RecruitingNAINTERVENTIONAL

Mechanisms Underlying Antidepressant Effects of Physical Activity

This study aims to understand why physical activity helps improve depression. While we know exercise can be beneficial, we don't fully understand the body and brain changes that lead to these positive effects. By learning more, we hope to create more effective and personalised exercise programmes for mental health. This could lead to more people getting exercise as part of their care. We're looking for 250 people with depression to take part. Half will do moderate exercise, and the other half will do stretching and relaxation, three times a week for eight weeks. We'll be looking at things like brain activity, chemical levels, and how people feel each day to see what changes occur.

At a glance

Status

Recruiting

Phase

Sponsor

University College, London

Enrolment target

250

Start

01 Apr 2024

Estimated completion

01 Jan 2028

Depression

What is this study about?

This research study is trying to understand more deeply why physical activity can help treat depression. Many people, including doctors, know that being active can improve mood and reduce symptoms of depression. However, the exact ways exercise affects our brain and body to create these positive changes are not fully clear. If we can pinpoint these 'mechanisms', it could help us develop better, more tailored exercise programmes for people struggling with depression.

We're focusing on ideas like how exercise might affect motivation and how our brains process rewards. Previous studies, especially in animals, suggest that exercise can reduce inflammation, boost 'feel-good' brain chemicals like dopamine, and improve how we enjoy rewarding activities. This study will compare regular moderate exercise with stretching and relaxation over eight weeks. We will carefully look at various factors, including things in your blood, how your brain works using special scans, and how your mood and daily activities change over time.

Ultimately, this research could be very important for improving mental health care. Exercise is affordable, accessible, and also good for physical health. By understanding it better, we could make exercise advice more effective and suitable for different people, and possibly combine it with other treatments like talking therapies to offer even better support for depression.

Key takeaways

This study explores how exercise helps depression.
It compares aerobic exercise with stretching/relaxation.
You'll attend sessions 3 times a week for 8 weeks.
Assessments include questionnaires, blood tests, and some brain scans.
Your involvement could help improve future depression treatments.
Participation is voluntary, and you can withdraw anytime.

Who may be eligible?

To join this study, you need to be between 18 and 60 years old and currently experiencing moderate depression. We'll ask about your usual activity levels, and you should be doing less than 30 minutes of moderate exercise once a week.

You'll also need to be able to speak English and be willing to take part in either the exercise or stretching activities. It's important that you can understand the study information and give your written permission to take part.

There are some reasons you wouldn't be able to join. For example, if you have certain medical conditions that make exercise unsafe, or if you've had psychosis, bipolar disorder, or a substance use disorder (unless it was just during a depressive episode). We also can't include people who are pregnant, or if you regularly use anti-inflammatory medicines more than once a week.

Could this study suit you?

Answer these quick questions to see if you may be eligible. This is a guide only — the research team makes the final call.

Are you between 18 and 60 years old?
Do you currently experience moderate depression symptoms?
Are you doing less than 30 minutes of moderate exercise once a week?
Can you understand English and are you willing to take part in group sessions?
Are you able to give your written permission to join?

Answer every question to see your result.

What does participation involve?

If you decide to take part, you'll be randomly assigned to one of two groups: an aerobic exercise group or a stretching and relaxation group. Both groups will attend sessions three times a week for 45 minutes, over an eight-week period. These sessions will be done in small groups, with no more than six participants in each class.

Throughout the study, you'll have several visits for assessments. This will include filling out questionnaires about your symptoms and mood. We will also take blood and saliva samples at the start, in the middle, and at the end of the eight weeks to check for certain markers related to your immune system and metabolism. Some participants, about one-third, will also have special scans called PET scans to look at brain chemicals.

You'll also have brain scans using fMRI to see how different parts of your brain are working, especially those involved in reward and effort. You'll complete some computer-based tasks that look at how you make decisions. The study doesn't involve any new medication, and you should continue any existing treatments as advised by your doctor. The total duration of active participation, including all assessments, will be around 9 to 14 weeks.

Potential risks and benefits

Taking part in this study could potentially offer benefits like improvements in your mood and depression symptoms through regular physical activity. You'll also be contributing valuable information that could help others with depression in the future. As with any exercise, there's a small risk of muscle soreness or minor injury, but the activities will be supervised. Some people might find the assessments, like blood tests or scans, uncomfortable, but these will be explained thoroughly beforehand. Remember, your participation is completely voluntary, and you have the right to withdraw from the study at any time without explaining why, and this will not affect your usual medical care.

Locations (1)

Some site locations are approximate. We're improving this — please verify with the trial team before travelling.

Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College London
Verified postcode
London, United Kingdom· Recruiting

Common questions

What kind of exercise will I be doing?

You'll either be in a moderate aerobic exercise group (like brisk walking or cycling) or a stretching and relaxation group, both for 45 minutes, three times a week.

Will I know which group I'm in?

You'll be told which group you're in (exercise or stretching) after you've been chosen for the study and before the sessions start.

Do I have to stop my current medication?

No, you should continue any medication prescribed by your doctor. This study doesn't involve stopping or starting new medicines.

What happens to the information they collect about me?

All your personal information will be kept confidential. What you share will be used for research only and will help us understand depression better.

How long will the study last for me?

The exercise or stretching sessions last 8 weeks. With the initial and final assessments, your total involvement will be around 9 to 14 weeks.

How to find out more

Emily Hird, PhD

e.hird@ucl.ac.uk +44 20 7907 471 Official trial record

Always speak to your GP or specialist before deciding to take part in a study.