondence before the synopsis rather than after, and secure a room where seated spirometry with three acceptable efforts is actually possible.
Topic 05 / 44
Link to this entry
Peak expiratory flow rate in women cooking with biomass fuel compared with women using liquefied petroleum gas
DesignCross-sectionalFeasibilityModerate
Primary outcome
Peak expiratory flow rate expressed as percent predicted, with the years of biomass exposure recorded
Collection time
9 to 12 months
Sample, as a planning figure
roughly 70 to 110 per group, subject to a proper calculation
What your unit must already have
- Peak flow meters with mouthpieces, calibrated against a reference
- Access to a rural or urban field practice area, with permission from the community medicine department
- An exposure questionnaire recording fuel type, hours of cooking and kitchen ventilation
What derails it
Most households use both fuels depending on what is available that month, so the exposure question must establish the predominant fuel over a stated period rather than what was used yesterday.
Topic 06 / 44
Link to this entry
Simple and choice reaction time and working memory performance in interns before and after a night on duty
DesignProspective observationalFeasibilityStraightforward
Primary outcome
Change in audiovisual reaction time and in a named working memory score between the pre-duty and post-duty assessment
Collection time
6 to 9 months
Sample, as a planning figure
roughly 40 to 70 participants, subject to a proper calculation
What your unit must already have
- A reaction time apparatus or validated computerised task
- A cognitive test that can be repeated without a large practice effect, with parallel forms
- Co-operation of the intern roster so testing fits around duty hours
- Ethics approval, with consent taken by someone outside the reporting line of the interns studied
What derails it
The second test is taken by a tired person who wants to go home, so keep the battery under twenty minutes and test at the same hour both times, because attrition and time-of-day effects will otherwise explain your result.
Topic 07 / 44
Link to this entry
Self-reported sleep quality and night-time screen use among medical undergraduates
DesignCross-sectionalFeasibilityStraightforward
Primary outcome
Global score on a validated sleep quality index and its relation to reported night-time screen duration
Collection time
6 months
Sample, as a planning figure
roughly 250 to 400 students, subject to a proper calculation
What your unit must already have
- A validated sleep quality questionnaire used with the necessary permission
- Institutional permission to approach students, with voluntary and anonymous participation
- A screen use questionnaire that asks about the last two weeks rather than in general
What derails it
Students fill this during examination weeks and the scores reflect the examination rather than habit, so avoid the fortnight before and after university examinations and record when the data was collected.
Topic 08 / 44
Link to this entry
Relation of body mass index and waist-hip ratio to spirometric indices in young adults
DesignCross-sectionalFeasibilityStraightforward
Primary outcome
Correlation of body mass index and waist-hip ratio with forced vital capacity and forced expiratory volume in one second as percent predicted
Collection time
6 to 9 months
Sample, as a planning figure
roughly 150 to 250 participants, subject to a proper calculation
What your unit must already have
- A calibrated spirometer with a daily calibration log
- A stadiometer and weighing scale checked against a standard weight
- A fixed anthropometric protocol with all measurements by one observer
- Ethics approval and written consent, with the forced expiratory efforts explained as the only procedure involved
What derails it
Spirometry demands three technically acceptable and reproducible efforts, and obese participants tire quickly, so state the acceptability criteria you used and record how many participants failed them rather than accepting one blow.
Topic 09 / 44
Link to this entry
Handgrip strength and its relation to anthropometric measurements in healthy young adults
DesignCross-sectionalFeasibilityStraightforward
Primary outcome
Maximum handgrip strength in the dominant and non-dominant hand and its correlation with height, weight and forearm circumference
Collection time
6 months
Sample, as a planning figure
roughly 150 to 250 participants, subject to a proper calculation
What your unit must already have
- A calibrated handgrip dynamometer with an adjustable handle
- A written protocol fixing posture, elbow angle and rest interval between attempts
- A single observer for all measurements
- Ethics approval and written consent, recorded before any anthropometric measurement is taken
What derails it
Grip strength varies with handle position and with verbal encouragement, so fix the handle setting by hand size, use the same words of instruction every time and record which hand is dominant by a stated question.
Topic 10 / 44
Link to this entry
Six-minute walk distance in healthy adults and its relation to age, anthropometry and resting heart rate
DesignCross-sectionalFeasibilityStraightforward
Primary outcome
Distance walked in six minutes and its correlation with age, height, weight and resting heart rate
Collection time
6 to 9 months
Sample, as a planning figure
roughly 150 to 250 participants, subject to a proper calculation
What your unit must already have
- A measured flat corridor of a stated length, free of traffic during testing
- A pulse oximeter and a stopwatch, with a written encouragement script
- A quiet period in the corridor timetable, agreed with the department
- Ethics approval and written consent, with a stated rule for stopping the walk if the participant becomes unwell
What derails it
The test is sensitive to encouragement and to corridor length, so use a single scripted phrase at fixed minute marks and never change the course midway through the study, because results from a shorter corridor cannot be pooled.
Topic 11 / 44
Link to this entry
Physical fitness index by a submaximal step test in first-year and final-year medical students
DesignCross-sectionalFeasibilityStraightforward
Primary outcome
Fitness index calculated from post-exercise pulse recovery after a standardised step test
Collection time
6 to 9 months
Sample, as a planning figure
roughly 80 to 140 per group, subject to a proper calculation
What your unit must already have
- A step of the standard height with a metronome for the cadence
