ArticleIBRO neuroscience reports2026
Comparative effects of voluntary and forced exercise on cognitive performance, thyroid function, and hippocampal integrity in a rat model of post-traumatic stress disorder.
Article in IBRO neuroscience reports, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
2 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
- Investigating the effects of different exercise protocols on depressive-like behaviors and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in rodents: a systematic review.Experimental brain research · 2026Pooled it
- Voluntary versus forced exercise modulates anxiety‑like behaviors and hippocampal inflammation gene expression following traumatic stress in rats.IBRO neuroscience reports · 2026Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
5 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is associated with cognitive impairments, neuroendocrine dysregulation, and hippocampal neuronal loss. Although exercise has shown therapeutic potential in stress-related conditions, comparative evidence on voluntary versus forced exercise modalities in animal models of PTSD remains limited. This study evaluated the effects of voluntary (running wheel, RW) and forced (treadmill running, TR) exercise on cognitive performance, thyroid function, and hippocampal integrity in a rat model of PTSD induced by single prolonged stress (SPS). Male Wistar rats were randomly assigned to non-stressed or SPS-exposed groups, each further subdivided into sedentary, voluntary exercise, or forced exercise subgroups (n = 7 per group). Cognitive performance was assessed using the Object Location Memory Test and Object Recognition Memory Test. Serum levels of T3, T4 and TSH were measured using ELISA kits. Hippocampal neuronal density was evaluated via hematoxylin and eosin staining. SPS exposure significantly impaired spatial and recognition memory, disrupted thyroid hormone profiles (decreased T3 and T4, increased TSH), and reduced hippocampal neuronal density in sedentary rats. Both RW and TR interventions improved cognitive function, normalized thyroid hormone levels, and preserved hippocampal structure. Notably, voluntary exercise produced greater improvements in memory performance and endocrine recovery compared to forced exercise. Both voluntary and forced exercise alleviate cognitive, hormonal, and structural impairments in a rat model of PTSD, with voluntary exercise demonstrating superior therapeutic efficacy. These findings highlight the potential of physical activity, particularly self-directed, voluntary modalities, as a promising non-pharmacological strategy for mitigating the neurobiological consequences of traumatic stress.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.