RecruitingNot ApplicableNCT06297278

Exercise Facilitation of Adolescent Fear Extinction, Frontolimbic Circuitry, and Endocannabinoids

Sponsor

Wayne State University

Enrollment

174 participants

Start Date

May 17, 2024

Study Type

INTERVENTIONAL

Conditions

Adolescence

Summary

Anxiety disorders commonly begin during adolescence, and are characterized by deficits in the ability to inhibit or extinguish pathological fear. Recent research has provided new understanding of how fear is learned and can be regulated in the adolescent brain, and how the endocannabinoid system shapes these processes; however, these advances have not yet translated into improved therapeutic outcomes for adolescents with anxiety. This study will test whether a behavioral intervention, acute exercise, can help to improve fear regulation by enhancing brain activity and endocannabinoid signaling. This line of research may ultimately lead to more effect treatments for adolescent anxiety, and to new preventive strategies for at-risk youth.

Eligibility

Min Age: 14 YearsMax Age: 17 Years

Plain Language Summary

Simplified for easier understanding

This study explores whether aerobic exercise can improve how teenagers process and overcome fear — and how that relates to brain activity and chemical signals in the body. It may have implications for understanding and treating anxiety in young people. **You may be eligible if...** - You are 14–17 years old and in good general health - You are right-handed - You and your parent/guardian speak English - A parent or legal guardian is willing to attend all study visits and provide consent **You may NOT be eligible if...** - You have a traumatic brain injury with ongoing symptoms - You have sensory, physical, or developmental impairments - You have metal implants, braces, or claustrophobia that would prevent an MRI (for MRI participants) - You have a neurological disorder (epilepsy), psychotic disorder, or bipolar disorder - You have used cannabis or CBD products in the past month and are not willing to stop for at least 4 weeks - You are pregnant - You have had a suicide attempt in the past year Talk to your doctor to see if this trial is right for you.

This summary was AI-generated to explain the trial in plain language. It is not medical advice. Always discuss eligibility with your doctor before enrolling in a clinical trial.

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Interventions

BEHAVIORALModerate Intensity Exercise

Participants randomized to the active (moderate intensity) exercise condition will complete a 3-minute warm-up at low speed on a treadmill. Speed and incline will be increased in 3-minute increments until moderate-intensity exercise, defined as participants staying within a zone of 60-80% AAMHR with the target being to attain and maintain 70-75% AAMHR while briskly walking and/or jogging depending on current fitness status, is reached for a total of 30 min.