Qigong and Multicomponent Exercise in Panic Disorder

August 24, 2026 updated by: Melike Süsal, Dokuz Eylul University

Investigation of the Effects of Qigong Exercise Training and Multicomponent Exercise Training on Physical and Mental Health in People With Panic Disorder

Panic disorder is a psychiatric disease characterized by recurrent panic attacks that occur in expected or unexpected situations and create feelings of intense fear, restlessness and discomfort. Panic disorder often has a chronic course, its frequency and severity can be irregular, various physical, mental, and behavioral symptoms can develop, and the quality of life of individuals can decrease significantly. Evidence-based psychotherapy and pharmacotherapy are effective in reducing the symptoms of panic disorder and managing the disorder. However, both of these treatment methods have certain limitations, and approximately one-third of patients do not respond to therapy or the response is not sufficiently effective. Delaying treatment of the disease results in a poor prognosis and more established symptoms. Exercise can be viewed as a low-cost, supportive treatment for relieving symptoms with comparable efficacy to medication and other psychological interventions. Although exercise is recommended for patients with anxiety-panic disorder, there remains uncertainty about whether its effects are sustainable, the type and intensity of exercise required for effective treatment, and thus the effects of qigong and multicomponent exercise on multiple health outcomes in panic disorder. The aim of this study is to examine the effects of Qigong exercise training and multicomponent exercise training on anxiety-panic, balance, mobility, walking, functional strength, physical activity, sleep quality, fatigue, chronic musculoskeletal pain, quality of life and cognition.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Recruiting

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Interventional

Enrollment (Estimated)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
60

Phase

Phase

The stage of a clinical trial studying a drug or biological product, based on definitions developed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The phase is based on the study's objective, the number of participants, and other characteristics. There are five phases: Early Phase 1 (formerly listed as Phase 0), Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3, and Phase 4. Not Applicable is used to describe trials without FDA-defined phases, including trials of devices or behavioral interventions.
  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Locations

  • Turkey (Türkiye)
      • Izmir, Turkey (Türkiye)
        • Recruiting
        • Dokuz Eylul University
        • Contact:
          • Dokuz Eylul University Faculty of Physical Therapy
          • Phone Number: +902324124901
          • Email: fiziktedavi@deu.edu.tr

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Adult
  • Older Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Being between the ages of 18-65
  • Being diagnosed with "panic disorder" by a psychiatrist
  • Not having another psychiatric illness
  • Wanting to participate in the research voluntarily and signing the informed consent
  • Not having a history of communication or neuromusculoskeletal disease that would not allow the application of evaluation and treatment methods

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Having a vision and/or hearing problem that would prevent participation in the study
  • History of neurological, cardiopulmonary and musculoskeletal system disease that would negatively affect participation in evaluation and treatment

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Treatment
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: None (Open Label)