- A written pre-participation screening form to exclude those who should not exercise
- Consent taken in a setting where students do not feel obliged by their teachers
What derails it
Students recruited by their own teacher cannot truly refuse, so consent must be taken by someone outside their assessment chain and the protocol should say who, because the committee will raise this before anything else.
Topic 12 / 44
Link to this entry
A supervised twelve-week yoga programme in adults with high normal blood pressure: a randomised comparison with a walking programme
DesignRandomised controlledFeasibilityDemanding
Primary outcome
Change in office systolic and diastolic blood pressure at twelve weeks
Collection time
15 to 18 months
Sample, as a planning figure
roughly 40 to 70 per arm, subject to a proper calculation
What your unit must already have
- A certified instructor and a space available at a fixed hour for the whole programme
- A clinical co-investigator to manage participants whose blood pressure rises
- Ethics approval and CTRI registration before the first participant is enrolled
What derails it
Attendance at a supervised programme falls steeply after the third week, so define a minimum attendance for per-protocol analysis, record every session and plan the sample size with that attrition in mind.
Topic 13 / 44
Link to this entry
Effect of a six-week supervised slow breathing practice on spirometric indices and respiratory pressures in healthy volunteers
DesignComparative interventionalFeasibilityModerate
Primary outcome
Change in forced vital capacity, peak expiratory flow and maximal inspiratory and expiratory pressures at six weeks compared with a non-practising group
Collection time
12 months
Sample, as a planning figure
roughly 30 to 60 per group, subject to a proper calculation
What your unit must already have
- A spirometer and a mouth pressure meter, both calibrated
- A trained instructor and an attendance register
- Ethics approval and consent from volunteers
What derails it
Spirometry improves with repeated testing from learning alone, so both groups must be tested the same number of times on the same schedule, or the practice effect will appear as a treatment effect.
Topic 14 / 44
Link to this entry
Immediate effect of a single guided relaxation session on reaction time and heart rate variability in healthy volunteers
DesignComparative interventionalFeasibilityStraightforward
Primary outcome
Change in audiovisual reaction time and short-term heart rate variability immediately after the session compared with a quiet sitting control condition
Collection time
6 to 9 months
Sample, as a planning figure
roughly 30 to 50 volunteers, each assessed in both conditions, subject to a proper calculation
What your unit must already have
- A reaction time apparatus and a recording system for heart rate variability
- A recorded guided session so the intervention is identical for everyone
- A stated washout interval between the two conditions
- Ethics approval and written consent covering both sessions, since every volunteer is tested twice
What derails it
A crossover in the same sitting carries a strong order effect, so randomise which condition comes first, separate the two by a stated interval on different days, and record the order for every participant.
Topic 15 / 44
Link to this entry
Cardiovascular autonomic indices in the follicular and luteal phases of the menstrual cycle in healthy young women
DesignProspective observationalFeasibilityModerate
Primary outcome
Difference in heart rate variability indices and in the blood pressure response to standing between the two phases in the same participants
Collection time
9 to 12 months
Sample, as a planning figure
roughly 30 to 60 participants assessed in both phases, subject to a proper calculation
What your unit must already have
- A recording system for beat-to-beat analysis and a fixed testing hour
- A menstrual diary kept by each participant to time the sessions
- A private testing room and a female attendant where required
- Ethics approval and written consent covering the menstrual history recorded and the two visits required
What derails it
Cycles are irregular and participants forget the diary, so phase must be confirmed by the reported cycle day at both visits and anyone whose cycle length falls outside the stated range must be excluded rather than assigned a phase by guesswork.
Topic 16 / 44
Link to this entry
Exercise capacity on a submaximal test in young women with iron deficiency anaemia compared with non-anaemic women
DesignCase-controlFeasibilityModerate
Primary outcome
Difference in submaximal exercise performance and in post-exercise heart rate recovery between the groups
Collection time
12 months
Sample, as a planning figure
roughly 40 to 70 per group, subject to a proper calculation
What your unit must already have
- A haemoglobin estimate from the clinical laboratory for screening
- A cycle ergometer or a standardised step protocol
- A clinical safety plan and an exclusion threshold for severe anaemia
- Ethics approval and written consent, with the haemoglobin result and any referral explained to the participant
What derails it
Exercising a severely anaemic participant is not acceptable, so set a haemoglobin floor below which the person is referred for treatment rather than tested, and state it in the protocol before the committee asks.
Topic 17 / 44
Link to this entry
Cardiovascular autonomic indices in users of smokeless tobacco compared with non-users
DesignCase-controlFeasibilityModerate
Primary outcome
Difference in heart rate variability indices and in the response to the deep breathing and standing tests between the groups
Collection time
12 months
Sample, as a planning figure
roughly 40 to 70 per group, subject to a proper calculation
What your unit must already have
- A recording system with frequency domain analysis
- A structured habit history recording quantity and years of use
- Instructions on abstinence for a stated interval before testing
- Ethics approval and written consent, with an assurance that the habit history goes no further than the study record
What derails it
Acute use just before the test changes the reading, so specify a minimum abstinence interval, ask at the door whether it was kept and reschedule anyone who says no rather than recording them anyway.
Topic 18 / 44
Link to this entry
Autonomic reactivity in young adults with obesity compared with normal weight peers
DesignCase-controlFeasibilityStraightforward
Primary outcome
