Aerobic Exercise and Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder Symptoms
Key facts
- Who runs it
- Yale University
- Where
- New Haven, United StatesSee the site
- Trial code
- Status
- Recruiting
- People taking part
- 50 people, planned
- Started
- 16 Feb 2026
- Expected to end
- 1 Sept 2027
- Type of study
- Interventional, 2 groups
- Treatments tested
- Moderate-Intensity Exercise
- Low-Intensity Exercise
- Record updated
- 29 September 2026
Who can take part
- Age
- 18 years to 64 years
- Sex
- Women and men
- Healthy volunteers
- Cannot take part
The registry criteria, word for word
Show all 6 criteriaShow less
Who can take part
- Adults, age 18 to 64 years
- Meet diagnostic criteria for OCD (per the DIAMOND)
- Stable psychiatric or medication treatment (if ≥4-weeks), or if no active treatment. Psychotropic medications will be reviewed with the study psychiatrist on a case by case basis
Who cannot take part
- Active or unmanaged psychotic disorders, pervasive developmental disorders, bipolar disorder, current substance use disorder (moderate-to-severe), or high risk for suicide (defined as attempt, plan, or intent within past 3 months)
- Documented motor impairments and medical condition(s) that prohibit physical exercise
- Those who are pregnant or trying to become pregnant
Check if you might fit
Answer for yourself. This is not a decision: only the study team can say whether you can take part.
- Are you between 18 and 64 years old?
Where in United States
- Temple Medical CenterNew Haven, United StatesContact: Emily Weiss, PhDTaking people
About the trial
What the trial wants to find out
The purpose of this study is to examine the acute effects of exercise on cognitive flexibility and symptom reactivity. The main questions it aims to answer are:
Read full original descriptionShow less
Does moderate intensity physical activity reduce subjective distress, compulsive urges, and intrusions- and increase cognitive flexibility- in adults with obsessive-compulsive disorder compared to low-intensity physical activity?
Researchers will compare low- to moderate-intensity exercise to see if moderate physical activity increases cognitive flexibility and reduces symptom reactivity in adults with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).
Participants will:
Complete self-report surveys, psychiatric interviews, and cognitive tasks.
Be assigned to either a low- or moderate-intensity exercise condition and complete physical activity.
Repeat cognitive and symptom measures following the exercise intervention.
The 2 groups in the trial
- Moderate-Intensity ExerciseTreatment being tested
- Low-Intensity ExerciseOther group
Control
Questions to ask the study team
- How often do I need to come in, and for how long each time?
- Are travel costs paid?
- Can I keep my own doctor?
- What happens if I want to stop?
Contact the study team: see the registry record → Contacts and Locations
Print a page for my doctorData and sources
- Registry record
- Listed on ClinicalTrials.gov.
- Official title
- Effects of Aerobic Exercise on Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder Symptoms and Cognitive Flexibility
- Fit questions
- Built from NCT07103902, who can take part
- Record updated
- 29 September 2026