Exercise to help teens manage anxiety and fear in the brain
Official title: Exercise facilitation of adolescent fear extinction, frontolimbic circuitry, and endocannabinoids
Funded at Wayne State University · NIH-11376069 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A study will test whether a single session of moderate aerobic exercise can help anxious teens by influencing brain circuits and the body’s chemical signals.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Wayne State University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Detroit, United States) |
| Project start | July 15, 2023 |
| Project end | April 30, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $709,112 |
| NIH project number | 5R01MH132830-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11376069 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adolescents aged roughly 12-20 who are at elevated risk for anxiety.
✕Less likely to help
Teens not at elevated risk for anxiety or those unable to participate in an exercise session.
What this research studies
This project recruits 120 adolescents at risk for anxiety and randomly assigns them to either a session of moderate aerobic exercise or a sedentary comparison. It uses brain imaging and measures of fear extinction and endocannabinoid signaling to see how exercise might change the brain's fear system. The goal is to identify brain and body changes that could make anxiety treatments more effective for youth. The approach blends physical activity with translational neuroscience to inform future therapies for adolescents.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the findings could lead to simple, non-drug strategies to boost anxiety treatment outcomes in teens.
How similar studies have gone: Preliminary data suggest exercise relates to lower anxiety and changes in endocannabinoid signaling in youth, supporting feasibility for larger studies.
Where this research is happening
-
Wayne State University
Detroit, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Marusak, Hilary — Wayne State University
- Study coordinator: Marusak, Hilary
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.