Difference in the blood pressure and heart rate response to standing, handgrip and deep breathing between the groups
Collection time
9 to 12 months
Sample, as a planning figure
roughly 40 to 70 per group, subject to a proper calculation
What your unit must already have
- A recording system for the autonomic battery
- A stadiometer and weighing scale with a single measuring protocol
- An appropriately sized blood pressure cuff for larger arms
- Ethics approval and written consent, with weight and height recorded privately rather than in front of other participants
What derails it
A standard cuff on a large arm over-reads and will create a difference by itself, so stock a large cuff, record the cuff used for every participant and state the size rule in the methods.
Topic 19 / 44
Link to this entry
Nerve conduction parameters in the lower limb in type 2 diabetes without clinical neuropathy compared with non-diabetic participants
DesignCase-controlFeasibilityDemanding
Primary outcome
Difference in distal latency, amplitude and conduction velocity in the named nerves between the groups
Collection time
15 to 18 months
Sample, as a planning figure
roughly 35 to 60 per group, subject to a proper calculation
What your unit must already have
- An electrophysiology machine with a trained operator, usually in neurology or physical medicine
- A written collaboration with the department that owns the machine, including slot allocation
- Skin temperature measurement and a warming protocol for cold limbs
- Ethics approval and written consent stating plainly that the study adds a procedure the patient does not clinically need
What derails it
Conduction velocity falls with limb temperature, so a winter afternoon session in an unheated laboratory will produce abnormal values in everybody; measure skin temperature and warm the limb to a stated value before recording.
Topic 20 / 44
Link to this entry
Audiovisual reaction time across adult age groups in healthy volunteers
DesignCross-sectionalFeasibilityStraightforward
Primary outcome
Simple auditory and visual reaction time by decade of age
Collection time
6 months
Sample, as a planning figure
roughly 40 to 60 per age group, subject to a proper calculation
What your unit must already have
- A reaction time apparatus with a recorded number of practice trials
- A quiet room with consistent lighting and no interruptions
- Screening for hearing and visual impairment by a stated method
- Ethics approval and written consent from volunteers in every age group recruited
What derails it
Recruiting older healthy volunteers is the hard part, since hospital visitors in that age group usually have a condition or medication that excludes them, so plan where they will come from before promising forty per decade.
Topic 21 / 44
Link to this entry
Pattern visual evoked potential latency and amplitude in young adults with uncorrected refractive error compared with emmetropes
DesignCase-controlFeasibilityDemanding
Primary outcome
Difference in the latency and amplitude of the major positive component between the groups
Collection time
15 months
Sample, as a planning figure
roughly 30 to 50 per group, subject to a proper calculation
What your unit must already have
- An evoked potential machine with a pattern stimulator in working condition
- An ophthalmology collaboration for refraction and fundus examination
- A darkened room with controlled stimulus distance and luminance
- Ethics approval and written consent, with the electrode placement and the refraction explained in advance
What derails it
Evoked potential machines sit unused in many physiology departments and the electrodes and paste are long expired, so test the full setup on yourself and a colleague before the synopsis, including the stimulus calibration.
Topic 22 / 44
Link to this entry
Spirometric values in healthy non-smoking adults of a defined local population compared with the prediction equations in routine use
DesignCross-sectionalFeasibilityModerate
Primary outcome
Observed forced vital capacity and forced expiratory volume in one second as a percentage of the values predicted by the equations in local use
Collection time
12 to 15 months
Sample, as a planning figure
roughly 200 to 350 participants across age and sex strata, subject to a proper calculation
What your unit must already have
- A spirometer calibrated daily with a three-litre syringe and a logged record
- A health screening procedure to define a normal participant
- Enough strata filled, which means recruitment from outside the hospital as well
- Ethics approval and written consent, including consent for the health screening questions that decide eligibility
What derails it
Older healthy non-smoking women are the hardest stratum to fill and the one that decides whether your comparison means anything, so begin with that group rather than filling the study with medical students.
Topic 23 / 44
Link to this entry
Difference in blood pressure measured in sitting, supine and standing postures in healthy adults
DesignCross-sectionalFeasibilityStraightforward
Primary outcome
Mean difference in systolic and diastolic blood pressure between the three postures in the same participant
Collection time
4 to 6 months
Sample, as a planning figure
roughly 100 to 180 participants, subject to a proper calculation
What your unit must already have
- A validated blood pressure device and an appropriate cuff
- A written protocol fixing the rest period, arm support and order of postures
- A single observer for all readings to remove inter-observer variation
- Ethics approval and written consent, with a stated plan for what a participant found to have a high reading is told
What derails it
Readings fall with every successive measurement in the same sitting simply because the participant relaxes, so randomise the order of postures and keep a fixed rest interval, or you will measure the rest interval rather than the posture.
Topic 24 / 44
Link to this entry
Blood pressure and heart rate recovery after submaximal exercise in young adults with and without a family history of hypertension
DesignCase-controlFeasibilityStraightforward
Primary outcome
Time taken for systolic blood pressure and heart rate to return to baseline after a standardised submaximal exercise test
Collection time
9 months
Sample, as a planning figure
roughly 40 to 70 per group, subject to a proper calculation
What your unit must already have
- A cycle ergometer or a standardised step test with a fixed workload
- A fixed recording schedule during recovery, at stated minutes
- A structured family history proforma with a definition of a positive history
