Kevin Crombie

Dr. Crombie is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Kinesiology at The University of Alabama and Director of the UA Exercise Psychology Lab. His primary research interest include: 1) delineating the role of exercise as part of a comprehensive treatment plan for individuals with clinical anxiety and trauma-related disorders, such as posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD); 2) examining acute effects of aerobic exercise on learning, memory, and decision making in individuals with and without psychiatric disorders, such as PTSD; 3) examining psychobiological responses to aerobic exercise and lab-based stressors; and 4) elucidating neurobiological mechanisms responsible for psychological improvements and cognitive-enhancing effects of exercise. These research domains are examined via various cognitive, behavioral, physiological, and neuroimaging approaches. Dr. Crombie has received funding from the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM), and the Virginia Horne Henry Fund. The lab is currently funded by a NIMH K01 Award (K01MH132545) which involves a randomized controlled fMRI laboratory study to determine whether aerobic exercise after extinction training improves cognitive, physiological, and neural indices of extinction recall in adults with and without PTSD.

For more information on Dr. Crombie and UA Exercise Psychology Lab, please visit: https://kmcrombie.people.ua.edu/about-dr-crombie.html

Crombie KM, Azar A, Botsford C, Heilicher M, Jaeb M, Sagorac Gruichich T, Schomaker CM, Williams R, Stowe ZN, Dunsmoor JE, Cisler JM. (2024). Decoding context memories for threat in large-scale neural networks. Cerebral Cortex, 34(2):bhae018. doi: 10.1093/cercor/bhae018.

Crombie KM, Azar A, Botsford C, Gruichich TS, Heilicher M, Hiser J, Moughrabi N, Schomaker CM, Cisler JM. (2023). The influence of aerobic exercise on model-based decision making in women with posttraumatic stress disorder. Journal of Mood and Anxiety Disorders, 2, 100014. doi: 10.1016/j.xjmad.2023.100015.

Hiser J, Heilicher M, Botsford C, Crombie KM, Bellani J, Azar A, Fonzo G, Nacewicz B, Cisler JM. (2023). Decision making for congruent reward and threat is differentially modulated by trauma exposure and PTSD symptom severity. Behaviour Research & Therapy, 167, 104361. doi: 10.1016/j.xjmad.2023.100015.

Crombie KM, Azar A, Botsford C, Heilicher M,  Moughrabi N, Sagorac Gruichich T, Schomaker CM, Dunsmoor JE, Cisler JM. (2023). Aerobic exercise after extinction learning reduces return of fear and enhances memory of items encoded during extinction learning. Mental Health and Physical Activity,  24, 100510. doi: 10.1016/j.mhpa.2023.100510.

Crombie KM, Adams TG, Dunsmoor JE, Greenwood BN, Smits JA, Nemeroff CB, Cisler JM. (2023). Aerobic exercise in the treatment of PTSD: An examination of preclinical and clinical laboratory findings, potential mechanisms, clinical implications, and future directions. Journal of Anxiety Disorders, 94, 102680. doi: 10.1016/j.janxdis.2023.102680.

Botsford C., Brellenthin AG, Cisler JM, Hillard CJ, Koltyn KF, Crombie KM. (2023). Circulating endocannabinoids and psychological outcomes in women with PTSD. Journal of Anxiety Disorders, 93, 102656. doi: 10.1016/j.janxdis.2022.102656.

Moughrabi N, Botsford C, Sagorac Gruichich T, Azar A, Heilicher M, Hiser J, Crombie KM, Dunsmoor JE, Stowe Z, Cisler JM. (2022). Large-scale neural network computations and multivariate representations during approach-avoidance conflict decision-making. NeuroImage, 264, 119709. doi: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2022.119709.

Crombie KM, Privratsky AA, Schomaker C, Heilicher M, Ross MC, Sartin-Tarm A, Sellnow K, Binder EB, James GA, Cisler JM. (2022). The influence of FAAH genetic variation on physiological, cognitive, and neural signatures of fear acquisition and extinction in women with PTSD. Neuroimage: Clinical, 33, 102922. doi: 10.1016/j.nicl.2021.102922.

