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Aerobic Exercise and Fear Extinction in PTSD

This study is looking at whether aerobic exercise can help people with and without Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) better remember how to overcome fear. Participants will complete a 30-minute session of light, moderate, or high-intensity aerobic exercise. Researchers will measure how your body reacts to fear (skin conductance responses), your feelings about threats (threat expectancy ratings), and your brain activity (neural activity) during fear-related tasks. This will help them understand if exercise improves how well you recall overcoming fear. The study aims to enroll 120 people, aged 18 to 64, who are right-handed and have experienced interpersonal violence. This includes individuals with a current PTSD diagnosis and those who have experienced trauma but do not have PTSD. The current recruitment status is unclear.

Study design
This is an interventional study planning to enroll 120 participants. It is designed to see if aerobic exercise affects how people process fear.
What's involved
You would have an initial intake visit, followed by a three-day protocol involving fear conditioning, fear extinction with activity, and fear extinction recall tasks.
Compensation
Not stated in the trial record.
Follow-up
Measurements are collected during fear conditioning, fear extinction, and extinction recall tasks, which occur over a three-day protocol.

AI-generated from the public study record. Only the study team can confirm whether you're eligible — confirm details with them before making decisions.

NCT06144203

The Influence of Aerobic Exercise on Consolidation of Fear Extinction Learning in PTSD

Recruiting
NAAges 18–64InterventionalBasic science
University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa
~120 participants
Updated 2024-02-15 on ClinicalTrials.gov
What's tested:Exercise

At a glance

Recruiting sites
1 of 1 listed site is recruiting right now
RecruitingSuspended, closed, or not yet open
What they're measuring
Skin conductance responses
Measured over Collected during fear conditioning, fear extinction, and extinction recall task.
+2 more outcomes measured

Conditions

PTSD

Explore related trials

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

Where it's being run

1 sites across 1 states
Alabama1

Who to contact

Kevin Crombie, PhD
[email protected]
2053482684
Email the study team

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Do you actually qualify for this trial?

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Eligibility criteria

Inclusion

male or female sex
right-handed
age 18-64
a current diagnosis of PTSD where the index event involves interpersonal violence exposure (e.g., physical/sexual assault).
male or female sex
right-handed
age 18-64
interpersonal violence exposure (e.g., physical/sexual assault).

Exclusion

current substance use disorder (other than alcohol, nicotine, or cannabis)
acute suicidality
history of bipolar/psychotic disorder
changes to or addition of psychiatric medication in the past 4 weeks (6 weeks for fluoxetine)
medications that effect neurovascular properties upon which BOLD fMRI capitalizes (e.g., water pills)
history of neurological disorders or disease (e.g., traumatic brain injury, epilepsy, seizures)
loss of consciousness \> 10 minutes
intellectual disabilities (IQ\<70)
developmental disorders
MRI contraindication (e.g., internal ferromagnetic objects such as electronic devices, surgical implants, shrapnel; see phone screen)
claustrophobia or the inability to lie still in a confined space
physical disabilities that prohibit task performance (e.g., blindness or deafness)
positive pregnancy test
cochlear implant
an implanted neurostimulator
physical disabilities that prohibit task performance (e.g., blindness or deafness)
vulnerable populations (i.e., pregnant women, individuals appearing to lack consent capacity, prisoners, individuals unable to read consent materials, individuals in a relationship with study researchers (e.g., friends, family members, significant others)
having a history of chest pain during physical activity
having a bone, joint, cardiac, or other medical condition that a doctor has said may be worsened by physical activity
having asthma
responding 'Yes' to any of the seven questions on the Physical Activity Readiness Questionnaire (PAR-Q - administered as part of the Exercise Safety Questions of the phone screen), indicating it is unsafe for the individual to engage in aerobic exercise without physician approval (i.e., potential participant would be eligible to participate if they indicated 'Yes' to one or more of the PAR-Q items provided they obtain a doctor's note indicating it is safe for them to participate in the study)
Percutaneous Coronary Intervention or acute myocardial infarction in the last 6 weeks
unstable arrhythmias/implanted cardiac defibrillator shocks in the last 3 months
any other condition that the PI believes might put the participant at risk.
Additionally, due to their effects on image quality, interested individuals with the following may be ineligible to participate per PI's judgement: nonremovable dental implants (e.g., braces or upper permanent retainers) as these will distort the MRI images we collect (note: filings, crowns, and silver or gold teeth are okay); any other condition, medication, or implant that the PI believes would degrade image quality or render data unusable

What this trial measures

  • Skin conductance responsesCollected during fear conditioning, fear extinction, and extinction recall task.

    SCR data will be collected while participants are completing the cognitive task in the MRI environment.

  • Threat expectancy ratingsCollected during fear conditioning, fear extinction, and extinction recall task.

    Threat expectancy ratings will be collected while participants are completing the cognitive task in the MRI environment.

  • Neural activityCollected during fear conditioning, fear extinction, and extinction recall task.

    Neural activity will be collected while participants are completing the cognitive task in the MRI environment.