- Ethics approval and written consent, with pre-exercise screening described as part of the consent
What derails it
Recovery measurements need a reading exactly on time at each minute and a single sphygmomanometer operator cannot manage both arms and a stopwatch, so plan a second trained person or use an automated device with a fixed cycle.
Topic 25 / 44
Link to this entry
Spirometric indices in workers in a dusty occupation and their relation to the duration of exposure and reported use of protective equipment
DesignCross-sectionalFeasibilityModerate
Primary outcome
Forced expiratory volume in one second and the ratio to forced vital capacity, as percent predicted, by years of exposure
Collection time
12 months
Sample, as a planning figure
roughly 120 to 200 workers, subject to a proper calculation
What your unit must already have
- Employer and institutional permission in writing, with a clear statement on how results reach the worker
- A portable calibrated spirometer and a quiet space at the workplace
- An exposure and protective equipment questionnaire pre-tested locally
What derails it
Workers will not report poor protective equipment use if a supervisor is in the room, so interview privately and state in the protocol that individual results are not shared with the employer.
Topic 26 / 44
Link to this entry
Diurnal variation in peak expiratory flow rate in healthy adults over a one-week recording period
DesignProspective observationalFeasibilityStraightforward
Primary outcome
Amplitude of diurnal variation in peak expiratory flow rate expressed as a percentage of the daily best value
Collection time
6 to 9 months
Sample, as a planning figure
roughly 60 to 100 participants, subject to a proper calculation
What your unit must already have
- Individual peak flow meters and a printed recording diary
- Training of each participant on technique with a demonstrated best of three
- A follow-up contact to collect diaries and check adherence
- Ethics approval and written consent covering a week of home recordings and the follow-up contact
What derails it
Diaries are filled from memory the night before they are returned, so collect them in person midweek and cross-check a subset against a supervised reading, because invented entries look perfectly plausible.
Topic 27 / 44
Link to this entry
Attention and simple reaction time in adolescents with and without anaemia
DesignCase-controlFeasibilityModerate
Primary outcome
Difference in a named attention task score and in simple reaction time between the groups
Collection time
12 months
Sample, as a planning figure
roughly 40 to 70 per group, subject to a proper calculation
What your unit must already have
- School and parental permission alongside ethics approval, with the adolescent's assent
- Haemoglobin estimation arranged with a clear pathway for treating those found anaemic
- Tests validated for the age group and the local language
What derails it
You cannot screen an adolescent for anaemia and walk away, so the protocol must name who treats those found anaemic and how the parents are informed, and the school will insist on that before giving permission.
Topic 28 / 44
Link to this entry
Breath holding time and respiratory pressures in trained swimmers compared with untrained age-matched participants
DesignCross-sectionalFeasibilityModerate
Primary outcome
Breath holding time and maximal inspiratory and expiratory pressures in both groups
Collection time
9 to 12 months
Sample, as a planning figure
roughly 30 to 60 per group, subject to a proper calculation
What your unit must already have
- A mouth pressure meter with a clean mouthpiece policy
- Access to a swimming club or a sports authority centre with written permission
- A stated definition of trained, by weekly hours and years of training
What derails it
Breath holding is strongly motivational and participants compete with each other when tested in a group, so test individually with identical instructions and no bystanders, or the swimmers' advantage will partly be an audience effect.
Topic 29 / 44
Link to this entry
Heart rate variability and perceived stress in rotating shift workers compared with day shift workers
DesignCross-sectionalFeasibilityModerate
Primary outcome
Short-term heart rate variability indices and the score on a validated perceived stress scale in both groups
Collection time
12 months
Sample, as a planning figure
roughly 40 to 70 per group, subject to a proper calculation
What your unit must already have
- A recording system and a room available at a time compatible with shift timings
- Institutional and nursing administration permission to approach staff
- A validated stress scale in a language the participants read comfortably
What derails it
Shift workers can only be tested on specific days of their roster and the recording must fall at a comparable point in each person's cycle, so define that point in the protocol and build the testing schedule around the roster.
Topic 30 / 44
Link to this entry
Cardiovascular response to active standing before and after a measured oral water load in healthy volunteers
DesignComparative interventionalFeasibilityStraightforward
Primary outcome
Change in the heart rate and blood pressure response to standing after the water load compared with baseline
Collection time
6 to 9 months
Sample, as a planning figure
roughly 30 to 60 volunteers, subject to a proper calculation
What your unit must already have
- A continuous or frequent blood pressure recording method during standing
- A measured water volume and a stated waiting interval
- Standardised fasting and caffeine abstinence instructions
- Ethics approval and written consent, since a measured water load is being given to healthy volunteers
What derails it
The effect of a water load peaks within a fairly narrow window, so the post-load measurement must be at a fixed number of minutes for every participant, timed from the last sip rather than from the first.
Topic 31 / 44
Link to this entry
Isometric handgrip endurance and the associated rise in blood pressure in young adults of differing fitness levels
DesignCross-sectionalFeasibilityStraightforward
Primary outcome
Endurance time at a fixed fraction of maximum voluntary contraction and the peak rise in diastolic blood pressure
Collection time
6 to 9 months
Sample, as a planning figure
roughly 80 to 140 participants, subject to a proper calculation
What your unit must already have
- A handgrip dynamometer that allows a sustained contraction at a set target
- A blood pressure device and a fixed measurement point during the contraction
