Exercise to Improve Outcomes of Treatment for Methamphetamine Users

November 30, 2015 updated by: Richard Rawson, University of California, Los Angeles

Aerobic Exercise to Improve Outcomes of Treatment for Methamphetamine Dependence

The purpose of this study is to assess the effects of an aerobic and strength training exercise program (one that increases the need for oxygen and increases muscle) on the treatment outcomes of 150 individuals in treatment for methamphetamine dependence at Cri-Help. The study will determine if a 60-minute exercise program (three times a week) has an effect (good or bad) on the health and drug use of participants as compared to individuals not participating in an exercise program.

Study Overview

Detailed Description

Participants were recruited to the study using various methods, including word of mouth and IRB-approved flyers posted throughout the treatment facility. Onsite study staff screened MA-dependent clients in a private study office and reviewed the informed consent protocol. After completion of informed consent procedures, participants entered a1-2week screening phase to determine eligibility, consisting of medical history, physical exam, laboratory studies, and ECG. Eligible clients were taken through study baseline assessments to inform randomization to study conditions, either an exercise intervention or health education control, using a computerized urn randomization program that stratified clients to conditions based on gender (male/female) and severity of baseline MA use (higher vs. lower severity). The cut-off point for determining lower severity MA use versus higher severity use was identified using data from previous clinical outcome studies that show the median number of days of MA use ranges from16 to 20 days at treatment entry. Hence, we defined "lower severity" as using MA for 18 or fewer days in the previous month, and "higher severity" as using for 19 or more days in the past month. The study's data management center (DMC) maintained the urn randomization program and the records that linked participant identification numbers to study condition. Study interventions were conducted onsite while participants were enrolled in usual care at the residential treatment facility; cases of early discharge from the facility resulted in premature termination from the study.

Participants randomized to the exercise condition received a structured exercise program 3 times a week for 8 weeks. Exercise sessions consisted of a 5-min warm-up, 30 min of aerobic activity on a treadmill, followed by 15 min of weight training and a 5-min cool-down/stretching period. Each session was monitored by a staff exercise physiologist who guided one to two participants at a time. Using heart rate monitors, the exercise physiologist worked closely with each individual participant on exercise days to increase treadmill speed/slope to maintain a heart rate between 60% and 85% of maximum for 30 minutes. Once a participant was able to complete two sets of 15 repetitions of any given exercise, weight was incrementally increased.

A data collection protocol occurred at baseline, and also weekly during the 8-week study period, at termination of the study period, and at 1-, 3-, and 6-months post treatment from the residential program (approximately 7-10 days following completion of the intervention period). Participants were compensated $40 per data collection session.

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

135

Phase

  • 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

    • California
      • North Hollywood, California, United States, 91601
        • Cri-Help, Inc

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

Ages Eligible for Study

18 years to 55 years (Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Genders Eligible for Study

All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  1. Be seeking treatment for their MA dependence;
  2. Be 18 years of age or older, and 45 or younger for males, 55 or younger for females;
  3. Meet DSM-IV-TR criteria for MA dependence;
  4. Have vital signs that are within clinically acceptable normal range, e.g., resting pulse between 50 and 90 /min, blood pressures between 85-150mm Hg systolic and 45-90mm Hg diastolic;
  5. Have a medical history and physical examination that, in the judgment of the study physician or Principal Investigator, show no clinically significant contraindications for study participation;
  6. For females, provide negative pregnancy urine tests before randomization (and for the sub-sample, another negative test before the final PET scan at the conclusion of the intervention).

Exclusion Criteria:

  1. Clinically significant heart disease or hypertension; unstable pulmonary or cardiovascular disease that would interfere with participation in exercise regimen
  2. Neurological or psychiatric disorders as assessed by MINI or clinical interview, such as psychosis, bipolar illness, Tourette's syndrome, major depression, organic brain disease, dementia, or any other neuro-psychiatric disorder that would require ongoing treatment or that would make study compliance difficult;
  3. Musculoskeletal disease that would prevent participation in exercise regimen
  4. Baseline ECG showing evidence of cardiac ischemia, arrhythmia, or other clinically significant abnormalities
  5. Untreated or unstable medical illness including: neuroendocrine, autoimmune, renal, hepatic, or active infectious disease (other than HIV) that requires immediate medical attention;
  6. Clinically significant abnormalities in hematology and chemistry laboratory tests that may make participation hazardous;
  7. Have HIV and unable to obtain a clearance for participation from his/her AIDS medical care provider;
  8. Pregnant;
  9. Any other illness, condition, or use of medications that, in the opinion of the PI and/or the study physician, would preclude safe participation or completion of the study.

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
Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Exercise Group
Participants in this group will be scheduled for 24 exercise training sessions over an 8-week period (three times weekly) and will be supervised by a certified exercise physiologist.
Aerobic and resistance exercise for 24 exercise training sessions over an 8-week period (three times weekly).
Active Comparator: Education Group
Participants in this group will meet with a counselor who will present and discuss information that includes topics on health and wellness, and lifestyle topics such as healthy eating, meditation, sleep hygiene, and cancer screening.
A counselor will meet with participants for 24 sessions (3 times/week) over an 8-week period to present and discuss information that includes topics on health and wellness, and lifestyle topics such as healthy eating, meditation, sleep hygiene, and cancer screening.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Self-reported Days of Methamphetamine Use
Time Frame: over the 12 week follow-up period
The primary efficacy measure will be days of self-reported MA use over the 12 weeks after discharge.
over the 12 week follow-up period

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Overall Physical Health
Time Frame: 12-week follow-up period
The effect of the interventions will be compared between the Exercise and Education groups using generalized regression for repeated measures on each of the test results from baseline to discharge to 12 weeks post-discharge
12-week follow-up period
Brain-Imaging Data
Time Frame: End of intervention (9 weeks)
To examine pre- to post-intervention differences in D2/D3 receptor availability a repeated-measures ANOVA will be performed using the binding potential for [18F]fallypride in subcortical regions of interest.
End of intervention (9 weeks)
Psychiatric Symptoms
Time Frame: 12 week follow-up period
The effect of the interventions will be compared with repeated measures analysis from baseline to discharge to 12 and 26 weeks after discharge.
12 week follow-up period

Collaborators and Investigators

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

Investigators

  • Principal Investigator: Richard Rawson, PhD, UCLA Integrated Substance Abuse Programs

Publications and helpful links

The person responsible for entering information about the study voluntarily provides these publications. These may be about anything related to the study.

General Publications

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

March 1, 2010

Primary Completion (Actual)

July 1, 2015

Study Completion (Actual)

July 1, 2015

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

March 31, 2010

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

April 13, 2010

First Posted (Estimate)

April 14, 2010

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Estimate)

December 2, 2015

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

November 30, 2015

Last Verified

November 1, 2015

More Information

Terms related to this study

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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