Effect of combined cognitive-behavioural therapy and endurance training on cortisol and salivary alpha-amylase in panic disorder

• We examine changes in cortisol and alpha-amylase in patients with panic disorder.
• Patients underwent endurance training or control condition (light exercise).
• We find significantly lower sC-levels in the training group at a 7-month follow-up.
• There are no group differences in sAA levels during the study period.
• We find evidence for a decelerated effect of endurance-training on the HPA-system.

Current data point to an alteration of both the hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal (HPA)-system and the peripheral transmission of catecholamines in anxiety disorders. There is also some evidence for the effect of several components of cognitive-behavioural interventions such as coping and control and for an effect of exercise training on the neuroendocrine stress response in healthy subjects as well as patients suffering from distinct (mental) disorders. This double-blind, controlled study investigated the effect of cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT) in combination with either high-level endurance training or low-level exercise on salivary cortisol (sC) and on levels of salivary alpha-amylase (sAA) in patients suffering from panic disorder (PD) with and without agoraphobia. In comparison to the low-level exercise condition, there were significantly lower sC-levels in the experimental group performing high-level endurance training at a 7-month follow-up. In contrast, there were no group differences in sAA levels during the study period.In this trial, we found evidence for a decelerated effect of endurance-training on HPA-system’s functioning in PD. Further studies addressing the alteration of sAA levels in this population might investigate physical exercise different in intensity and duration.