An interventional study of Braining in Psychiatric Disorder, sponsored by Region Stockholm. Not yet recruiting at 1 site in Sweden. Open to participants aged 18 Years and older. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2026-02-06.
Sponsored by Region Stockholm · Not applicable, Interventional, and Treatment
"Braining" is a clinical method for physical exercise as adjunctive therapy in psychiatric care. The core components are personnel-led group training sessions and motivating contact with psychiatric staff, as well as measurements and evaluations before and after a training period.
The scientific purpose of this study is to investigate immediate and short-term effects of a booster-session of several Braining classes.
"Braining" is a clinical invention that helps patients in psychiatry to start and execute physical exercise (PE) regularly in psychiatric care. The core components are basic moderate to vigorous aerobic group training sessions and motivational work led by the psychiatric staff. Braining is used as add-on treatment to regular psychiatric care and is included in the patient care plan.
In the present study, the focus is on the acute effects of a booster session of one to three Braining classes on psychiatric symptoms and biomolecular markers as well as impact on motivational factors.
Participants are recruited from the final cohort (N = 51) of the previous retrospective study, (Physical Exercise as Adjunctive Therapy for Affective Disorder and Anxiety).This final cohort will be contacted to give written consent to partake in the booster session. The Braining classes each have a duration of 30 minutes and are scheduled over the course of a week.
Descriptive data on participating patients will be collected before the booster week. This will include age, gender, diagnoses, employment status. In conjunction with this, basic psychiatric and somatic examinations will be conducted.
During each Braining class, participants' activity level will be measured with a heart rate monitor to ascertain achieving moderate to vigorous intensity. Directly before and after each class, current anxiety level will be measured on a Visual Analogue Scale 0-100.
Within 30 minutes before and after one Braining class, venous blood samples (50 ml) will be taken for biomolecular markers. Blood samples include 1) inflammation markers such as high-sensitivity C-reactive protein hsCRP, 2) Brain-derived neurotrophic factor BDNF, 3) telomerase activity and 4) epigenetic markers.
Before and after the booster week, self-assessments scales for anxiety and depressive symptoms will be administered. Qualitative data on participants' experience as well as motivational factors will be collected.
2,107 studies on the registry are indexed under Mental Disorders; 416 are open to participants now.
This study's planned enrollment of 30 is below the median of 94 across 1,574 interventional studies indexed under Mental Disorders.
Browse Mental Disorders studies →Region Stockholm is the lead sponsor of 119 studies on the registry; 70 are open to participants now.
Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.
Exclusion Criteria:
Patients are encouraged to participate in physical exercise at the psychiatric unit
Behavioral: Braining
"Braining" is a clinical invention that helps patients in psychiatry to start and execute physical exercise (PE) regularly in psychiatric care. The core components are basic moderate to vigorous aerobic group training session and motivational work led by the psychiatric staff. Braining is used as add-on treatment to regular psychiatric care and is included in the patient care plan.
Anxiety Visual Analogue Scale (VAS)
Self-rated anxiety levels on a scale from 0 to 100, where 0 is no anxiety and 100 is maximal anxiety.
Time frame: Pre- to post-exercise class, timeframe 2 hours
Beck Anxiety Inventory BAI
Self-report measure of anxiety during the last week. 21 items, score ranges from 0 to 63 with higher scores indicating more severe anxiety symptoms.
Time frame: Pre-intervention to post-intervention, timeframe 1 week
Montgomery-Åsberg Depression Rating Scale MADRS
Clinician-rated scale to assess degree of depressive symptoms. 10 items. Minimum value 0 and maximum value 60, where higher values indicate more depressive symptoms.
Time frame: Pre-intervention to post-intervention, timeframe 1 week
High sensitivity C-reactive protein hsCRP
Blood marker of inflammation and infection, mmol/L
Time frame: Pre- to post-exercise class, timeframe 2 hours
Brain-derived neurotrophic factor BDNF
Stimulates and controls neurogenesis
Time frame: Pre- to post-exercise class, timeframe 2 hours
Telomerase activity
Enzyme activity in blood
Time frame: Pre- to post-exercise class, timeframe 2 hours
Motivational factors of continued exercise
Semi-structured interview derived from motivational interviewing
Time frame: Pre-intervention to post-intervention, timeframe 1 week
This study is not yet recruiting, as verified in Feb 2026. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.
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Region Stockholm