title: A pilot study of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise for obsessive compulsive disorder.
abstract: This preliminary study examined the impact of aerobic exercise as an adjunctive intervention to regular care in reducing obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) symptoms in a clinical sample. Fifteen patients (53% male; mean age = 44.4 years) receiving behavioral therapy and/or pharmacotherapy for OCD and who still demonstrated clinically significant OCD symptoms (i.e., Yale-Brown obsessive compulsive scale, Y-BOCS scores above 16) were enrolled in a 12-week moderate-intensity exercise intervention. Measures of OCD symptom severity were obtained at baseline, end of treatment, and at 3- and 6-week, and 6-month follow-up. Study findings at the end of this 12-week aerobic exercise intervention point to a beneficial effect (Cohen's d = 1.69) on reduction in OCD symptom severity. Further, reductions in OCD symptom severity appear to persist 6 months later. Lastly, improvement in overall sense of well-being was observed after the 12-week intervention. Results of this study suggest that a randomized clinical trial evaluating the efficacy of this 12-week aerobic exercise intervention is warranted.
authors.affiliation: Butler Hospital/Brown Medical School, Providence, RI 02906, USA.
authors.forename: Richard A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Brown
authors.forename: Ana M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Abrantes
authors.forename: David R
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: Strong
authors.forename: Maria C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Mancebo
authors.forename: Julie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Menard
authors.forename: Steven A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Rasmussen
authors.forename: Benjamin D
authors.initials: BD
authors.lastname: Greenberg
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001823:Body Composition; D015928:Cognitive Behavioral Therapy; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D015444:Exercise; D005081:Exercise Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009771:Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D010809:Physical Fitness; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D011788:Quality of Life; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D016896:Treatment Outcome