Two studies show that intense physical activity significantly improves outcomes in the treatment of cognitive and emotional disorders in young patients. According to their authors, it is the action of the growth factor that stimulates the formation of neurons and synapses.
How to play sports with schizophrenia
In addition to the hallucinations and delusions that are typical of schizophrenia and often treatable, patients’ functioning is impaired by symptoms in another category—decreased concentration, problem solving, processing speed, and impaired emotional intelligence. They make it difficult or impossible to start work, lead to social isolation and impair daily functioning.
Researchers from the University of California at Los Angeles tested whether it is possible to help the sick by working not only with the mind, but also with the body. To this end, they conducted two experiments, both funded by the US National Institute of Mental Health.
The first study involved 16 young people after the first episode of the disease. Some of them spent 10 weeks learning computer-assisted intellectual skills and working on how to deal with social relationships. The rest went through the same training, but additionally 4 times a week (total 150 minutes per week) performed intense aerobic exercise.
Sports have been beneficial. In the first group, the researchers did not notice any changes, while the patients’ ability to exercise improved significantly. For example, in one of the drawing tasks with connecting dots, the average execution time dropped from 37 to 25 seconds. Meanwhile, in healthy people, it takes an average of 22 seconds. Emotional problems in the physically active group were almost halved.
A second study involving 32 young patients provided similar revelations. This time it lasted 6 months and had a similar character. Scientists explain that the results surprised them. Participants in physical training followed by mental and emotional exercise scored 3 times better on the entire battery of tests than patients who only exercised their mind and dealt with emotions.
The researchers offer an explanation for these results. Aerobic exercise caused a marked increase in brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), which the authors explain stimulates the hippocampus to produce new neurons and synapses. Meanwhile, in schizophrenia, it is precisely for the excessive removal of connections between neurons.
According to the researchers, the introduction of appropriate therapy as early as possible can prevent disability and give patients the opportunity to find a job, get an education, socialize and generally improve the quality of life.
“It seems that simultaneous exercise for the body and mind can change the course of schizophrenia, especially if treatment is started in the early stages of the disease,” says one author de Jo Ventura.