Exercise and Therapeutic Exposure

Not Applicable

Completed

• Conditions: PTSD

• Registration Number: NCT05177458
• Lead Sponsor: Thomas Adams

Brief Summary

The proposed project seeks to demonstrate that a brief bout of aerobic exercise can improve a particular type of therapeutic learning among victimins of interpersonal violence with or without posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Detailed Description

The proposed study has one aim:

Specific Aim: To examine the effects of acute exercise on the consolidation of therapeutic safety learning. It is hypothesized that participants who engage in 30-min of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise following the first session of imaginal exposure will show larger between-session (visit 2 to 3) reductions in heart rate and anxiety during imaginal exposure to trauma narratives compared to participants who engage in light-intensity exercise.

Study Timeline

• Study First Submitted: 2021-08-12
• Study First Submitted QC: 2021-12-15
• Study First Posted: 2022-01-04
• Study Start: 2022-04-14
• Primary Completion: 2023-07-18
• Study Completion: 2023-07-18
• Status Verified: 2024-08
• Last Update Submitted: 2024-08-29
• Last Update Posted: 2024-08-30

Recruitment & Eligibility

• Status: COMPLETED
• Sex: All
• Target Recruitment: 12

Inclusion Criteria

• Experience of interpersonal violence
• English speaking
• Medically healthy

Exclusion Criteria

• Any endorsed medical concerns related to physical activity (as probed in the phone screening questions regarding cardiovascular, pulmonary, or metabolic disease and as assessed via the Physical Activity Readiness Questionnaire (PAR-Q), which probes into participants' history of heart conditions, chest pain, dizziness, loss of consciousness, bone/joint problems, and medication history). Participants would not be excluded if they report this condition being "controlled" or "addressed" through medication or lifestyle change, such as regular exercise.
• Major medical disorders (such as cancer, AIDS)
• Psychotic disorders
• Intellectual disabilities
• Developmental disorders
• Active substance use disorders
• Pregnancy or probably pregnancy
• Body mass index greater than or equal to 35
• Daily cannabis use
• History of any cardiac disease
• Inability to provide informed consent
• Physical disabilities that prohibit task performance (such as deafness or blindness)
• Self-reported history of loss of consciousness (greater than 30 minutes)

Study & Design

• Study Type: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Design: PARALLEL

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Change in participant heart rate	24 hours (visit 2), 48 hours (visit 3)	Participant heart rate will be measured at baseline and after each imagery trial using a BIOPAC Bionomadix photo plethysmogram.
Change in participant subjective emotional ratings	24 hours (visit 2), 48 hours (visit 3)	Participant anxiety will be measured at baseline and after each imagery trial.
Change in participant electrodermal response	24 hours (visit 2), 48 hours (visit 3)	Participant skin conductance activity will be measured at baseline and during each imagery trial using a pair of BIOPAC Bionomadix electrodermal activity electrodes

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

University of Kentucky; 🇺🇸 Lexington, Kentucky, United States