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Behavioral Intervention

Exercise for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

N/A
Recruiting
Led By Christal Badour, PhD
Research Sponsored by Christal L Badour
Eligibility Criteria Checklist
Specific guidelines that determine who can or cannot participate in a clinical trial
Must have
* Adults with PTSD related to interpersonal violence
Be between 18 and 65 years old
Timeline
Screening 3 weeks
Treatment Varies
Follow Up 48 hours
Awards & highlights
No Placebo-Only Group

Summary

This trial tests how exercise affects learning & memory processes for PTSD, with MRI sessions before & after exercise.

Who is the study for?
This trial is for adults with PTSD from interpersonal violence. It explores how different exercise intensities affect learning and memory tied to PTSD treatment.
What is being tested?
Participants will be exposed to traumatic memories, then do either moderate or low intensity exercise. Their brain activity is monitored via MRI before and after the exercises.
What are the potential side effects?
While not explicitly listed, potential side effects may include physical strain from exercise and emotional distress due to exposure to traumatic cues.

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion Criteria

You may be eligible if you check “Yes” for the criteria below

Timeline

Screening ~ 3 weeks
Treatment ~ Varies
Follow Up ~48 hours
This trial's timeline: 3 weeks for screening, Varies for treatment, and 48 hours for reporting.

Treatment Details

Study Objectives

Study objectives can provide a clearer picture of what you can expect from a treatment.
Primary study objectives
Change in Fear Circuit Blood Oxygen Level-Dependent (BOLD) Response
Change in Heart Rate
Change in participant subjective emotional ratings

Awards & Highlights

No Placebo-Only Group
All patients enrolled in this study will receive some form of active treatment.

Trial Design

2Treatment groups
Experimental Treatment
Active Control
Group I: Moderate Intensity ExerciseExperimental Treatment1 Intervention
Visit 1: Participants will complete study screening, PTSD assessments, and provide written narrative for a traumatic event and a neutral control event. Visit 2: Participants will complete baseline structural MRI scans before completing 8 trials of imaginal exposure - 4 neutral then 4 trauma narratives - with psychophysiological and fMRI measurement. Following completion of the imaginal exposure task, the participant will perform Moderate-Intensity Exercise (30-min at 70-75% max HR with 5-min warm-up and 5-min cool-down at 40-50% max HR), on a stationary bike. Visit 3: Participants will complete the same imaginal exposure with measurement of psychophysiology, fMRI, and subjective emotional responding.
Group II: Low Intensity ExerciseActive Control1 Intervention
Visit 1: Participants will complete study screening, PTSD assessments, and provide written narrative for a traumatic event and a neutral control event. Visit 2: Participants will complete baseline structural MRI scans before completing 8 trials of imaginal exposure - 4 neutral then 4 trauma narratives - with psychophysiological and fMRI measurement. Following completion of the imaginal exposure task, the participant will perform Low-Intensity Exercise (control; 40-mins at 40-50% max HR),on a stationary bike. Visit 3: Participants will complete the same imaginal exposure with measurement of psychophysiology, fMRI, and subjective emotional responding.
Treatment
First Studied
Drug Approval Stage
How many patients have taken this drug
Moderate Intensity Exercise
2019
Completed Phase 4
~150

Find a Location

Who is running the clinical trial?

National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)NIH
2,897 Previous Clinical Trials
2,732,586 Total Patients Enrolled
Christal L BadourLead Sponsor
2 Previous Clinical Trials
33 Total Patients Enrolled
Thomas AdamsLead Sponsor
3 Previous Clinical Trials
79 Total Patients Enrolled
~67 spots leftby Sep 2025
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