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

Recruiting now · Not applicable

Conditions studied: Adolescence

In brief

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.

Key facts

Study ID

NCT06297278

Run by

Wayne State University

People needed

174

Starts

2024-05-17

Expected to finish

2028-04-30

Last updated by the study team

2025-08-07

Who can join

Age: 14 and older, up to 17. Sex: any. Healthy volunteers: accepted.

You may qualify if…

• Provision of signed and dated informed consent form
• Stated willingness to comply with all study procedures and available for the duration of the study
• 14-17 years of age upon enrollment
• Right-handed
• In good general health as evidenced by medical history
• Adolescent and parent/guardian are English-speaking, as study assessments are in English
• Availability of a parent or legal guardian who is willing to provide consent and attend all study visits

You may not qualify if…

• Traumatic brain injury with ongoing symptoms
• Sensory (e.g., hearing) or physical (e.g., motor, balance) impairment or significant developmental delay
• MRI participants: MRI contraindication (e.g., braces, implants, claustrophobia)
• Any condition that would contraindicate blood draws (e.g., hemophilia, sickle cell)
• Past or current diagnosis or presence of likely neurological disorder (e.g., epilepsy), psychotic disorder (e.g., schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder), or bipolar disorder
• Severe/unstable medical condition (e.g., diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis)
• Current (past 1-month) use of cannabis or cannabinoid products including CBD unless willing to stop for at least 4 weeks prior to entering the study
• Currently pregnant, lactating, or positive pregnancy test at screening visit
• Current homicidal thoughts or suicide attempt in the past year
• Current suicidal thoughts requiring immediate intervention
• Concurrent use (past 6 weeks) of oral contraceptives
• Diagnosed or probable substance use disorder (past 1-month)
• Positive drug test at baseline visit (e.g., THC, cocaine)
• Moderate/severe drug or alcohol use in the past 8 weeks
• Current or recent (past 1-month) COVID-19 diagnosis or febrile illness
• Treatment with investigational drug or intervention (past 1-month)
• Current smoker, vaper, or tobacco or nicotine use (past 1-month)
• Ongoing exposure to abuse

Where it is running

• Tolan Park Medical Building — Detroit, Michigan, United States (enrolling)

Full record on ClinicalTrials.gov

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