Effect of high-endurance exercise intervention on sleep-dependent procedural memory consolidation in individuals with schizophrenia: a randomized controlled trial

Abstract

Background Little is known about the effects of physical exercise on sleep-dependent consolidation of procedural memory in individuals with schizophrenia. We conducted a randomized controlled trial (RCT) to assess the effectiveness of physical exercise in improving this cognitive function in schizophrenia. Methods A three-arm parallel open-labeled RCT took place in a university hospital. Participants were randomized and allocated into either the high-intensity-interval-training group (HIIT), aerobic-endurance exercise group (AE), or psychoeducation group for 12 weeks, with three sessions per week. Seventy-nine individuals with schizophrenia spectrum disorder were contacted and screened for their eligibility. A total of 51 were successfully recruited in the study. The primary outcome was sleep-dependent procedural memory consolidation performance as measured by the finger-tapping motor sequence task (MST). Assessments were conducted during baseline and follow-up on week 12. Results The MST performance scored significantly higher in the HIIT (n = 17) compared to the psychoeducation group (n = 18) after the week 12 intervention (p < 0.001). The performance differences between the AE (n = 16) and the psychoeducation (p = 0.057), and between the AE and the HIIT (p = 0.999) were not significant. Yet, both HIIT (p < 0.0001) and AE (p < 0.05) showed significant within-group post-intervention improvement. Conclusions Our results show that HIIT and AE were effective at reverting the defective sleep-dependent procedural memory consolidation in individuals with schizophrenia. Moreover, HIIT had a more distinctive effect compared to the control group. These findings suggest that HIIT may be a more effective treatment to improve sleep-dependent memory functions in individuals with schizophrenia than AE alone.

Comparative Effectiveness of Multiple Exercise Interventions in the Treatment of Mental Health Disorders: A Systematic Review and Network Meta-Analysis

“…The age of participants ranged between 19 and 76 years old. Fifty-six studies (1510 participants) examined the effects of AE [ 34 , 36 – 38 , 57 – 59 , 61 , 64 , 66 , 67 , 69 – 72 , 74 – 78 , 85 , 86 , 88 – 96 , 98 , 101 , 102 , 106 , 107 , 109 , 111 , 112 , 114 , 118 , 121 , 122 , 124 , 136 – 138 , 141 , 147 , 150 , 155 – 158 , 160 , 164 ], while 9 studies (161 participants) evaluated RE [ 57 , 60 , 63 , 70 , 122 , 125 , 134 , 149 , 166 ], 49 studies (1530 participants) evaluated MBE [ 35 , 43 , 62 , 73 , 79 – 84 , 87 , 93 , 97 , 99 , 100 , 103 – 105 , 110 , 115 – 117 , 119 , 120 , ...…”

“…Among the 31 studies that targeted schizophrenia [ 136 – 166 ], 16 reported results associated with overall schizophrenic symptoms [ 137 , 140 – 142 , 144 , 145 , 149 , 152 , 153 , 156 – 158 , 160 – 162 , 164 ], 26 associated with positive symptoms [ 136 – 138 , 140 – 152 , 155 – 158 , 160 , 162 – 166 ], and 28 associated with negative symptoms [ 136 , 138 – 152 , 154 – 160 , 162 – 166 ]. The evidence structure of comparisons in overall, positive, and negative schizophrenic symptoms is provided in Fig.…”

Molecular Mechanisms of Exercise and Healthspan

“…In the past decades, substantial evidence suggest that regular exercise is clearly the most potent method in both mitigating and preventing cognitive decline [ 230 , 231 , 232 , 233 , 234 , 235 , 236 , 237 , 238 ], Parkinson’s disease [ 238 , 239 , 240 ], multiple sclerosis [ 241 , 242 , 243 , 244 , 245 , 246 , 247 , 248 , 249 ], and depression [ 250 , 251 , 252 ]. In all age groups, regular exercise has been shown to enhance central nervous system functions including but not limited to cognitive function, coordination, visuospatial memory, and learning abilities [ 253 , 254 , 255 , 256 , 257 ]. A recent study by Hatch et al found that even a 30-min high intensity intermittent exercise is sufficient to enhance cognitive function in young adults [ 255 ].…”

“…Of note, clinical studies and meta-analyses did not find that vigorous exercise regime is superior in enhancing brain function compared to moderate exercise, suggesting that an “ideal dose” of exercise may exist, and other factors need to be considered in determining the best exercise program for different populations [ 258 , 259 , 260 ]. This notion encouraged numerous studies that evaluated different modes of exercise in enhancing brain function [ 261 , 262 ], such as high intensity interval training (HIIT) [ 257 ], coordinative exercise [ 263 , 264 ], mind-body exercise like Tai Chi [ 265 , 266 ], etc. Overall, regular exercise remains to be the most prominent life-style intervention in improving healthspan with regard to the mental/neurological function.…”

Comparative efficacy of different types of exercise modalities on psychiatric symptomatology in patients with schizophrenia: a systematic review with network meta-analysis

“…Exercise interventions have become a crucial and cost-effective approach in the treatment of schizophrenia due to their low cost and ease of implementation 13 , 14 . Numerous randomized controlled trials have investigated the impact of various types of exercise interventions on individuals with schizophrenia, including yoga, tai chi, dance, aerobic exercise, cycling, and more 15 – 18 . These studies have explored multiple aspects, including cognitive function, quality of life, and physical fitness 19 – 21 .…”