Exercise and Therapeutic Learning Among Women With PTSD

Structured clinical interview to assess trauma history and mental health diagnoses, as well as a screening EKG to assess safety to engage in exercise testing (lasts 3-4 hours)

Participants undergo a standard fear conditioning procedure, in which they learn that one of two geometric shapes (circles or triangles) predict the occurrence of a noxious stimulus (mild electrotactile stimulation). Day 2 lasts about 1 hour.

Participants undergo a fear extinction procedure, in which participants learn that the geometric shapes no longer predict a noxious stimulus (i.e., safety learning). Blood samples will be drawn immediately before exercise, and immediately following.

The moderate-intensity aerobic exercise session will consist of a 5 minute warm-up of light intensity activity (40-60% maximum heart rate; MHR) on a treadmill followed by walking or running at a moderate intensity (i.e., between 70-75% MHR) for 30 minutes on Day 3

Control participants will maintain light-intensity activity (i.e., walking at \~50% of MHR) for the full duration of 30 minutes.

During Day 4, recall of the fear extinction memory is tested. Visits on Day 4 occur \~24 hours following Day 3, and lasts about 30 minutes.