A new review, published in Schizophrenia Bulletin, examines the effects of exercise on cognition in individuals diagnosed with ‘schizophrenia.’ The results of the meta-analysis provide evidence that physical activity is related to better cognitive functioning.
“Cognitive impairments contribute significantly to the poor functional outcomes and long-term disability often observed among patients. Antipsychotic medications have little impact on improving cognition, and other pharmacological approaches towards treating cognitive deficits have demonstrated limited efficacy thus far,” write the researchers, led by Joseph Firth, a postgraduate researcher at the University of Manchester, and Brendon Stubbs, a physiotherapist at South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust.
Researchers have become interested in the many benefits exercise may have for individuals with ‘schizophrenia’ and studies have shown that exercise increases cognition in the general public. The authors write, “by increasing cardiorespiratory fitness and metabolic health, exercise may also reduce the physical health problems associated with schizophrenia, such as obesity and diabetes, which contribute towards reduced life expectancy.”
Although there have been a number of reviews on the effects of exercise for ‘schizophrenia,’ there has yet to be a meta-analysis showing benefit due to a previously low number of controlled trials. Recently, more studies have been conducted, providing the opportunity for a new meta-analysis.
In the current meta-analysis, Firth and colleagues aim to investigate the impact of exercise on cognition in individuals diagnosed with ‘schizophrenia,’ as well as identify which areas of cognition are most improved by exercise, and which types of intervention are most effective. The authors followed PRISMA guidelines to identify 10 relevant controlled trials, with a total of 385 eligible participants. Data on the primary outcome of global cognition, along with other cognitive domains and possible moderators, were then extracted. The authors used meta-regression analyses to interpret the data.
“Pooled effect sizes across all cognitive outcomes showed that exercise improves global cognition significantly more than control conditions,” state the authors. The researchers also found that being supervised by an exercise professional during physical activity led to more significant gains in cognitive functioning. Results also showed that more exercise may be related to greater cognitive improvements, but this finding was not statistically significant.
This meta-analysis provides evidence that exercise can improve cognition in individuals diagnosed with ‘schizophrenia,’ although more research is needed to understand this phenomenon. Since the standard treatment for schizophrenia, antipsychotic medication, has not been found effective in improving cognition and involves a number of side effects, it is important to explore alternative interventions. The authors recommend, “Given the known benefits of exercise for psychiatric symptoms, social functioning, and physical health, feasible and accessible methods for delivering exercise in clinical practice should be explored and implemented.”
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Firth, J., Stubbs, B., Rosenbaum, S., Vancampfort, D., Malchow, B., Schuch, F., … & Yung, A. R. (2016). Aerobic exercise improves cognitive functioning in people with schizophrenia: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Schizophrenia Bulletin, sbw115. doi: 10.1093/schbul/sbw115 (Abstract)
I am astounded at the euphemistic avoidance of reality in the psychiatric research world!
“Antipsychotic medications have little impact on improving cognition…”
Really? Don’t you mean, “Antipsychotic medications appear to cause deteriorating cognition over time?” Who ever thought or expected that antipsychotics would IMPROVE cognition? They make it WORSE!
“…exercise may also reduce the physical health problems associated with schizophrenia, such as obesity and diabetes, which contribute towards reduced life expectancy.”
Are obesity and diabetes REALLY associated with ‘schizophrenia?’ Don’t you mean “health problems associated with drug ‘treatment’ for ‘schizophrenia?” Or more bluntly, health problems frequently CAUSED by atypical antipsychotic drugs?
How do they get away with this tripe?
—- Steve
It’s complete tripe. It’s like saying people that smoke 60 cigarettes a day suffer from lung problems because of the weather.
Great comment Steve.
I agree, nicely stated, Steve.
But at least they do state “it is important to explore alternative interventions.” Which is progress.
And this is a reasonably good recommendation, “Given the known benefits of exercise for psychiatric symptoms, social functioning, and physical health, feasible and accessible methods for delivering exercise in clinical practice should be explored and implemented.” Although, I don’t think psychiatrists are experts in exercise, that would technically be other professions. My psychiatrist tried to get me to stop exercising.
And, I would imagine I’m one of the few, even here, who was even able to exercise while on antipsychotics, since they make you so incredibly lethargic and cognitively impaired. So, taking people off the antipsychotics will greatly increase people’s ability to even have the will and energy to exercise. That technically should be the psychiatrists role.
And actually, since weaning people off the antipsychotics, can cause a drug withdrawal induced super sensitivity manic psychosis, utilizing exercise to work through this drug withdrawal issue, I found wonderfully helpful.
When I was suffering through that, I would dance for two hours when I arose, go for a bike ride for another couple hours, garden, I rehabbed like a fiend. I lost about 10 pounds, my girlfriends finally told me I was getting too skinny.
Exercise is good, antipsychotics are torture drugs.
Green spaces are known to alleviate stress and depression, walking or exercise IN GREEN SPACES is good for every human beings mind.
Green spaces ‘improve health’
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/8307024.stm
Urban parks offer breath of fresh air for improved health
http://www.cbc.ca/news/health/urban-parks-offer-breath-of-fresh-air-for-improved-health-1.1233626
Ironic they show a picture of a stationary treadmill.
Yes, and conversely, locking someone up in a hospital against their will for profit, is bad for that person’s health.
Steve: Thank you for pointing out the obvious! I was going to post a similar comment but you stated it so much better. The assumption that my daughter’s poor cognition (memory, ability to concentrate, etc.) is a symptom of my of my daughter’s “disease” and not due to the clozaril she is taking, is insulting to say the least.
Insulting, indeed. Anything bad that happens is caused by “the disease.” Anything good is caused by the amazing effects of their miracle drugs. The profession spent 10-20 years denying that tardive dyskinesia is caused by neuroleptic drugs, even though there was no rational way to deny the connection and there was an excellent scientific mechanism in place to explain it. There is no science going on in this field – it’s a religion.
Maybe this is why antipsychotic drugs don’t have added manganese in them. Not only would it cost a few cents more, but it would also be an admission that antipsychotics caused tardive dyskinesia through making you manganese deficient.
Did you know that grass growing next to people with schizophrenia grows higher when there is more sunlight?
LOL!!! It’s also true that double amputees have much slower average times in the 100 yard dash. I wonder if slow running could be a causal factor in leg amputation?
Yes. And my research has also uncovered the fact that when schizophrenic people sit next to a sponge having water poured over it, the sponge gets wet. Who would have thought?
LOL!
And they don’t do well in the high jump, either.
The Quakers knew and understood this 150 years ago! This is not new information. They took people in their asylums out for walks in the gardens and fields so that they could get fresh air and sunlight and exercise. I think it was called moral treatment or something along those lines. And of course, it goes without saying that people moved through their issues and reclaimed their lives. Something that very seldom happens today. Recovery rates before the advent of the drugs was about 60% whereas today it might be 16%, if that high.
The Quakers were far better than anything we have now.
(I think 16% today would be optimistic).
Gardening was a prescribed therapy in the Quakers’ moral treatment.
They also didn’t let doctors into their institutions. Since the universal therapeutic drug in those days was calomel, a mercury salt, it was probably a good idea.
I spoke with an eminent psychiatrist who lauded the effect of vigorous exercise to regulate alpha waves in the brain, and induce a mentally calming effect. I was very encouraged to know that this is promoted.