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Participant Group / Arm

A group or subgroup of participants in a clinical trial that receives a specific intervention/treatment, or no intervention, according to the trial's protocol.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
Experimental: Qigong-Baduanjin Exercise Training Group
In our study, the Qigong exercise training group will receive Baduanjin training via online platform for 8 weeks, 2 days a week, 1 hour a day, under the supervision of a physiotherapist. Each lesson will consist of 10 minutes of warm-up, 40 minutes of Qigong Baduanjin exercises, and 10 minutes of cool-down. First, the participants will be taught isometric and isotonic segmental movement sequences in the upper and lower extremities, then they will be taught to combine breathing techniques, and then they will be taught to focus their attention on movement, breathing, and Qi (life force). In addition, the patients will be asked to exercise at home unsupervised for 1 day a week and keep an exercise diary. According to the participant's compliance and problems, examinations will be made in weekly check-ups and the exercise diary recorded by the patients will be checked, and thus exercise progressions will be ensured. The sessions will be carried out in groups and supervised.
Other: Exercise Training
Exercise training for 8 weeks
Experimental: Multicomponent Exercise (resistance, balance, endurance and cognitive-motor skills) Training Group
Participants in this group will receive multicomponent exercise training via online platform, 2 times a week, 1 hour per day, for 8 weeks. In addition, patients will be asked to exercise at home unsupervised for 1 day a week and keep an exercise diary. Participant's compliance and problems will be examined during weekly check-ups, and exercise progressions will be provided by increasing the intensity according to the participant's compliance. Sessions will be performed and supervised in groups. The multicomponent exercise intervention will consist of a combined training program with three components (resistance training with "elastic resistance band", balance training, endurance and training to develop cognitive-motor skills (dual task)). Each session will have a 3-part structure (warm-up, main exercise and cool-down) to increase the level of difficulty and commitment, and progress will be monitored throughout the 8-week multicomponent treatment.
Other: Exercise Training
Exercise training for 8 weeks
No Intervention: Wait List - Control Group
Participants in this group will only be monitored during the study, they will continue their normal treatments, in addition to their usual medical care, if they have a sports or exercise program, they will be asked to continue but not to start a new program, and they will be informed about healthy lifestyle recommendations (regular physical activity-exercise, nutrition, sleep, etc.). In this group with a waiting list structure, individuals who have completed the study follow-up period will be offered exercise program options and will be included in the training programs if they want to participate in exercise training, but the data of these participants will not be included in the analyses of this study.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
DSM-5 Panic Disorder Severity Scale
Time Frame: change from baseline to 8 weeks
Panic levels will be evaluated with the DSM-5 Panic Disorder Severity Scale. It provides a five-point Likert-type rating (0=never, 1=sometimes, 2=half of the time, 3=most of the time, 4=all of the time). Scores obtained from the scale items determine the severity of panic disorder. The total score for the scale ranges from 0 to 40, with higher scores indicating more severe panic disorder symptoms.
change from baseline to 8 weeks
State-Trait Anxiety Inventory
Time Frame: change from baseline to 8 weeks
State and trait anxiety levels will be assessed with the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory. The State-Trait Anxiety Inventory is a psychological inventory consisting of 40 self-report items on a 4-point Likert scale. The STAI measures two types of anxiety separately in two forms (STAI-S; STAI-T)-state anxiety and trait anxiety. The scale has 20 state-domain and 20 trait-domain questions. A score of 1 indicates that the situation described in the question does not reflect their personality at all; a score of 4 indicates that the situation described in the question reflects their personality completely. Each form is scored between 20 and 80, with higher scores positively correlated with higher anxiety levels, while lower scores indicate lower anxiety levels. The cutoff score for this scale is 44, with scores of 45 and above indicating higher anxiety levels.
change from baseline to 8 weeks

