NCT06127342

Exercise and Emotional Learning in Posttraumatic Stress Disorder

• Status: Recruiting
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 100 (estimated)
• Sponsor: Christal L Badour · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 18 Years – 64 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Not accepted

Summary

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.

Detailed description

The proposed project would build on our published pilot data and animal models to demonstrate that moderate intensity physical exercise delivered after exposure therapy engages fear circuitry and enhances the consolidation of therapeutic safety learning, thereby enabling enhanced symptom reduction for PTSD. Adults with PTSD related to interpersonal violence (IPV) exposure would complete an initial session of imaginal exposure to traumatic memory cues adapted for an MRI setting. This would be followed by 30-mins of moderate intensity exercise or low intensity exercise control. Participants would return 24-hrs later to complete a second session of imaginal exposure with MRI.

Conditions

• PTSD

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
BEHAVIORAL	Moderate Intensity Exercise	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.
BEHAVIORAL	Low Intensity Exercise	Participants will wear a heartrate monitor and cycle on a stationary bike at a slow speed for 40 minutes.

Timeline

• Start date: 2024-05-13
• Primary completion: 2026-09-30
• Completion: 2026-11-30
• First posted: 2023-11-13
• Last updated: 2025-09-03

Locations

2 sites across 1 country: United States