- A definition of fitness level by a stated questionnaire or test
- Ethics approval and written consent, with the sustained contraction described honestly as uncomfortable
What derails it
A sustained contraction at a set fraction requires visual feedback of the force, so the dynamometer must display it continuously; without that, participants drift off the target and endurance time becomes unreliable.
Topic 32 / 44
Link to this entry
Pattern of spirometric abnormality in referrals to a pulmonary function laboratory and the proportion of technically acceptable tests
DesignRetrospectiveFeasibilityStraightforward
Primary outcome
Distribution of obstructive, restrictive and normal patterns, with the proportion of tests failing stated acceptability criteria
Collection time
3 to 5 months
Sample, as a planning figure
roughly 600 to 1200 records, subject to a proper calculation
What your unit must already have
- Archived spirometry records with the individual flow-volume tracings retained
- A waiver of consent for record review
- Stated acceptability and repeatability criteria applied by a single reviewer
What derails it
Acceptability cannot be judged from a printed summary alone, so confirm that the tracings for your chosen period are still stored on the machine or printed in the file, because many laboratories keep only the numbers.
Topic 33 / 44
Link to this entry
Findings in an autonomic function laboratory over a defined period and the indications for referral
DesignRetrospectiveFeasibilityStraightforward
Primary outcome
Distribution of abnormal test results by the referring indication recorded on the request
Collection time
3 to 5 months
Sample, as a planning figure
roughly 200 to 500 records, subject to a proper calculation
What your unit must already have
- A laboratory register covering the chosen period with the full battery recorded
- The referral indication available on the request form
- A waiver of consent for record review
What derails it
Referral indications are written as single words such as giddiness, and medication history is usually absent from the request, so state plainly which variables the records do not contain rather than implying a clinical correlation you cannot make.
Topic 34 / 44
Link to this entry
An eight-week supervised aerobic exercise programme in sedentary young adults with overweight: a randomised comparison with usual activity
DesignRandomised controlledFeasibilityDemanding
Primary outcome
Change in body mass index, waist circumference and submaximal fitness index at eight weeks
Collection time
15 months
Sample, as a planning figure
roughly 35 to 60 per arm, subject to a proper calculation
What your unit must already have
- A space and a fixed hour available for supervised sessions across the whole programme
- A pre-participation screening protocol and a plan for exercise-related injury
- Ethics approval and CTRI registration before the first participant is enrolled
What derails it
Eight weeks of supervised sessions require you to be present at every one, which collides with clinical postings and examinations, so check your own posting schedule against the programme calendar before proposing it.
Topic 35 / 44
Link to this entry
Immediate cardiovascular and autonomic response to listening to recorded music compared with a silent control condition in healthy volunteers
DesignComparative interventionalFeasibilityStraightforward
Primary outcome
Change in heart rate, blood pressure and short-term heart rate variability during the listening period compared with silence
Collection time
6 to 9 months
Sample, as a planning figure
roughly 30 to 60 volunteers assessed in both conditions, subject to a proper calculation
What your unit must already have
- A recording system and identical headphones and volume settings for every participant
- A fixed recorded track so the stimulus does not vary
- A randomised order of conditions with a stated washout
- Ethics approval and written consent covering the recorded session and the headphone volume used
What derails it
Familiarity and preference change the response, so record whether the participant knows or likes the track, because a single chosen piece will be familiar to some of your volunteers and new to others.
Topic 36 / 44
Link to this entry
Reaction time and perceived exertion in healthy volunteers performing a standard task at two recorded ambient temperatures
DesignComparative interventionalFeasibilityModerate
Primary outcome
Difference in reaction time and in the perceived exertion rating between the two ambient conditions
Collection time
9 to 12 months
Sample, as a planning figure
roughly 30 to 50 volunteers tested in both conditions, subject to a proper calculation
What your unit must already have
- A room where the temperature can be set and recorded, with a thermohygrometer
- A standardised task of fixed duration
- A stated interval between the two sessions and a randomised order
- Ethics approval and written consent, since volunteers are asked to work in a deliberately altered room temperature
What derails it
Humidity matters as much as temperature and is usually uncontrolled, so record both at every session and report the actual values rather than the thermostat setting you intended.
Topic 37 / 44
Link to this entry
Pulse wave velocity and augmentation index in young adults with newly detected high blood pressure compared with normotensive peers
DesignCase-controlFeasibilityDemanding
Primary outcome
Difference in carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity and augmentation index between the groups
Collection time
15 to 18 months
Sample, as a planning figure
roughly 35 to 60 per group, subject to a proper calculation
What your unit must already have
- An arterial stiffness measurement device with current software and cuffs
- A referral pathway for participants found to have sustained hypertension
- A fixed measurement protocol including rest period, posture and distance measurement
- Ethics approval and written consent, with the referral pathway for a raised reading explained to the participant
What derails it
The carotid-femoral distance is measured with a tape over clothing in a hurry and that single measurement drives the velocity, so fix the landmarks and the method and have the same person measure every participant.
Topic 38 / 44
Link to this entry
Within-session and between-day reproducibility of the Valsalva ratio in healthy volunteers
DesignProspective observationalFeasibilityStraightforward
Primary outcome
Coefficient of variation and limits of agreement for the Valsalva ratio across repeated measurements
