Effects of Exercise on Physical and Mental Health, and Cognitive and Brain Functions in Schizophrenia: Clinical and Experimental Evidence

Title:Effects of Exercise on Physical and Mental Health, and Cognitive and Brain Functions in Schizophrenia: Clinical and Experimental Evidence

Volume: 14 Issue: 10

Author(s): Mirko Wegner, Sergio Machado, Ti-Fei Yuan, Antonio Egidio Nardi, Oscar Arias-Carrion, Joao Manuel R.S. Tavares, Joana Rocha, Nuno Barbosa Ferreira Rocha, Henning Budde, Ridson Rosa Rimes, Gioia Mura, Mauro Giovanni Carta, Flavia Paes, Joao Manochio, Alberto Souza de Sa Filho, Murilo Khede Lamego and Antonio Marcos de Souza Moura

Affiliation:

Keywords: Brain activity, cognitive function, exercise, mental health, schizophrenia.

Abstract: Exercise promotes several health benefits, such as cardiovascular, musculoskeletal and cardiorespiratory improvements. It is believed that the practice of exercise in individuals with psychiatric disorders, e.g. schizophrenia, can cause significant changes. Schizophrenic patients have problematic lifestyle habits compared with general population; this may cause a high mortality rate, mainly caused by cardiovascular and metabolic diseases. Thus, the aim of this study is to investigate changes in physical and mental health, cognitive and brain functioning due to the practice of exercise in patients with schizophrenia. Although still little is known about the benefits of exercise on mental health, cognitive and brain functioning of schizophrenic patients, exercise training has been shown to be a beneficial intervention in the control and reduction of disease severity. Type of training, form of execution, duration and intensity need to be better studied as the effects on physical and mental health, cognition and brain activity depend exclusively of interconnected factors, such as the combination of exercise and medication. However, one should understand that exercise is not only an effective nondrug alternative, but also acts as a supporting linking up interventions to promote improvements in process performance optimization. In general, the positive effects on mental health, cognition and brain activity as a result of an exercise program are quite evident. Few studies have been published correlating effects of exercise in patients with schizophrenia, but there is increasing evidence that positive and negative symptoms can be improved. Therefore, it is important that further studies be undertaken to expand the knowledge of physical exercise on mental health in people with schizophrenia, as well as its dose-response and the most effective type of exercise.

Cite this article as:

Wegner Mirko, Machado Sergio, Yuan Ti-Fei, Nardi Egidio Antonio, Arias-Carrion Oscar, R.S. Tavares Manuel Joao, Rocha Joana, Ferreira Rocha Barbosa Nuno, Budde Henning, Rimes Rosa Ridson, Mura Gioia, Carta Giovanni Mauro, Paes Flavia, Manochio Joao, de Sa Filho Souza Alberto, Lamego Khede Murilo and de Souza Moura Marcos Antonio, Effects of Exercise on Physical and Mental Health, and Cognitive and Brain Functions in Schizophrenia: Clinical and Experimental Evidence, CNS & Neurological Disorders - Drug Targets 2015; 14 (10) . https://dx.doi.org/10.2174/1871527315666151111130659