Ney LJ, Crombie KM, Mayo L, Felmingham KL, Bowser T, Russell A, Bruno R, Matthews A. (2022). Translation of animal endocannabinoid models of PTSD mechanisms to humans: Where to next? Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews, 132, 76-91. doi: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2021.11.040.

Crombie KM, Leitzelar BN, Almassi NE, Mahoney JE, Koltyn KF. (2022). The Feasibility and Effectiveness of a Community-Based Intervention to Reduce Sedentary Behavior in Older Adults. Journal of Applied Gerontology, 41(1), 92-102. doi: 10.1177/0733464820987919.

Desai S, Borg B, Cutler C, Crombie KM, Rabinak C, Hill MN, Marusak HA. (2021). A systematic review and meta-analysis on the effects of physical exercise on the endocannabinoid system.  Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research, 7(4), 388-408.  doi: 10.1089/can.2021.0113.

Crombie KM, Sartin-Tarm A, Sellnow K, Ahrenholtz R, Lee S, Matalamaki M, Almassi NE, Hillard CJ, Koltyn KF, Adams TG, Cisler JM. (2021). Exercise-induced increases in Anandamide and BDNF during extinction consolidation contribute to reduced threat following reinstatement: Preliminary evidence from a randomized controlled trial. Psychoneuroendocrinology, 132, 105355. doi: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2021.105355

Crombie KM, Sartin-Tarm A, Sellnow K, Ahrenholtz R, Lee S, Matalamaki M, Adams TG, Cisler JM. (2021). Aerobic exercise and consolidation of fear extinction learning among women with Posttraumatic Stress Disorder. Behaviour Research & Therapy, 142, 103867.  doi: 10.1016/j.brat.2021.103867.

Crombie KM, Ross M, Letkiewicz A, Sartin-Tarm A, Cisler JM. (2021). Differential relationships of PTSD symptom clusters with cortical thickness and grey matter volumes among women with PTSD. Scientific Reports, 11, 1825. doi: 10.1038/s41598-020-80776-2.

Crombie KM, Cisler JM, Hillard CJ, Koltyn KF. (2021). Exercise reduces anxiety and fear ratings to threat and increases circulating endocannabinoids in women with and without PTSD. Mental Health and Physical Activity, 20, 100366.  doi:10.1016/j.mhpa.2020.100366.

Ross MC, Sartin-Tarm A, Letkiewicz AM, Crombie KM, Cisler JM. (2021). Distinct cortical thickness correlates of early life trauma exposure and posttraumatic stress disorder are shared among female adolescent and adult females with interpersonal violence exposure. Neuropsychopharmacology, 46(4), 741-749. doi: 10.1038/s41386-020-00918-y.

Brellenthin, AG, Crombie KM, Hillard CJ, Brown RT, Koltyn KF. (2019). Psychological and endocannabinoid responses to aerobic exercise in substance use disorder patients. Substance Abuse, 42(3), 272-283. doi: 10.1080/08897077.2019.1680480.

Crombie KM, Leitzelar BN, Brellenthin AG, Hillard CJ, Koltyn KF. (2019). Loss of exercise- and stress-induced increases in circulating 2-arachidonoylglycerol concentrations in adults with chronic PTSD. Biological Psychology, 145, 1-7. doi: 10.1016/j.biopsycho.2019.04.002.

Meyer J, Crombie KM, Cook DB, Hillard CJ, Koltyn KF. (2019). Serum endocannabinoid and mood changes after exercise in major depressive disorder. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, 51(9), 1909-1917. doi: 10.1249/MSS.0000000000002006.

Crombie KM, Brellenthin AG, Hillard CJ, Koltyn KF. (2018). Psychobiological responses to aerobic exercise in individuals with and without PTSD. Journal of Traumatic Stress, 31, 134-145. doi:10.1002/jts.22253.

Crombie KM, Brellenthin AG, Hillard CJ, Koltyn KF. (2018). Endocannabinoid and opioid system interactions in exercise-induced hypoalgesia. Pain Medicine, 19(1), 118-123. doi: 10.1093/pm/pnx058.

Brellenthin AG, Crombie KM, Hillard CJ, Koltyn KF. (2017). Endocannabinoid and mood responses to exercise in adults with varying activity levels. Medicine and Science in Sports & Exercise, 49(8), 1688-1696. doi: 0.1249/MSS.0000000000001276.