What is it about?
Physical exercise of at least 90 minutes per week was found to improve psychiatric symptoms in people with schizophrenia in this review and meta-analysis.
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Why is it important?
Physical exercise is a low stigma, low side effect treatment that can significantly improve symptoms in people with schizophrenia. It should be an additional therapy for these individuals. Now we need to ensure that this treatment is made available to people who need it. How does it work? This is not clear. It may be due to improved self-esteem and self efficacy that exercising might bring about. It may be due to increased social contact and decreased social isolation. Exercise is also associated with increased levels of Brain Derived Neurotrophic Factor and reduced inflammation, and so there may be a direct effect on the brain.
Perspectives
Increasing physical activity in people with psychotic illnesses should be a priority in clinical services.
Professor Alison Ruth Yung
University of Manchester
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: A systematic review and meta-analysis of exercise interventions in schizophrenia patients, Psychological Medicine, February 2015, Cambridge University Press,
DOI: 10.1017/s0033291714003110.
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