Health TrialsbyHealthPanel

Exercise and Emotional Learning in Posttraumatic Stress Disorder

ConditionPTSD
Trial statusRecruiting
Trial phaseNot applicable
Trial typeInterventional
Biological sexAll
Age18-64
SponsorChristal L Badour

About this trial

The goal of this clinical trial is to test how exercise affects learning and memory processes relevant to the treatment of PTSD. Participants will complete a baseline intake followed by two experimental sessions. During the first experimental session, participants will undergo an MRI session of imaginal exposure to traumatic memory cues followed by 30-minutes of moderate intensity exercise or low intensity exercise. Participants will complete a second session of imaginal exposure with MRI 24 hours later.

Eligibility criteria

This trial does not accept healthy volunteers

Qualifiers

Adults with PTSD related to interpersonal violence

Disqualifiers

Active or recent (within the last 3 months) severe substance use disorder(s)

Active or recent (within the last 3 months) suicidal, psychotic, or manic symptoms/ episodes

Significant developmental disabilities

Current daily benzodiazepine or stimulant use with inability to abstain for study sessions

Trial design

Design model

Parallel

Treatments tested in this trial

  • Moderate Intensity Exercise

    Behavioral

    Participants will wear a heartrate monitor and cycle on a stationary bike at a slow speed for 5 minutes, then slowly cycle on a stationary bike for 30 minutes, then cycle on the stationary bike at a slow speed for 5 minutes.

  • Low Intensity Exercise

    Behavioral

    Participants will wear a heartrate monitor and cycle on a stationary bike at a slow speed for 40 minutes.

Treatment groups

100 Participants
are divided into 2 treatment groups
Group A: Moderate Intensity ExerciseExperimental treatment 1 intervention
Group B: Low Intensity ExerciseActive comparator 1 intervention

Trial outcomes

Primary outcomes

1

Change in participant subjective emotional ratings

Participant anxiety will be measured at baseline and after each imagery trial using a 10-point Likert-type scale with higher scores indicative of more subjective anxiety.

Time frame
24 hours
2

Change in Heart Rate

Participant heart rate will be measured at baseline and after each imagery trial using a Biopac MP160 system

Time frame
24 hours
3

Change in Fear Circuit Blood Oxygen Level-Dependent (BOLD) Response

Blood Oxygen Level-Dependent (BOLD) imaging will be measured during each imagery trial

Time frame
48 hours

Secondary outcomes

Other outcomes

Sponsors and contacts

Click on the lead sponsor to view all of their trials.

Christal L Badour

Lead sponsor

University of Kentucky

Sponsor institution

University of Texas at Austin

Collaborator

National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)

Collaborator

Source ClinicalTrials.gov
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