Recent research has shown that social cognition training can benefit patients with schizophrenia, and a new study suggests that adding regular aerobic exercise sessions substantially increases the improvements in a dose-response manner.
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In a randomized controlled trial (RCT) in 47 patients with schizophrenia, improvement in cognition tripled after adding an aerobic exercise program to cognitive training (CT) compared with CT alone.
Investigators, led by Keith H. Nuechterlein, PhD, professor of psychology, University of California, Los Angeles, note that there is “increasing evidence” to support the use of aerobic exercise to improve cognition and functioning in schizophrenia.
However, the “extent to which these gains are dependent on the amount of aerobic exercise completed remains unclear, although variability in adherence to intended exercise regiments is evident,” they write.
They also point out that
The findings were scheduled to be presented at the Congress of the Schizophrenia International Research Society (SIRS) 2020, but the meeting was canceled because of the coronavirus pandemic.
Body Circuit Training
In the study, 47 patients with first-episode schizophrenia were randomly assigned to receive 6 months of CT alone or 6 months of CT plus exercise (CT+E).
All participants underwent 4 hours per week of computerized CT with BrainHQ and SocialVille programs (PositScience).
Patients in the CT+E group also took part in total body circuit training. Two aerobic exercise sessions per week were held at the clinic and two were to be completed at home. The goal was 150 minutes of exercise per week in total.
Exercise intensity was titrated to the individual, at a target of 60% to 80% of heart rate reserve.
Both the CT and CT+E groups showed cognitive gains on the MATRICS Consensus Cognitive Battery (MCCB) test, as well as work/school functioning gains on the Global Assessment Scale: Role.
However, results showed that the improvements in the CT+E group were three times greater than those shown in the CT group (P < .02 for the MCCB overall composite score).
Cognitive Gain Predictors
Because there were also substantial differences in the magnitude of cognitive improvement between the CT+E patients, the investigators sought to identify predictors of cognitive gain.
They found that patients in the CT+E group completed, on average, 85% of their in-clinic exercise sessions but only 39% of their home exercise sessions.
Those who completed a higher overall proportion of the exercise sessions had the largest cognitive gains (P = .03). This relationship was even stronger for patients who completed home exercise sessions (P = .02).
“Thus, aerobic exercise showed a dose-response relationship to cognitive improvement,” the researchers report.
To improve completion rates for home sessions, the investigators tried paying the patients $5 for each session completed, which was “helpful” but did not iron out the variability in adherence.
They also tried assigning points for completing the most exercise sessions in the desired heart rate. They awarded a monthly winner and divided the patients into two completion groups. However, there were “mixed” results.
“Development of systematic incentive strategies to encourage regular aerobic exercise will be critical to successful dissemination of exercise programs as part of the treatment of schizophrenia,” the researchers write.
They add that “pilot work with smartphone reminder systems is underway.”