Exercise and Endocannabinoids for Brain and Mental Health (EMBH)

This study will explore how exercise affects brain chemicals called endocannabinoids, which may improve thinking skills and reduce feelings of stress, anxiety, and low mood in children and teens aged 9 to 17. Participants will take part in a single 30-minute activity session, where they will be randomly assigned to one of three groups:

1. Moderate-intensity exercise (walking or running on a treadmill at 50-70% of their maximum heart rate).
2. Light stretching (gentle movements at less than 40% of their maximum heart rate).
3. Seated meditation (relaxing without movement at less than 30% of their maximum heart rate).

The investigators will measure endocannabinoid levels, thinking skills, and mood before and after the activity to see how these activities affect the brain and emotions.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Children; Adolescents
• Intervention / Treatment: Behavioral: Moderate Intensity Exercise; Behavioral: Light Intensity Stretching; Behavioral: Seated Meditation

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 68
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• United States
  • Michigan
    • Detroit, Michigan, United States, 48201
      • Tolan Park Medical Building

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: Child
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Provision of signed and dated informed consent form
• Stated willingness to comply with all study procedures and available for the duration of the study
• 9-17 years of age
• Adolescent and parent/guardian are English-speaking, as study assessments are in English
• Right-handed

Exclusion Criteria:

• Head injury
• Sensory (e.g., hearing) impairment
• Physical (e.g., motor, balance) impairment
• Physical disabilities
• Neurological disorders
• Any condition that would contraindicate blood draws

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

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

Number of Arms

3

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Moderate Intensity Exercise	Behavioral: Moderate Intensity Exercise; Participants randomized to the moderate intensity exercise condition will complete a 30 min session on a motor driven treadmill. Participants will complete a 3-minute warm-up at low speed on a treadmill. Speed and incline will be increased in 3-minute increments until moderate-intensity exercise, defined as the goal of participants staying within a target zone of 50-70% AAMHR while briskly walking and/or jogging depending on current fitness status.
Active Comparator: Light Intensity Stretching	Behavioral: Light Intensity Stretching; Participants randomized into the light stretching condition will complete a 30-minute video, tailored for 9-17-year-olds. This video leads participants through a series of seated arm, torso, leg, knee and shoulder stretches on a yoga mat. Participants will be monitored throughout the stretching session by a trained research assistant, and HR and perceived exertion will also be measured throughout. The research assistant may make modifications to the poses in real-time to ensure that AAMHR is kept below 40%.
Active Comparator: Seated Meditation	Behavioral: Seated Meditation; Participants randomized into the meditation condition will complete a 30-minute video, tailored for 9-17-year-olds. This video leads participants through a seated guided meditation on a yoga mat. This includes a series of breathing, visualization, and body awareness exercises. Participants will be monitored throughout the meditation session by a trained research assistant, and HR and perceived exertion will also be measured throughout, to ensure that AAMHR is kept below 30%.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Endocannabinoid (eCB) Concentrations	Plasma and saliva samples will be collected immediately before and after exercise or control conditions. Samples will be analyzed using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry to quantify concentrations of eCBs.	Within 30 minutes before and after exercise or control conditions
Cognitive performance (Dimensional Change Card Sort Test)	The NIH Toolbox® iPad application will be administered to measure executive functioning before and after the exercise or control condition: Dimensional Change Card Sort Test (DCCS).	Within 30 minutes before and after exercise or control conditions
Cognitive performance (Flanker Inhibitory Control and Attention Test)	The NIH Toolbox® iPad application will be administered to measure executive functioning before and after the exercise or control condition: Flanker Inhibitory Control and Attention Test (Flanker).	Within 30 minutes before and after exercise or control conditions
Cognitive performance (Pattern Comparison Processing Speed Test)	The NIH Toolbox® iPad application will be administered to measure executive functioning before and after the exercise or control condition: Pattern Comparison Processing Speed Test (PCT).	Within 30 minutes before and after exercise or control conditions
Cognitive performance (Picture Sequence Memory Test)	The NIH Toolbox® iPad application will be administered to measure executive functioning before and after the exercise or control condition: Picture Sequence Memory Test (PSMT).	Within 30 minutes before and after exercise or control conditions
Anxiety symptoms	State-Trait Anxiety Inventory for children	Within 30 minutes before and after exercise or control conditions
Affect	Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS) - Child Version	Within 30 minutes before and after exercise or control conditions
Mood state	Mood and Feelings Questionnaire for Children	Within 30 minutes before and after exercise or control conditions

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Wayne State University
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Hilary Marusak, Wayne State University; Principal Investigator: Jeanne Barcelona, Wayne State University

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): December 21, 2021
• Primary Completion (Actual): March 18, 2024
• Study Completion (Actual): March 18, 2024

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: January 7, 2025
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: January 29, 2025
• First Posted (Actual): March 25, 2025

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): March 25, 2025
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: January 29, 2025
• Last Verified: January 1, 2025

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: Exercise; Anxiety; Meditation; Stretching; Endocannabinoid
• Other Study ID Numbers: IRB-21-04-3502

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: UNDECIDED
• IPD Plan Description: Undecided where the research team would like to submit the article for publication

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No
• product manufactured in and exported from the U.S.: No