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Aerobic Exercise in People with Schizophrenia: Neural and Neurocognitive Benefits

  • Psychosis (A Ahmed, Section Editor)
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Abstract

Schizophrenia is characterized by extensive neurocognitive deficits, which are linked to greater disability, poorer functional outcome, and have been suggested to impact daily functioning more than clinical symptoms. Aerobic exercise (AE) has emerged as a potential intervention. This review examines the impact of AE on brain structure and function along with neurocognitive performance in individuals with schizophrenia. Preliminary evidence indicates that AE can increase hippocampal volume and cortical thickness, in addition to exerting a neuroprotective effect against hippocampal volume decrease and cortical thinning. There is also evidence that AE is able to significantly increase serum brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) levels, which are implicated in neurogenesis, neuroplasticity, and cognitive improvement. Finally, evidence suggests that AE plays a significant role in improving overall cognition, including improvements in processing speed, working memory, and visual learning. The authors discuss the implications of the findings and provide recommendations for future research and areas of inquiry.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychiatry Westchester Division, Weill Cornell Medical College, Outpatient Department, 21 Bloomingdale Road, White Plains, NY, 10605, USA

    Julia Vakhrusheva & Brielle Marino

  2. Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA

    T. Scott Stroup & David Kimhy

  3. New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY, USA

    T. Scott Stroup & David Kimhy

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  1. Julia Vakhrusheva
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  2. Brielle Marino
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  4. David Kimhy
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Correspondence to Julia Vakhrusheva.

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Dr. Julia Vakhrusheva, Ms. Brielle Marino, and Dr. David Kimhy declare that they have no conflicts of interest. Dr. T. Scott Stroup reports support from Genentech for CME, outside the submitted work.

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Vakhrusheva, J., Marino, B., Stroup, T.S. et al. Aerobic Exercise in People with Schizophrenia: Neural and Neurocognitive Benefits. Curr Behav Neurosci Rep 3, 165–175 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40473-016-0077-2

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