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Scientists probe why exercise lifts mood in depression

NCT ID NCT06387732

Knowledge-focused Sponsor: University College, London Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

What the study statuses mean

This study's is highlighted.

Recruitment status, easiest to join first

Recruiting now This study
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
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 Results may not be published yet.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This status has not been confirmed recently, so it may be out of date.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 26, 2026 · Last updated Jun 26, 2026

Summary

This study aims to uncover why physical activity reduces depression symptoms. Researchers will compare aerobic exercise with stretching in 250 adults with moderate depression, measuring changes in brain activity, immune markers, and motivation. The goal is to understand the underlying mechanisms so exercise programs can be made more effective and personalized.

What this could mean

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

Active substance
aerobic exercise
What this could lead to
If successful, this could help design more effective, personalized exercise programs for depression and guide social prescribing in mental healthcare.
What could go wrong
This is an early-stage mechanistic study, not a treatment trial. Results may not lead to direct clinical changes, and the control group also receives an active intervention (stretching), which may limit differences.

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

About 250 people

The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.

Started

Apr 2024

Expected to finish

Jan 2028

An estimate. End dates often move.

Lead sponsor

Other sponsor

The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.

Who can take part

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

Ages

18 to 60 years

Sex

Anyone

Healthy volunteers

Accepted

You do not need to have the condition being studied to take part.

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 will include: 1. PHQ9≥12 (moderate depression). 2. Current physical activity level below 30 min moderate physical activity, once per week. 3. Fluency in English. 4. Willingness to undergo the interventions. 5. Age 18-60. 6. Willing and able to provide written informed consent. Exclusion Criteria will include: 1. Medical contraindications to either intervention. 2. Neurological illness. 3. Past or current diagnosis of psychosis, bipolar disorder, or substance/alcohol use disorder, unless restricted to a depressive episode. 4. Unable to complete self-administered cognitive or questionnaire assessments. 5. Symptoms or cognitive impairment that would limit capacity to consent. 6. Pregnancy. 7. Regular use of anti-inflammatory medication (more than once per week).

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

Depression depressive disorder Inflammation

As listed by the trial registrant

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

Depression

How to take part

Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.

  1. The places running it

    1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.

  2. The official record

    ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.

    Open the record ↗

  3. A doctor treating you

    A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.

Contacts and locations

Locations

  • Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College London

    RECRUITING

    London, WC1N 3AZ, United Kingdom

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