Cure My Disease

Don't miss your cure!

 Log in / Sign up

Exercise shows promise for easing PTSD in older veterans

NCT ID NCT04199182

Symptom relief Sponsor: VA Office of Research and Development Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

What the study statuses mean

This study's is highlighted.

Recruitment status, easiest to join first

Recruiting now
This trial is taking on new participants right now.
Not yet recruiting
Registered, but not yet taking participants.
By invitation only
Not open to general applications. Only people the study team invites can take part.
Paused
Paused for now. It may or may not start again.
Ongoing
Running, but no longer taking on new participants.
Completed This study
The trial has finished. Results may not be published yet.
Stopped early
Stopped early, before it reached the end. That can be for many reasons, including safety.
Cancelled
Cancelled before anyone took part.

Expanded access (not trials)

Expanded access
Not a trial. This treatment can be requested outside a study, case by case, for people who qualify.
Expanded access (paused)
Not a trial. The treatment can normally be requested outside a study, but is unavailable right now.
Expanded access (ended)
Not a trial. The treatment could once be requested outside a study, but no longer can.
Approved
The treatment has been approved, so it is available normally rather than through this programme.

When the status isn't known

Details not published
The full record has not been published yet, so there is little to show here.
Status unknown
This status has not been confirmed recently, so it may be out of date.

First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026

Summary

This study looked at whether 6 months of supervised exercise training could reduce PTSD symptoms and improve physical health in older veterans with PTSD. 80 veterans took part, with one group doing exercise and another receiving health education. The goal was to see if exercise could help with PTSD symptoms, sleep, and overall function.

What this could mean

Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.

Active substance
Exercise Training
What this could lead to
If it works, this could point toward a non-drug way to ease PTSD symptoms and improve physical health in older veterans.
What could go wrong
This is a small, completed study with only 80 participants, so results may not apply to all veterans. Exercise may not reduce PTSD symptoms as hoped.

This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.

Study facts

What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.

Phase

Not a phased trial

Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.

Participants

80 people

The number who actually took part.

Started

Jun 2021

Finished

Feb 2025

Lead sponsor

A government agency

The lead sponsor is a US federal agency other than the NIH.

Who can take part

This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.

Ages

65 years and older

Sex

Anyone

Healthy volunteers

Not accepted

This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.

Show the full entry requirements

Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.

Inclusion Criteria: * Veteran status * registered for care at Durham VA Health Care System (VAHCS) * live within 50 miles of fitness facility * meet diagnostic criteria for PTSD as assessed by the CAPS-5 Exclusion Criteria: * history of any psychiatric disorder with severe psychotic features in the past 5 years (e.g., bipolar disorder, mania), as indicated by ICD-10 codes F20-F29 (ICD-9 category 298.9) * prominent suicidal ideation or hospitalization for suicidality in the previous 6 months * clinically significant: neurological disorder, systemic illness affecting central nervous system (CNS) function, or history of seizure disorder in the past 5 years * uncontrolled diabetes defined as: * Abnormal fasting plasma glucose 126 mg/dL, random plasma glucose 200 mg/dL * no active medications for diabetes management (Metformin, insulin, etc.) * no clinical notes in the patient's electronic health record (EHR) indicating monitoring by primary care physician (PCP) or Endo for diabetes management) * end stage liver disease or currently receiving dialysis * physical disabilities precluding use of exercise equipment (assistive mobility devices acceptable) * significant cognitive impairment or diagnosis of Alzheimer's Disease or Dementia * hospitalization or ER visit in the past 6 months for conditions contraindicated for exercise (cardiac event; physical trauma)

Get updates

Get notified about this study

Sign up to get updates when this study changes or when new studies for Post-traumatic stress disorder are added.

Our safety recommendation!

By submitting, you agree to our Terms of use

Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

Motor Activity post-traumatic stress disorder

As listed by the trial registrant

The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.

Post-traumatic stress disorder

Contacts and locations

Locations

  • Durham VA Medical Center, Durham, NC

    Durham, North Carolina, 27705-3875, United States

More trials for these conditions

Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.