# Neurobiological and Psychological Benefits of Exercise in Chronic Pain and PTSD

> **NIH VA IK2** · VA BOSTON HEALTH CARE SYSTEM · 2020 · —

## Abstract

DESCRIPTION    
   
This study will explicitly compare the effects of a 12-week progressive exercise training program on 1) the clinical symptoms of chronic pain and PTSD, 2) pain threshold and tolerance, and 3) anti-stress, anti- nociceptive neurohormones such as neuropeptide Y (NPY) and allopregnanolone/pregnanolone (ALLO) in veterans with chronic pain/PTSD compared to healthy comparison participants. The revised study design includes a baseline cardiopulmonary exercise assessment (CPX) that will inform the exercise prescription for a 12-week "progressive exercise" training program, comprised of three 30-45 minute exercise sessions per week (walking or running, depending on the ability/capacity of the participant). Exercise sessions will be initially supervised by an exercise physiologist in the Clinical Studies Unit (CSU) at the VA Boston Healthcare System and then each participant will transition into the home. Weekly telephone calls by the PI will provide additional motivational support and assistance with problem solving. Implementation of the prescribed exercise regimen will also be supported by the use of heart rate and actigraph monitors programmed for the participant to achieve their prescribed heart rate range (HRR). Finally, an "endpoint" maximum load exercise assessment will occur at week 13 in order to track measurable change for both psychological and neurobiological factors and to delineate their impact on pain indices and PTSD symptomatology. Both maximum load exercise tests will be performed in accordance with guidelines published by the American College of Cardiology. Measures of pain, pain tolerance (via the cold pressor test) will be implemented 30 minutes before and 30 minutes after exercise testing as well as at a midpoint "check-in" at which self-report questionnaires will also be repeated. Based on the PI's earlier research, the role of exercise motivation and self-efficacy on changes in perceived pain and pain tolerance will be correlated with changes in NPY and ALLO levels, pre and post exercise. It is anticipated that differences in biological responses to aerobic and anaerobic exercise between healthy participants and those with chronic pain/PTSD will predict differences in the psychological and pain-reducing benefits of aerobic and anaerobic exercise. Once identified, such factors could be augmented by modification of the exercise regimen in order to help enhance the ant-stress hormone levels for the pain/PTSD population and experience clinically significant reductions in their symptoms. In order to obtain sufficient power as well as
accounting for an expected drop-out rate of 18-20%, the proposed recruitment is 30 participants per condition (total of 60 participants). Data from this pilot work will be used to compute effect sizes in support of a future clinical trial incorporating individually prescribed exercise regimens
and a motivationally based exercise behavior change intervention aimed at reducing pain and PTS...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10222597
- **Project number:** 5IK2RX000704-08
- **Recipient organization:** VA BOSTON HEALTH CARE SYSTEM
- **Principal Investigator:** Erica Rose Checko (Scioli)
- **Activity code:** IK2 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** VA
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** —
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2013-10-01 → 2021-01-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10222597

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10222597, Neurobiological and Psychological Benefits of Exercise in Chronic Pain and PTSD (5IK2RX000704-08). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10222597. Licensed CC0.

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