regulation. These results will guide iterative
refinement and inform a future clinical trial.
Ethical and human-centred design will remain
central throughout this process. The goal is not to
replace care, but to extend it—bridging the gap
between therapy sessions and lived experience. This
vision depends not only on technology, but on the
values that shape its use: empathy, autonomy, and
dignity.
In sum, the Digital-PA Loop represents a
pragmatic, ethically conscious step toward a more
personalized and embodied model of recovery. Its
success will not lie in technological sophistication
alone, but in how well it responds to the complexity—
and humanity—of those it seeks to support.
REFERENCES
Boswell, T., Prochnow, T., Amo, C., Spadine, M., Heinrich,
K., Russell, A., Francis, A., & Patterson, M. (2022).
Exercise in the Treatment of Addiction: A Systematic
Literature Review. Health Education & Behavior, 49,
801-819. https://doi.org/10.1177/10901981221090155.
Cabral, D., Tavares, V., Schuch, F., & Wang, D. (2024).
The role of physical exercise on the brain and cognitive
functions of patients in recovery from substance use
disorder: A narrative review and recommendations for
researchers and practitioners. Mental Health and
Physical Activity. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mhpa.
2024.100594.
Colder, C., Chassin, L., Sher, K., & Hussong, A. (2016).
Substance Use and Substance Use Disorders.
Development and Psychopathology, 1-65.
https://doi.org/10.1002/9781119125556.DEVPSY319.
Dergaa, I., Dhahbi, W., Omri, A., Ceylan, H., Saad, B.,
Stefanica, V., Ezzdine, L., Chamari, K., & Guelmami,
N. (2025). Physical activity and neuroplasticity in
neurodegenerative disorders: a comprehensive review
of exercise interventions, cognitive training, and AI
applications. Frontiers in Neuroscience, 19.
https://doi.org/10.3389/fnins.2025.1502417.
Ebner-Priemer, U. W., & Trull, T. J. (2009). Ecological
momentary assessment of mood disorders and mood
dysregulation. Psychological Assessment, 21(4), 463–
475. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0017075
El-Sayes, J., Harasym, D., Turco, C., Locke, M., & Nelson,
A. (2019). Exercise-Induced Neuroplasticity: A
Mechanistic Model and Prospects for Promoting
Plasticity. The Neuroscientist, 25, 65 - 85.
https://doi.org/10.1177/1073858418771538.
Ishino, F., McNab, P., Gilreath, T., Williams, F., &
Salmeron, B. (2020). A comprehensive multivariate
model of biopsychosocial factors associated with
opioid misuse and use disorder in a 2017–2018 United
States national survey. BMC Public Health, 20.
https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-020-09856-2.
Mikkelsen, K., Stojanovska, L., Polenakovic, M., Bosevski,
M., & Apostolopoulos, V. (2017). Exercise and mental
health. Maturitas, 106, 48-56.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.maturitas.2017.09.003.
Morouço, P., Rogowska, A.M., & Behzadnia, B. (2024)
Editorial: Motivation for physical activity, volume II.
Front. Psychol. 15:1533943. doi:
10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1533943
Morouço, P., Rogowska, A.M., & Pavlova, I. (2025)
Editorial: Motivations for physical activity—Volume
III. Front. Psychol. 16:1666422. doi:
10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1666422
Muskens, L., Kop, W., Weinstein, A., Van Aert, R., &
Donovan, K. (2024). Affective Responses to Acute
Exercise: A Meta-Analysis of the Potential Beneficial
Effects of a Single Bout of Exercise on General Mood,
Anxiety, and Depressive Symptoms. Psychosomatic
Medicine, 86, 486 - 497. https://doi.org/10.
1097/PSY.0000000000001321.
Peng, Y., Liu, H., & Zhao, L. (2025). Physical activity
adherence in behavioral recovery: The role of feedback,
personalization, and digital nudges. Journal of
Behavioral Health Technology, 12(1), 25–38.
Rodrigues, F., Figueiredo, N., Jacinto, M., Monteiro, D., &
Morouço, P. (2023). Social-cognitive theories to
explain physical activity. Education Sciences, 13(2),
122. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci13020122.
Stokes, M., Schultz, P., & Alpaslan, A. (2018). Narrating
the journey of sustained recovery from substance use
disorder. Substance Abuse Treatment, Prevention, and
Policy, 13, 1-12.
Vancampfort, D., Rebar, A., Firth, J., Kandola, A., Stubbs,
B., Herring, M., & Hallgren, M. (2018). Moving to Beat
Anxiety: Epidemiology and Therapeutic Issues with
Physical Activity for Anxiety. Current Psychiatry
Reports, 20. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11920-018-0923-x.
Wang, K., Li, Y., Zhang, T., & Luo, J. (2022). The
Relationship among College Students’ Physical Exercise,
Self-Efficacy, Emotional Intelligence, and Subjective
Well-Being. International Journal of Environmental
Research and Public Health, 19.
https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph191811596.
Zhang, L., Jia, Y., Wang, S., Yang, F., So, K., Wang, M.,
Liu, X., Wei, J., Cheng, T., & Yan, L. (2022). Physical
Exercise Prevented Stress‐Induced Anxiety via
Improving Brain RNA Methylation. Advanced Science,
9. https://doi.org/10.1002/advs.202105731.
Zupet, P., Debruyne, A., Loellgen, H., & Bachl, N. (2020).
Physical Activity, Exercise Prescription for Health and
Home-Based Rehabilitation. Sustainability, 12, 10230.
https://doi.org/10.3390/su122410230.