NCT05643716

The Effects of Exercise on Emotion Regulation and Cognitive Control in PTSD

The Effects of a Single Bout of Aerobic Exercise on Emotion Regulation and Cognitive Control in Individuals With Clinically Significant Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Symptoms

• Status: Completed
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 67 (actual)
• Sponsor: Michigan State University · Academic / Other
• Sex: Female
• Age: 18 Years – 45 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Accepted

Summary

The goal of this study is to investigate the effects of a single bout of aerobic exercise on neurophysiological indices of emotion regulation and cognitive control in individuals with clinically significant PTSD symptoms. In this proposed study, 65 adult females with clinically significant PTSD symptoms will be randomized into two groups: a 20-minute moderate-to-vigorous intensity aerobic exercise group, or a 20-minute silent sitting control group. Prior to and following the exercise/sitting session, participants will complete a letter flanker task and an emotion regulation picture viewing task while their electrical brain activity is continuously recorded via electroencephalogram (EEG). Utilizing a multimodal assessment approach, cognitive control will be measured using behavioral (i.e., accuracy, reaction time) and neurophysiology (i.e., P300, error-related negativity; ERN). Emotion regulation will be measured using self-reported and neurophysiological indices of emotional reactivity (i.e., late positive potential; LPP).

Conditions

• Emotion Regulation
• Cognitive Control
• PTSD

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
BEHAVIORAL	Aerobic Exercise	The aerobic exercise intervention is described in the Aerobic Exercise Arm description.

Timeline

• Start date: 2024-03-05
• Primary completion: 2025-03-01
• Completion: 2025-03-01
• First posted: 2022-12-09
• Last updated: 2025-09-18

Locations

1 site across 1 country: United States