Exercise for Hoarding Disorder

(Exercise BDNF Trial)

Overseen By Hannah Levy, PhD

Age: 18+

Sex: Any

Trial Phase: Academic

Sponsor: Hartford Hospital

Disqualifiers: Cardiovascular, Metabolic, Renal, others

Stay on Your Current Meds You can continue your current medications while participating

No Placebo Group All trial participants will receive the active study treatment (no placebo)

Compensation: Varies

Number of Visits: 2

What You Need to Know Before You Apply

What is the purpose of this trial?

This trial aims to determine if 30 minutes of exercise can reduce distress in people with hoarding disorder when letting go of items. Researchers also seek to discover if exercise increases a specific brain protein associated with improved mental health. Participants will either engage in brisk walking or watch animal videos to compare effects. The trial seeks individuals diagnosed with hoarding disorder who can manage moderate exercise. As an unphased trial, it offers participants the opportunity to contribute to groundbreaking research that could enhance mental health treatments.

Will I have to stop taking my current medications?

The trial information does not specify whether you need to stop taking your current medications. It's best to discuss this with the trial coordinators or your doctor.

What prior data suggests that this exercise intervention is safe for individuals with hoarding disorder?

Research shows that exercise is generally safe and well-tolerated by most people. Studies have found that treatment plans often include exercise for various health conditions, including some mental health issues like eating disorders and obsessive-compulsive behaviors.

No specific reports indicate serious side effects from exercise programs for hoarding disorder. Exercise is a natural activity that most people can do without problems. In this study, participants will engage in 30 minutes of brisk walking, a moderate level of exercise.

For any specific health concerns, consult a doctor before starting a new exercise program. Overall, evidence suggests that a short exercise routine is a safe option to consider. ^{1 2 3 4 5}

Why are researchers excited about this trial?

Researchers are excited about this trial because it explores a novel approach to managing hoarding disorder through physical activity. Unlike standard treatments, which typically involve cognitive-behavioral therapy and medications, this trial investigates the impact of a brief exercise intervention, specifically 30 minutes of brisk walking. Exercise is believed to offer mental health benefits by reducing anxiety and improving mood, which could be particularly beneficial for individuals with hoarding disorder. The trial aims to determine if incorporating regular physical activity could be a simple, accessible strategy to complement existing treatments.

What evidence suggests that this exercise intervention might be an effective treatment for hoarding disorder?

This trial will compare a Brief Exercise Intervention with a Relaxation Control Condition to evaluate their effects on hoarding disorder (HD). Research has shown that exercise might help treat HD by increasing brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), a protein that supports brain health and may reduce symptoms of mental health issues. Even one exercise session can raise BDNF levels. This is promising because BDNF is linked to better mental health and might help people with HD feel less anxious about discarding items. Current treatments like cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) work for some, but not for everyone. Adding exercise might benefit those who don't find CBT effective on its own. Overall, early findings suggest exercise could be a helpful part of a treatment plan for hoarding disorder. ^{1 5 6 7 8}

Who Is on the Research Team?

Hannah Levy, PhD

Principal Investigator

Hartford Hospital

Are You a Good Fit for This Trial?

This trial is for individuals with Hoarding Disorder (HD), characterized by difficulty discarding possessions and cluttered living spaces. Participants should have a primary diagnosis of HD to join the study, which aims to explore if exercise can help reduce distress associated with discarding items.

Inclusion Criteria

My primary diagnosis is hoarding disorder.

I am between 45 and 65 years old.

Exclusion Criteria

History of schizophrenia

History of bipolar disorder

History of serious suicidal risk

Timeline for a Trial Participant

Screening

Participants are screened for eligibility to participate in the trial

2-4 weeks

Intervention

Participants are randomly assigned to either a 30-minute moderate-intensity exercise session or a relaxation control condition

1 day

1 visit (in-person)

Assessment

Assessment of BDNF levels via serum and completion of a standardized discarding task

1 day

1 visit (in-person)

Follow-up

Participants are monitored for safety and effectiveness after the intervention

4 weeks

What Are the Treatments Tested in This Trial?

Interventions

• Brief Exercise Intervention

Trial Overview The study tests whether a brief, 30-minute moderate-intensity exercise session can lower the emotional distress linked to throwing away possessions in people with HD compared to a relaxation control group. It also examines if this physical activity increases levels of BDNF, a protein potentially connected to HD severity.

How Is the Trial Designed?

Group I: Relaxation Control Condition Experimental Treatment 1 Intervention

For participants randomized to the control group, they will sit in the testing room and watch informational videos about animals.

Group II: Exercise Condition Active Control 1 Intervention

For participants randomized to the exercise intervention, they will complete 30 minutes of brisk walking around the campus. They will be asked to maintain at least a moderate level of exercise intensity throughout the 30-minute walk.

Who Is Running the Clinical Trial?

Hartford Hospital

Lead Sponsor

Trials

140

Recruited

19,700+

University of Miami

Collaborator

Trials

976

Recruited

423,000+

Published Research Related to This Trial

A scoping review of 10 studies and 6 reviews from 2021-2023 found that supervised and adapted physical activity (PAE) effectively managed dysfunctional exercise (DEx) in individuals with eating disorders, showing low-to-moderate health impacts and no adverse events.

For anorexia nervosa, PAE improved physical fitness without affecting body weight unless resistance training was included, while for bulimia nervosa, DEx decreased alongside increased functional exercise, highlighting the potential benefits of PAE in treatment.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

How to address physical activity and exercise during treatment from eating disorders: a scoping review. Mathisen, TF., Hay, P., Bratland-Sanda, S.[2023]

Citations

1. withpower.com withpower.com/trial/phase-hoarding-disorder-9-2024-135bb

Exercise for Hoarding Disorder · Info for Participants A scoping review of 10 studies and 6 reviews from 2021-2023 found that supervised and adapted physical activity (PAE) effectively managed dysfunctional exercise ...

2. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6020681/

Treating Hoarding Disorder in a Real-World Setting The primary outcome was change in Hoarding Severity Scale scores. Approximate costs per participant were also examined. Both G-CBT and G-BiT showed improvement ...

3. sciencedirect.com sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S2211364918302148

Effectiveness of group cognitive behavioral therapy for ... By treatment end, completing patients evidenced a 32% improvement in severity of hoarding behaviors as assessed by the Savings Inventory-Revised, with 42% ...

4. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9063579/

Hoarding Disorder: Development in Conceptualization ... Of the participants who completed the treatment, 77% had severity scores below the cutoff for clinically significant hoarding, and 62% of participants achieved ...

5. psychiatryonline.org psychiatryonline.org/doi/10.1176/appi.focus.130202

Hoarding Disorder: Models, Interventions, and Efficacy Twelve months after treatment, similar gains were found for 62% of patients with hoarding disorder according to therapist ratings and 79% ...

6. clinconnect.io clinconnect.io/trials/NCT06561659

Testing a Brief Exercise Intervention in Hoarding - ClinConnect This clinical trial is studying how a brief exercise program might help people with hoarding disorder (HD) feel less distressed when it comes to discarding ...

7. ctv.veeva.com ctv.veeva.com/study/testing-a-brief-exercise-intervention-in-hoarding-disorder

Testing a Brief Exercise Intervention in Hoarding Disorder The central hypothesis is that those in the exercise condition will demonstrate lower distress during the discarding task and greater BDNF ...

8. sciencedirect.com sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1041610224035191

Implementation and evaluation of a community-based ... The objective of this paper was to examine the implementation and effectiveness of a community-based intervention for hoarding disorder (HD)