EXercise-induced PhysioLogical Adaptations In Neurological Disorders
Exercise Testing for Neurological Conditions
Who can join
Ages 18 and older · All sexes · Healthy volunteers welcome
Full eligibility criteria
Inclusion Criteria: * 18 years or older * Clinical diagnosis of one of the following neurological diseases: epilepsy, functional neurological disorder, mild cognitive impairment, dementia, Parkinson's disease, concussion, brain tumor \[for participants with neurological diseases\] * No diagnosis of neurological disease \[for healthy control participants\] Exclusion Criteria: * Non-english speaking individuals * Exercise contraindications (e.g., physical impairments limiting use of bicycle ergometer, acute infections, severe heart disease, uncontrolled hypertension, exercise associated seizures) * Current use of medications for cardiac rhythm or rate control * Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) contraindications (e.g., electrical implants, ferromagnetic implants or objects, pregnancy)
About the study
The goal of this study is to investigate how a one-time exercise session influences different parameters of brain function in people with neurological diseases compared to healthy volunteers. The main questions the study aims to answer are:
* How do fitness level, exercise performance, and physical exhaustion differ between patients with neurological diseases and healthy participants? * How does acute exercise affect brain function and other physiological biomarkers in participants with neurological diseases?
Participants will take part in a single, one-day study visit and will be asked to:
* Perform a standardized exercise test on a bicycle ergometer * Undergo a brain MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) scan, a blood draw, and autonomic measurements before and after the exercise test
What is being tested
- Acute Exercise (behavioral)
Sponsor: Brigham and Women's Hospital · Participants: 240 · Started: Jul 22, 2026
Contact the study team
- Claus Reinsberger, MD, PhD · Phone: 617-804-5828
Official record on ClinicalTrials.gov — NCT07883720
Locations in the U.S.
| Massachusetts | Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston |
Conditions
- Epilepsy
- Conversion Disorder
- Mild Cognitive Impairment
- Dementia
- Parkinson's Disease
- Concussion
- Brain Tumors
From ClinicalTrials.gov, data retrieved Nov 15, 2026. Each study sets its own eligibility; the study team decides who can join.