Exercise Training for the Treatment of Generalized Anxiety Disorder

Exercise Training for the Treatment of Generalized Anxiety Disorder: A Randomized Controlled Trial Comparing Endurance and Strength Training Among Sedentary Women With Generalized Anxiety Disorder.

The purpose of this study is to compare the effects of 6 weeks of endurance or strength training and a wait list comparison condition on symptoms of Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD).

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Generalized Anxiety Disorder
• Intervention / Treatment: Other: Strength Training; Other: Endurance Training

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 30
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• United States
  • Georgia
    • Athens, Georgia, United States, 30602-6554
      • The University of Georgia

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 18 years to 39 years (ADULT)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No
• Genders Eligible for Study: Female

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Women aged 18-39 years
• Principal diagnosis of Generalized Anxiety Disorder according to DSM-IV diagnostic criteria (comorbidities will be acceptable as long as Generalized Anxiety Disorder is the principal diagnosis)

Exclusion Criteria:

• A score of less than 45 on the Penn State Worry Questionnaire
• A score of less than 7 on the Generalized Anxiety Disorder section of the Psychiatric Diagnostic Screening Questionnaire
• Expending greater than 250 kilocalories per kilogram body weight per week as measured by a 7-day physical activity recall questionnaire
• Engaging in greater than 6 exercise bouts in the month prior to recruitment
• Pregnancy
• Any medical contraindications (cardiovascular or musculoskeletal) to exercise training according to American College of Sports Medicine guidelines

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: TREATMENT
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Interventional Model: PARALLEL
• Masking: SINGLE

Number of Arms

3

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
EXPERIMENTAL: Strength Training; Lower-body strength training exercise twice weekly for 6 weeks at an intensity progressing from 50% to 75% predicted one-repetition maximum	Other: Strength Training; 6 weeks of strength training exercise sessions involving leg press, leg curl, and leg extension exercises twice weekly at an intensity progressing from 50% to 75% of predicted one-repetition maximum across the 6 weeks of the trial.
EXPERIMENTAL: Endurance Training; Six-week lower-body dynamic cycling exercise condition completed twice weekly and matched to the strength training arm on total work completed, total time actively engaged in exercise and load progression.	Other: Endurance Training; Six weeks of lower-body dynamic cycling exercise completed on an electronically-braked cycle ergometer twice weekly. The intervention will be matched to the strength training intervention on total work completed, total time actively engaged in exercise, a focus on leg muscles, and load (intensity) progression across the 6 week training protocol.
NO_INTERVENTION: Waiting List Control; Waiting list control condition in which participants will maintain their current lifestyle and will not enter a six-week exercise training intervention, but will complete outcome measures along the same time progression as the intervention arms.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) Remission as Measured by Anxiety Disorders Interview Schedule-Adult Version (ADIS-IV) Severity Ratings	GAD is characterized by persistent excessive or pathologic worry most days for at least 6 months about activities of daily life that is difficult to control and associated with at least 3 of the following symptoms: restlessness, feeling on edge, being easily fatigued, difficulty concentrating, irritability, muscle tension, and sleep difficulty. Symptoms are not caused by a substance or disorder, but cause significant distress or functional impairment. Remission was measured using the ADIS-IV from 1-16 days following the 6-week intervention.	Pre- and post- 6 week training intervention
Worry Symptoms	Worry symptoms, hallmark symptoms of GAD, were assessed using the Penn State Worry Questionnaire (PSWQ). The PSWQ is a 16-item self-report questionnaire that measures pathological worry symptoms. Participants rate items from 1 "not at all typical of me" to 5 "very typical of me." Scores range from 16 to 80, with higher scores indicated exacerbated worry symptoms. Symptoms were assessed at baseline and at the beginning of the second weekly session during weeks 2, 4, and 6.	Baseline, Week 2, Week 4, Week 6

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: University of Georgia
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Matthew P Herring, MS, MEd, The University of Georgia; Study Director: Patrick J O'Connor, PhD, The University of Georgia

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start: August 1, 2009
• Primary Completion (ACTUAL): May 1, 2010
• Study Completion (ACTUAL): May 1, 2010

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: August 4, 2009
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: August 4, 2009
• First Posted (ESTIMATE): August 6, 2009

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (ESTIMATE): September 9, 2016
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: July 29, 2016
• Last Verified: July 1, 2016

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: Mental Health; Generalized Anxiety Disorder; Exercise Training; Strength Training
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Mental Disorders; Pathologic Processes; Disease; Anxiety Disorders
• Other Study ID Numbers: UGA-2009-01913-1