Exercise and Emotional Learning in Posttraumatic Stress Disorder
Purpose
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.
Condition
- PTSD
Eligibility
- Eligible Ages
- Between 18 Years and 64 Years
- Eligible Genders
- All
- Accepts Healthy Volunteers
- No
Inclusion Criteria
- Adults with PTSD related to interpersonal violence
Exclusion Criteria
- 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 - Recent changes in psychiatric medication or trauma focused cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) (past 4-weeks) - Medical condition(s) that prohibit exercise - History of traumatic brain injury (TBI) with loss of consciousness > 30 mins - Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) contraindication(s) - Positive pregnancy test - History of seizure disorder - Spontaneous seizure(s) within the last 3 months
Study Design
- Phase
- N/A
- Study Type
- Interventional
- Allocation
- Randomized
- Intervention Model
- Parallel Assignment
- Primary Purpose
- Treatment
- Masking
- Single (Outcomes Assessor)
Arm Groups
| Arm | Description | Assigned Intervention |
|---|---|---|
|
Experimental Moderate Intensity Exercise |
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. |
|
|
Active Comparator Low Intensity Exercise |
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 (controlÍž 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. |
|
Recruiting Locations
More Details
- Status
- Recruiting
- Sponsor
- Christal L Badour
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.
