Brain and Gene Expression Responses to Exercise in Chronic Back Pain

This study is registered retrospectively for transparency. This mechanistic randomized controlled trial examined whether a 14-week supervised physical exercise training program reduces chronic low back pain (CLBP) by modulating frontostriatal brain connectivity and immune-related gene expression. Fifty-seven adults with CLBP were randomized to exercise training or wait-list control. Participants underwent pre- and post-intervention MRI, questionnaires, and blood sampling. The study tested whether reductions in nucleus accumbens-medial prefrontal cortex connectivity and changes in inflammatory gene expression mediated exercise-induced pain relief.

NCT Number	NCT07480460
Lead Sponsor	McGill University Collaborators: Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR)
Conditions	Chronic Low Back Pain (CLBP)
Enrollment	57 participants
Start Date	2017-03-31
Primary Completion	2021-12-14 (estimated)
Study Completion	2021-12-14 (estimated)
Updated on ClinicalTrials.gov	2026-03-18