Year: 2018
Type: conference-paper
Abstract: Apart from the established pharmacological treatments in schizophrenia, aerobic exercise has a profound impact on the plasticity of the brain of both rodents and humans such as inducing the proliferation and differentiation of neural progenitor cells of the hippocampus in mice and rats.Aerobic exercise enhances BDNF and leads to a better performance in hippocampus related memory tasks, eventually by increasing neurogenesis and synaptic plasticity related proteins in the hippocampus.In healthy humans, regular aerobic exercise increases hippocampal volume and seems to diminish processes of ageing like brain atrophy and cognitive decline.Several meta-analyses demonstrate the beneficial effect of exercise on function, positive as well as negative symptoms and brain structure in multi-episode schizophrenia.New studies are under way providing insight in the intensity and duration of aerobic exercise training required for improvement in cognition and everyday functioning in patients with schizophrenia.
Authors: Günter Klug, Karin Fabisch
Institution: Medical University of Graz
Language: English
Subfield: Psychiatry and Mental health
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W3206230994