Collection time
6 to 9 months
Sample, as a planning figure
roughly 30 to 50 volunteers with a defined number of repetitions each, subject to a proper calculation
What your unit must already have
- A mouthpiece manometer that holds a fixed pressure for the stated duration
- Continuous electrocardiogram recording for beat-to-beat analysis
- A written protocol for the number of attempts and the rest interval
- Ethics approval and written consent covering repeated straining manoeuvres on more than one day
What derails it
Participants cannot hold the required pressure for the full duration on the first attempts, so a standard practice run is essential and must be excluded from analysis, and every attempt that failed the pressure criterion has to be recorded.
Topic 39 / 44
Link to this entry
Agreement between two submaximal field tests for estimating aerobic capacity in healthy young adults
DesignCross-sectionalFeasibilityModerate
Primary outcome
Agreement between the estimates of maximal oxygen uptake derived from the two tests, with limits of agreement
Collection time
9 to 12 months
Sample, as a planning figure
roughly 60 to 100 participants tested by both methods, subject to a proper calculation
What your unit must already have
- A measured course or step apparatus for each test with a metronome or timing device
- A stated interval between the two tests so fatigue does not carry over
- Heart rate monitoring during and after each test
- Ethics approval and written consent, with pre-participation screening recorded before either test
What derails it
Neither test measures oxygen uptake directly, so frame this as agreement between two estimates and say clearly that no criterion measurement was available, because an examiner will ask where the reference standard is.
Topic 40 / 44
Link to this entry
Accommodative and subjective visual fatigue measures before and after a fixed period of continuous screen work in healthy volunteers
DesignProspective observationalFeasibilityModerate
Primary outcome
Change in near point of accommodation and in a visual fatigue symptom score after the defined screen period
Collection time
9 months
Sample, as a planning figure
roughly 50 to 90 volunteers, subject to a proper calculation
What your unit must already have
- An RAF rule or comparable device for near point measurement
- A controlled screen task of fixed duration, brightness and viewing distance
- A symptom questionnaire administered before and after
- Ethics approval and written consent, with institutional permission where students are the participants
What derails it
Participants blink and look away when bored, which undoes the exposure, so the task must be engaging enough to hold attention for the stated period and a log of interruptions must be kept for every session.
Topic 41 / 44
Link to this entry
Agreement between bioelectrical impedance and skinfold-based estimation of body fat percentage in young adults
DesignCross-sectionalFeasibilityStraightforward
Primary outcome
Agreement between the two estimates of body fat percentage, with mean difference and limits of agreement
Collection time
6 to 9 months
Sample, as a planning figure
roughly 100 to 160 participants, subject to a proper calculation
What your unit must already have
- A bioimpedance analyser with documented electrode placement
- Skinfold callipers with a calibration check and a single trained observer
- Standardised hydration and exercise instructions before measurement
- Ethics approval and written consent, since skinfold measurement needs partial undressing and a chaperone where appropriate
What derails it
Bioimpedance readings change with hydration and recent exercise, so fix the instructions and the time of day, and record menstrual cycle timing in women, because both estimates are being compared and neither is a criterion method.
Topic 42 / 44
Link to this entry
A six-week threshold inspiratory muscle training programme in healthy volunteers: a randomised comparison with sham training
DesignRandomised controlledFeasibilityModerate
Primary outcome
Change in maximal inspiratory pressure at six weeks
Collection time
12 to 15 months
Sample, as a planning figure
roughly 25 to 45 per arm, subject to a proper calculation
What your unit must already have
- Threshold training devices that can be set to a sham low load
- A mouth pressure meter for the outcome, with a calibration record
- Ethics approval and CTRI registration before the first participant is enrolled
What derails it
Home training cannot be verified, so either supervise the sessions or use a device with a counter, and record adherence for every participant, because an unmeasured dose makes a negative result uninterpretable.
Topic 43 / 44
Link to this entry
Urine specific gravity and reported fluid intake in hospital staff at the end of a working shift
DesignCross-sectionalFeasibilityStraightforward
Primary outcome
Proportion with a urine specific gravity above the chosen hydration threshold, with reported fluid intake during the shift
Collection time
6 months
Sample, as a planning figure
roughly 120 to 200 participants, subject to a proper calculation
What your unit must already have
- A refractometer or calibrated dipsticks with a stated reading method
- Permission to approach staff, with participation voluntary and anonymous
- A short intake recall form completed at the same time as the sample
What derails it
Staff who know the study is about hydration drink more before the sample, so recruit at the end of the shift without advance notice and record whether the participant knew the purpose beforehand.
Topic 44 / 44
Link to this entry
Blood pressure, heart rate and perceived stress in students before a university examination compared with a non-examination period
DesignProspective observationalFeasibilityStraightforward
Primary outcome
Change in blood pressure, heart rate and perceived stress score between the two time points in the same students
Collection time
9 to 12 months
Sample, as a planning figure
roughly 60 to 110 students, subject to a proper calculation
What your unit must already have
- Institutional permission and voluntary consent taken outside the assessment chain
- A validated stress scale and a fixed measurement protocol
- A recording session timed to a stated number of days before the examination
What derails it
The comparison period must be genuinely free of assessment, and in a medical course it rarely is, so check the academic calendar for internal tests and practicals before fixing the control time point.

