Acute Effects of Physical Exercise in Patients with Borderline Personality Disorder
NCT ID: NCT05246527
Last Updated: 2024-12-11
Study Results
The study team has not published outcome measurements, participant flow, or safety data for this trial yet. Check back later for updates.
Basic Information
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RECRUITING
NA
120 participants
INTERVENTIONAL
2022-02-08
2025-12-31
Brief Summary
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Detailed Description
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Objectives: To investigate the effects of a single session of physical exercise on stress regulation, cognitive and emotional functioning, and associated neurophysiological processes in patients with borderline personality disorder. A further aim is to identify the optimal exercise intensity (moderate vs. high intensity).
Hypotheses: The investigatiors expect that acute exercise will enhance stress perception and cognitive and emotional functioning, which will be reflected in enhanced behavioral measures and changes on biomarker level. In addition, the investigatiors expect to gather insights regarding the optimal exercise intensity.
Methods: 60 patients with borderline personality disorder and 60 healthy controls will participate in two 30-min experimental conditions on separate days in counterbalanced order (at least 48 hours apart): in the exercise condition, half of the group will cycle on an ergometer with moderate intensity, the other half will perform a high-intensity interval training. Intensities will be calculated based on the individual maximal heart rate measured during a maximal exercise test in a pre-experimental session. In the control condition, all participants will watch a movie. Before and after each condition, they will perform a classic and an emotional version of the Stroop test, in order to assess exercise effects on impulsivity and emotion regulation. To test for exercise effects on stress-related responses, they will further participate in a Stress test 90 min following each condition. The investigatiors will collect saliva and blood samples together with state questionnaires at various study time points to test for effects on peripheral biomarkers related to stress, cognition, and BPD pathology (e.g., cortisol, alpha-amylase, serotonin metabolism, noradrenaline, BDNF).
Conditions
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Study Design
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RANDOMIZED
CROSSOVER
TREATMENT
NONE
Study Groups
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Exercise
30 min of cycling on a stationary ergometer, guided by a video of a professional cycling instructor.
* Half of the patients (n=30) and their respective matched healthy controls (n=30) will perform moderate-intensity exercise: continuous cycling at 64-76% of the individual HRmax).
* The other half will perform a high-intensity interval training (HIIT) protocol: 5 min warm-up phase, followed by bursts of high-intensity cycling interspersed with varied recovery times (21 min in total), 4 min cool-down. Excluding warm-up and cool-down, intensities will remain \>77% of individual HRmax during the whole routine.
Heart rate will be continuously recorded using a chest strap heart rate monitor and monitored by the patients themselves and the experimenter.
Physical Exercise
30 min of cycling on an ergometer, moderate or high intensity
Control condition
30 min of watching a documentary about the benefits of physical activity on health. Heart rate will be recorded also during the control condition.
Control Intervention
30 min of watching a movie
Interventions
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Physical Exercise
30 min of cycling on an ergometer, moderate or high intensity
Control Intervention
30 min of watching a movie
Eligibility Criteria
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Inclusion Criteria
* patients: diagnosis of borderline personality disorder according to DSM-5
Exclusion Criteria
* health conditions interfering with exercise safety, e.g. coronary heart disease
* visual impairments that may interfere with performance of the cognitive tasks
* endocrine disorders, e.g. hyperthyreosis or diabetes mellitus;
* following psychiatric disorders: psychosis or affective disorders with psychotic symptoms, schizophrenia, substance abuse or dependence, autism spectrum disorders, anorexia nervosa;
* healthy controls: BPD, intake of psychotropic drugs
18 Years
50 Years
ALL
Yes
Sponsors
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University Hospital, Bonn
OTHER
Responsible Party
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Aylin Mehren
Dr., Principal Investigator
Locations
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University Hospital Bonn
Bonn, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany
Countries
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Central Contacts
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Facility Contacts
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Aylin Mehren, Dr.
Role: primary
Other Identifiers
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ExBPD
Identifier Type: -
Identifier Source: org_study_id