Aerobic exercise's effect on fear extinction in PTSD

Is this trial a fit for you?

A plain-English reading of the study's rules. Only the study team can confirm whether you qualify.

What this trial studies

This study tests whether aerobic exercise performed after fear extinction learning can enhance cognitive, physiological, and neural aspects of extinction recall in individuals with and without PTSD. Participants will undergo a structured protocol that includes a clinical intake visit, followed by fear conditioning, fear extinction combined with exercise, and finally, fear extinction recall. The study aims to determine the impact of exercise on the consolidation of fear extinction learning in trauma-exposed individuals.

Why it matters

Who can join: the full rules

Inclusion Criteria for PTSD:

* 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).

Inclusion criteria for the trauma-exposed (without PTSD) control participants includes:

* male or female sex
* right-handed
* age 18-64
* interpersonal violence exposure (e.g., physical/sexual assault).

Exclusion Criteria for all participants:

* 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

Where it's running

• Wade Hall - University of Alabama
  Tuscaloosa, Alabama, United States Recruiting

Study contacts

• Study coordinator: Kevin Crombie, PhD
• Email: kmcrombie@ua.edu
• Phone: 2053482684

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How to take part

1. Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
2. Check the official listing on ClinicalTrials.gov for the latest contact details and recruitment status.
3. Contact the study coordinator or principal investigator to ask for pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.