title: The effects of aerobic exercise on cognition in schizophrenia: A 3-month follow-up study.
abstract: Aerobic exercise (AE) has been shown to improve cognition in patients with schizophrenia. However, it remains unclear whether these exercise-induced cognitive benefits persist beyond the training period. Accordingly, the present study sought to examine the immediate and maintenance effects of AE on a wide range of cognitive functions in 75 schizophrenia patients randomized to 12 weeks of either moderate-intensity treadmill exercise or stretching and toning exercise that served as a control. Participants completed assessments of neurocognition and cardiovascular fitness at pretest, posttest, and 3-month follow-up. The results showed that the AE group outperformed the controls on processing speed and attention at the end of intervention. The two groups did not differ significantly in any cognitive outcome measured at follow-up; however, improvement over time was noted in certain cognitive domains in AE group. The average effect sizes at follow-up were 0.53 and 0.35 for AE and control groups, respectively. There were no significant between-group differences in aerobic fitness at posttest and follow-up, and that fitness level was not related to changes in cognitive performance. These findings provide preliminary evidence for a trend towards beneficial effects of physical activity on cognition over a short follow-up period in favor of AE.
authors.affiliation: Department of Occupational Therapy, College of Health Sciences, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Chwen-Yng
authors.initials: CY
authors.lastname: Su
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan; Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine and Graduate Institute of Medicine, College of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Peng-Wei
authors.initials: PW
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Occupational Therapy, Tsyr-Huey Mental Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Yi-Jean
authors.initials: YJ
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan; Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine and Graduate Institute of Medicine, College of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Tze-Chun
authors.initials: TC
authors.lastname: Tang
authors.affiliation: Department of Physical Therapy, College of Health Sciences, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan. Electronic address: mefali@kmu.edu.tw.
authors.forename: Mei-Fang
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Department of Occupational Therapy, College of Health Sciences, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan. Electronic address: mdchen@kmu.edu.tw.
authors.forename: Ming-De
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Chen
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003071:Cognition / Q000502:physiology; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy*; D015444:Exercise / Q000502:physiology / Q000523:psychology*; D005081:Exercise Therapy / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010809:Physical Fitness / Q000502:physiology / Q000523:psychology; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000628:therapy*; D012565:Schizophrenic Psychology; D016037:Single-Blind Method; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Aerobic fitness; Exercise; Neurocognition; Schizophrenia