The designs

What each design commits you to

The designs in this Physiology register

The design is not a label on the title; it decides your ethics route, your timetable and the test that answers your primary question. Only the designs that appear above are explained here.

Cross-sectional
18 topics
One contact per participant. Usually the quickest to complete, and the design most often chosen when time is short.
Prospective observational
6 topics
Participants are followed after enrolment without allocating an intervention. Ethics approval must precede the first enrolment.
Retrospective
2 topics
Existing records only. Faster, but limited by what was recorded, and a waiver of consent is normally sought from the ethics committee.
Comparative interventional
5 topics
Two or more arms compared. Ethics scrutiny is heavier, and the protocol must state how allocation is handled.
Randomised controlled
3 topics
Allocation is randomised. Prospective interventional studies are registered with the Clinical Trials Registry of India before the first participant is enrolled.
Case-control
10 topics
Cases and controls compared for prior exposure. Control selection is where these are most often criticised.

What the feasibility mark means

A judgement about a typical teaching unit, not about yours. Confirm the volume, the equipment and the co-operation a topic needs before your synopsis goes in, because after that the timetable stops being negotiable^[2].

Straightforward
22 topics
Achievable in most teaching units with routine caseload and no equipment beyond what is already in use.
Moderate
17 topics
Achievable, but needs either a specific piece of equipment, a collaborating department, or a caseload you should confirm before committing.
Demanding
5 topics
Only take this on if your unit already has the volume, the equipment and the co-operation it needs. Confirm all three before your synopsis goes in.

Next steps

Before you commit to one

What to do with a topic you like

Three steps, in this order. None of them is us: the first is arithmetic, the second is your guide, the third is a search only you can run.

Do the arithmetic
The figure on each plate is a planning range, not an answer. Put your own assumptions — the difference you would call clinically meaningful, the variability you expect, the power you want — into the free sample size calculator, then divide the result by the eligible patients your unit sees in a month and see whether the months you have left permit it.
Take it to your guide
Nothing on this page is approved by anybody. Your guide and your department decide what is feasible in your unit, and your ethics committee decides whether it may start — before the first participant, not before the analysis^[5]. Where your university ordinance is stricter than anything here, the ordinance wins^[1].
Run the search yourself
We make no claim that any question here is novel, under-studied or a gap, because that depends on a literature search run today in your own field. Read what the search returns before you write the introduction, and be ready to say why the question is worth asking in your setting.

What a thesis in this field has to satisfy — the obligations, the statistics and the questions residents ask first — is set out on the Physiology page. Other specialties are in the topic bank index, and the method is worked through in the guides.

Undertakings

Mechanisms, not promises

What protects your draft, and who owns the work

Each line below is a mechanism this platform implements or a published instrument it is built around. None of them is a guarantee, and we are affiliated with no regulator or university.

Protection of your work

Row-level security
Every table enforces row-level access. You read your own record, and nothing else.
View-only streaming
Drafts are streamed to you through an authenticated route, not handed over as a file.
Watermarked to you
Every page you read carries your own name and email across it.
Download gated
The final file unlocks when the fee is settled in full, and not before.
Mumbai region · DPDP 2023
Your record and your documents are held in the Mumbai region, so India's Digital Personal Data Protection Act 2023 applies to them.
Anonymised data only
We accept no patient identifiers. An NDA is available on request.

How this works

Instruments we work to

NMC PGMER-2023
The thesis obligations set out in the postgraduate medical education regulations.
NBEMS
DNB and DrNB protocol and thesis timelines, and the page limit, as published.
UGC 2018 · <10%
The academic integrity convention we work to on every draft.
ICMJE · Vancouver
Authorship criteria and reference style, applied as published.
No affiliation
We work to these published instruments. We are affiliated to none of the bodies that issue them.

How this works

Authorship and the uniqueness check

Sole author
Mentoring, editing, statistics and compliance. You remain the sole author of your thesis.
Not ghostwriting
We will not write your thesis for you, and we will not be named in it.
MDSoftune
Word-level uniqueness checking, built with REDENN Informatics Inc., Canada.
Every version
Each draft is checked word by word before your university sees it.

How this works

MDThesis is an independent academic mentorship practice. It is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or acting for the NMC, NBEMS, UGC or any university.

Free feasibility call

Tell us where your thesis stands. A senior doctor will tell you what to do next.

A senior doctor replies within one working day. No obligation. MD, MS, DNB, DrNB, DM, MCh, MDS and international programmes.

