Aerobic Exercise and Inhibitory Control

NCT03441737 | Withdrawn

• 1 other identifier: 1795AM
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: N/A
• Locations: 0 countries
• Sites: N/A

Brief Summary

Although more than half of Canadian smokers in 2015 attempted to quit, with one-third attempting more than once, successful smoking cessation (quitting) remains a challenge. Relapse (return to smoking) has been attributed to failures in inhibitory control. Inhibitory control is the ability to suppress actions. Previous studies have identified that aerobic exercise improves inhibitory control and reduces the urge to smoke. This study will examine whether an acute bout of moderate intensity aerobic exercise (i.e. brisk walk on a treadmill) will improve inhibitory control, increase time to first cigarette smoked, and reduce urges to smoke during a brief period of abstinence. Inhibitory control will be assessed using the antisaccade task, which requires the participant to shift their gaze away from a visual target presented to them. Phase I will include assessments of smoking behaviours, physical activity levels, urges to smoke, and inhibitory control. Phase II will consist of a 12-hour smoking abstinence period conducted at home, followed by reassessment of urges to smoke and inhibitory control. Participants will then be randomized to either 20 minutes of aerobic exercise or sitting. Following the intervention, reassessment of urges to smoke, inhibitory control, and time to first cigarette smoked will be conducted.

Conditions

Smoking Cessation; Inhibition (Psychology)

Keywords

Aerobic exercise; Antisaccades; Urge to Smoke; Adults

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• Inhibitory Control

  Cognitive computer task: Participant will be asked to complete a computer task which assesses inhibitory control (the cognitive ability to suppress responses to stimuli). The Antisaccade Task will be used to assess inhibitory control in this study. A saccade is a rapid eye movement towards a visual target. An antisaccade is a rapid eye movement away from a visual target. The ability to suppress making an eye movement towards a visual target gauges inhibitory control. The participant will be seated in a chair facing a computer screen in which visual stimuli (a cross) will appear. The participant will be fitted into a chin rest and a monocle will be adjusted so that images of eye movements can be assessed. A training phase will take place at the beginning of the task to familiarize the participant with the instructions. The participant will make a series of saccades and antisaccades. The reaction times and directional errors to the visual stimuli will be recorded.

  24 hours post participant start date

Secondary Outcomes (2)

• Urge to Smoke

  24 hours post participant start date

• Time to First Cigarette

  24 hours post participant start date

Study Arms (2)

Exercise

EXPERIMENTAL

Aerobic exercise intervention

Behavioral: Exercise

Non-Exercise

ACTIVE COMPARATOR

Non-aerobic exercise intervention

Behavioral: Non-Exercise

Interventions

Exercise BEHAVIORAL

20 minutes of aerobic exercise (walking on a treadmill) at 2/3 of participant's maximum heart rate (maximum heart rate calculated as 220-age).

Exercise

Non-Exercise BEHAVIORAL

20 minutes of sitting in the laboratory with access to magazines and the internet.

Non-Exercise

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years - 64 Years
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64)

You may qualify if:

• years of age
• Smoke at least 10 cigarettes per day (or more) for at least 6 months
• Able to perform a twenty-minute exercise task at a moderate intensity (2/3 of participant's maximum heart rate) without health implications
• Can read and write in English
• Have email or phone number for contacting purposes

You may not qualify if:

• Do not have Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease
• Do not have a medical condition that prevents you from exercise (e.g. heart attack in the past year, heart disease, irregular heartbeat, etc.)
• Do not have history of eye injury or neurological impairment
• Do not have an orthopaedic limitation
• Are not pregnant

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Western University, Canada: lead

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Smoking Cessation; Inhibition, Psychological

Interventions

Exercise

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Health Behavior; Behavior

Intervention Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Motor Activity; Movement; Musculoskeletal Physiological Phenomena; Musculoskeletal and Neural Physiological Phenomena

Study Officials

• Dr.Harry Prapavessis

  Western University

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: NONE
• Purpose: BASIC SCIENCE
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Principal Investigator

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: February 9, 2018
• First Posted: February 22, 2018
• Study Start: April 1, 2018
• Primary Completion: December 1, 2018
• Study Completion: March 1, 2019
• Last Updated: March 4, 2024

Record last verified: 2024-02

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share