IMPROVING OUTCOMES FROM EXPOSURE THERAPY FOR PTSD WITH ACUTE EXERCISE: AUGMENTING BRAIN DERIVED NEUROTROPHIC FACTOR AS A MECHANISM OF CHANGE?

Abstract

This project aims to identify ways in which we can improve treatment outcomes for people with Posttraumatic Stress Disorder. Currently, approximately 40% of patients with PTSD do not respond to our first-line treatment, exposure therapy. This project tests if combining exposure therapy with acute exercise leads to better treatment outcomes for people with PTSD, and it tests possible mechanisms underlying this effect.