Request for a feasibility call

No obligation

Reply within one working day · No obligation · Your details are not shared

Prefer to write to us first? Contact the practice. We mentor and edit; you remain the sole author of your thesis.

References

[1]
Post Graduate Medical Education Regulations, 2023, National Medical Commission. In force 1 January 2024. Thesis requirements at Regulation 5.2. nmc.org.in
[2]
DNB and DrNB thesis guidelines, National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences. Protocol within 180 days of joining for three-year courses and 90 days for the two-year post-diploma DNB; research study complete by 24 months; thesis by 26 months; 80-page limit inclusive of certificates and annexures. natboard.edu.in
[5]
National Ethical Guidelines for Biomedical and Health Research Involving Human Participants, 2017, Indian Council of Medical Research. Ethics approval precedes data collection. icmr.gov.in
[6]
Counts of specialties, tracked stages, supported currencies and supported countries are structural facts of this platform, read from its own configuration rather than from a claim.

Document: Topic bank — Physiology · Revision 1 · Last reviewed 10 SEPT 2026

Issued by MDThesis, a brand of REDENN Informatics Private Limited

Physiology thesis topics, with the design and feasibility for eachPhysiology thesis topics, with the design and feasibility for each

Short-term heart rate variability in adults with a regular yoga practice compared with age-matched non-practitioners

Cardiovascular autonomic function test battery in type 2 diabetes compared with age and sex matched non-diabetic participants

Blood pressure response to the cold pressor test in normotensive young adults with and without a family history of hypertension

Spirometric indices in traffic police personnel compared with personnel in indoor duties

Peak expiratory flow rate in women cooking with biomass fuel compared with women using liquefied petroleum gas

Simple and choice reaction time and working memory performance in interns before and after a night on duty

Self-reported sleep quality and night-time screen use among medical undergraduates

Relation of body mass index and waist-hip ratio to spirometric indices in young adults

Handgrip strength and its relation to anthropometric measurements in healthy young adults

Six-minute walk distance in healthy adults and its relation to age, anthropometry and resting heart rate

Physical fitness index by a submaximal step test in first-year and final-year medical students

A supervised twelve-week yoga programme in adults with high normal blood pressure: a randomised comparison with a walking programme

Effect of a six-week supervised slow breathing practice on spirometric indices and respiratory pressures in healthy volunteers

Immediate effect of a single guided relaxation session on reaction time and heart rate variability in healthy volunteers

Cardiovascular autonomic indices in the follicular and luteal phases of the menstrual cycle in healthy young women

Exercise capacity on a submaximal test in young women with iron deficiency anaemia compared with non-anaemic women

Cardiovascular autonomic indices in users of smokeless tobacco compared with non-users

Autonomic reactivity in young adults with obesity compared with normal weight peers

Nerve conduction parameters in the lower limb in type 2 diabetes without clinical neuropathy compared with non-diabetic participants

Audiovisual reaction time across adult age groups in healthy volunteers

Pattern visual evoked potential latency and amplitude in young adults with uncorrected refractive error compared with emmetropes

Spirometric values in healthy non-smoking adults of a defined local population compared with the prediction equations in routine use

Difference in blood pressure measured in sitting, supine and standing postures in healthy adults

Blood pressure and heart rate recovery after submaximal exercise in young adults with and without a family history of hypertension

Spirometric indices in workers in a dusty occupation and their relation to the duration of exposure and reported use of protective equipment

Diurnal variation in peak expiratory flow rate in healthy adults over a one-week recording period

Attention and simple reaction time in adolescents with and without anaemia

Breath holding time and respiratory pressures in trained swimmers compared with untrained age-matched participants

Heart rate variability and perceived stress in rotating shift workers compared with day shift workers

Cardiovascular response to active standing before and after a measured oral water load in healthy volunteers

Isometric handgrip endurance and the associated rise in blood pressure in young adults of differing fitness levels

Pattern of spirometric abnormality in referrals to a pulmonary function laboratory and the proportion of technically acceptable tests

Findings in an autonomic function laboratory over a defined period and the indications for referral

An eight-week supervised aerobic exercise programme in sedentary young adults with overweight: a randomised comparison with usual activity

Immediate cardiovascular and autonomic response to listening to recorded music compared with a silent control condition in healthy volunteers

Reaction time and perceived exertion in healthy volunteers performing a standard task at two recorded ambient temperatures

Pulse wave velocity and augmentation index in young adults with newly detected high blood pressure compared with normotensive peers

Within-session and between-day reproducibility of the Valsalva ratio in healthy volunteers

Agreement between two submaximal field tests for estimating aerobic capacity in healthy young adults

Accommodative and subjective visual fatigue measures before and after a fixed period of continuous screen work in healthy volunteers

Agreement between bioelectrical impedance and skinfold-based estimation of body fat percentage in young adults

A six-week threshold inspiratory muscle training programme in healthy volunteers: a randomised comparison with sham training

Urine specific gravity and reported fluid intake in hospital staff at the end of a working shift

Blood pressure, heart rate and perceived stress in students before a university examination compared with a non-examination period

What the feasibility mark means

Tell us where your thesis stands. A senior doctor will tell you what to do next.

Physiology thesis topics, with the design and feasibility for each