Secondary Outcome Measures

Secondary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, a planned outcome measure that is not as important as the primary outcome measure for evaluating the effect of an intervention but is still of interest. Most clinical studies have more than one secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Mini-Balance Assessment Systems Test
Time Frame: change from baseline to 8 weeks
The Mini-Balance Assessment Systems Test will be used for clinical balance assessment.
change from baseline to 8 weeks
Functional Walking Assessment
Time Frame: change from baseline to 8 weeks
Functional Walking Assessment will be used to assess postural stability and balance during various walking tasks.
change from baseline to 8 weeks
Activity-Specific Balance Confidence Scale
Time Frame: change from baseline to 8 weeks
Activity-Specific Balance Confidence Scale will be used to evaluate functional balance-mobility-walking performance. For each question, the score ranges from 0% (no confidence) to 100% (full confidence). The values across all activities are summed and the average calculated. Measurement results range from 0% to 100%, with a higher average score indicating higher confidence. A score above 80% on this scale indicates that the balance is reliable.
change from baseline to 8 weeks
5-Repetition Sit-to-Stand Test
Time Frame: change from baseline to 8 weeks
The 5-Repetition Sit-to-Stand Test will be used to measure overall stability and functional lower extremity muscle strength.
change from baseline to 8 weeks
Sedentary Behavior Questionnaire
Time Frame: change from baseline to 8 weeks
The Sedentary Behavior Questionnaire is a questionnaire developed to assess the time spent performing 11 sedentary behaviors on a typical weekday and weekend day. The questionnaire has nine response options: "Never," "15 minutes or less," "30 minutes," "1 hour," "2 hours," "3 hours," "4 hours," "5 hours," and "6 hours or more." Before scoring, the time spent on each behavior is converted to hours (for example, a 15-minute response is recorded as 0.25 hours). For a total score, the behavioral durations in hours are summed separately for weekdays and weekends. To obtain the average sedentary behavior duration for weekdays and weekends, the total time spent during the week is multiplied by 5, and the total time spent on weekends is multiplied by 2. When calculating the total time spent on sedentary behavior during the weekdays and weekends, scores higher than 24 hours/day are reduced to 24 hours/day and recorded.
change from baseline to 8 weeks
Baecke Habitual Physical Activity Questionnaire
Time Frame: change from baseline to 8 weeks
The Baecke Habitual Physical Activity Questionnaire will assess participant's habitual physical activities over the last 12 months. This questionnaire consists of 16 questions regarding three main areas of individual physical activity in the last 12 months: occupational (items 1-8), sports (items 9-12), and recreational (items 13-16). Scores for each area range from 1 to 5; higher scores indicate higher physical activity.
change from baseline to 8 weeks
Exercise Benefits/Barriers Scale
Time Frame: change from baseline to 8 weeks
The Exercise Benefits/Barriers Scale will be used to measure the perceived benefits of exercise and the perceived barriers to exercise. Each participant will be asked to rate perceived benefits and perceived barriers on a 4-point Likert scale ("Strongly Agree," "Agree," "Disagree," and "Strongly Disagree"). Possible scores on the benefits scale range from 29 to 116, with higher scores indicating greater perceived benefits. Possible scores on the barriers scale range from 14 to 56, with higher scores indicating greater perceived barriers. The total score ranges from 43 to 172. The higher the score, the more positively perceived physical activity benefits are relative to physical activity barriers.
change from baseline to 8 weeks
Montreal Cognitive Assessment Scale
Time Frame: change from baseline to 8 weeks
Cognitive functions will be assessed with the Montreal Cognitive Assessment Scale. The scale, which can be administered quickly, presents the individual with eight different cognitive tasks. Developed to assess mild cognitive impairments, this scale assesses various cognitive abilities, including executive functions, visual-spatial skills, memory, language, attention and concentration, abstract thinking, calculation, and orientation. The maximum score possible from the test battery is 30, but scores of 21 or higher are considered normal.
change from baseline to 8 weeks
Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index
Time Frame: change from baseline to 8 weeks
Sleep quality will be evaluated with the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index. The index is a 19-item self-report measure that assesses sleep quality and disturbances over the past month. The 19 individual items form a score of seven components: subjective sleep quality, sleep latency, sleep duration, habitual sleep efficiency, sleep disturbances, use of sleeping pills, and daytime dysfunction. Each component is rated on a 0-3 scale. The sum of the seven components provides the total scale score. The sum of the seven component scores ranges from 0 to 21; higher scores represent poorer subjective sleep quality.
change from baseline to 8 weeks
Modified Fatigue Impact Scale
Time Frame: change from baseline to 8 weeks
The Modified Fatigue Impact Scale will be used to evaluate the participant's fatigue status in the last month. The scale consists of 21 questions assessing the physical, cognitive, and social effects of fatigue. Each item is scored from 0 (no problem) to 4 (maximum problem). Higher scores indicate increased fatigue exposure, and lower scores indicate a lower degree of fatigue.
change from baseline to 8 weeks
Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire
Time Frame: change from baseline to 8 weeks
The Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire will be used to measure musculoskeletal pain. This survey consists of three main sections. The first section addresses any distress (such as pain, aching, discomfort, or numbness) experienced by the participant over the past 12 months. The second section asks the same question, but it addresses any distress experienced by the participant over the past 7 days. The final section addresses any injuries caused by distress experienced over the past 12 months. Data collected in each section relates to different anatomical areas: neck, shoulders, back, elbows, hands/wrists, waist, hips/thighs, knees, and feet/ankles. The survey primarily inquires about the presence of pain in nine body areas. Responses are recorded as binary options ("yes" or "no"). If the participant answers "yes," the relevant subquestions are discussed.
change from baseline to 8 weeks
Short Form-36
Time Frame: change from baseline to 8 weeks
Quality of life will be assessed with Short Form-36. The SF-36 questionnaire measures health status by considering physical functioning and exercise, emotional and physical role functioning, overall mental health, social role functioning, bodily pain, and general health. The 36 items in the scale give it its name. This scale consists of eight subscales. It includes subparameters for pain, physical and social functioning, fatigue, health perception, emotional state, emotional problems, and limitations due to physical problems. The scale considers the last four weeks. Questions are scored from 0 to 100.
change from baseline to 8 weeks

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
Dokuz Eylul University

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
December 1, 2024

Primary Completion (Estimated)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
January 30, 2028

Study Completion (Estimated)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
September 30, 2028

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
August 18, 2025

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
February 23, 2026

First Posted (Actual)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
February 27, 2026

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
August 25, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
August 24, 2026

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
August 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • 9029-GOA

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

UNDECIDED

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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