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. 2022 Aug 2;8(1):63.
doi: 10.1038/s41537-022-00269-1.

Associations between aerobic fitness, negative symptoms, cognitive deficits and brain structure in schizophrenia-a cross-sectional study

Isabel Maurus  1 , Lukas Röll  2   3 , Daniel Keeser  2   3   4 , Temmuz Karali  4 , Boris Papazov  4 , Alkomiet Hasan  5 , Andrea Schmitt  2   6 , Irina Papazova  5 , Moritz Lembeck  2 , Dusan Hirjak  7 , Cristina E Thieme  7 , Eliska Sykorova  7 , Susanne Münz  2 , Valentina Seitz  2 , David Greska  2 , Mattia Campana  2 , Elias Wagner  2 , Lisa Löhrs  2 , Johannes Pömsl  8 , Astrid Roeh  5 , Berend Malchow  9 , Katriona Keller-Varady  10 , Birgit Ertl-Wagner  4   11   12 , Sophia Stöcklein  4 , Andreas Meyer-Lindenberg  7 , Peter Falkai  2
Affiliations

Associations between aerobic fitness, negative symptoms, cognitive deficits and brain structure in schizophrenia-a cross-sectional study

Isabel Maurus et al. Schizophrenia (Heidelb). .

Abstract

Negative symptoms and cognitive deficits are common in individuals with schizophrenia, greatly affect their outcome, and have been associated with alterations in cerebral gray and white matter volume (GMV, WMV). In the last decade, aerobic endurance training has emerged as a promising intervention to alleviate these symptoms and improved aerobic fitness has been suggested as a key moderator variable. In the present study, we investigated, whether aerobic fitness is associated with fewer cognitive deficits and negative symptoms and with GMVs and WMVs in individuals with schizophrenia in a cross-sectional design. In the largest study to date on the implications of fitness in individuals with schizophrenia, 111 participants at two centers underwent assessments of negative symptoms, cognitive functioning, and aerobic fitness and 69 underwent additional structural magnetic resonance imaging. Multilevel Bayesian partial correlations were computed to quantify relationships between the variables of interest. The main finding was a positive association of aerobic fitness with right hippocampal GMV and WMVs in parahippocampal and several cerebellar regions. We found limited evidence for an association of aerobic fitness with cognitive functioning and negative symptoms. In summary, our results strengthen the notion that aerobic fitness and hippocampal plasticity are interrelated which holds implications for the design of exercise interventions in individuals with schizophrenia.

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Conflict of interest statement

A.S. was an honorary speaker for TAD Pharma and Roche and a member of Roche advisory boards. A.H. is co-editor of the German (DGPPN) schizophrenia treatment guidelines and the first author of the WFSBP schizophrenia treatment guidelines; he has been on the advisory boards of and has received speaker fees from Janssen-Cilag, Lundbeck, and Otsuka. PF is a co-editor of the German (DGPPN) schizophrenia treatment guidelines and a co-author of the WFSBP schizophrenia treatment guidelines; he is on the advisory boards and receives speaker fees from Janssen, Lundbeck, Otsuka, Servier, and Richter. A.M.L. has received consultant fees from Boehringer Ingelheim, Elsevier, Brainsway, Lundbeck Int. Neuroscience Foundation, Lundbeck A/S, Sumitomo Dainippon Pharma Co., Academic Medical Center of the University of Amsterdam, Synapsis Foundation-Alzheimer Research Switzerland, IBS Center for Synaptic Brain Dysfunction, Blueprint Partnership, University of Cambridge, Dt. Zentrum für Neurodegenerative Erkrankungen, Zürich University, Brain Mind Institute, L.E.K. Consulting, ICARE Schizophrenia, Science Advances, Fondation FondaMental, v Behring Röntgen Stiftung, The Wolfson Foundation and Sage Therapeutics; in addition, he has received speaker fees from Lundbeck International Foundation, Paul-Martini-Stiftung, Lilly Deutschland, Atheneum, Fama Public Relations, Institut d’investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Janssen-Cilag, Hertie Stiftung, Bodelschwingh-Klinik, Pfizer, Atheneum, University of Freiburg, Schizophrenia Academy, Hong Kong Society of Biological Psychiatry, Fama Public Relations, Spanish Society of Psychiatry, Italian Society of Biological Psychiatry, Reunions I Ciencia S.L. and Brain Center Rudolf Magnus UMC Utrecht and was awarded the Prix Roger de Spoelberch grant and the CINP Lilly Neuroscience Clinical Research Award 2016. BEW’s spouse is an employee of Siemens Healthineers. I.M., L.R., D.K., T.K., B.P., D.H., S.M., V.S., M.C., E.W., L.L., A.R., M.L., K.V., I.P., B.M., S.S., and J.P. report no conflicts of interest.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1. Bayes factors and correlations between aerobic fitness and clinical and cognitive scores.
The Bayes factors of the partial correlation tests are displayed on the left-hand side of the figure and colored according to the strength of the evidence and the corresponding Pearson’s correlation coefficients and highest density intervals are shown on the right-hand side. n = 111.
Fig. 2
Fig. 2. Bayes factors and correlation coefficients between aerobic fitness and gray matter volumes.
The Bayes factors of the partial correlation tests are displayed on the left-hand side of the figure and colored according to the strength of the evidence and the corresponding correlation coefficients and highest density intervals are shown on the right-hand side. n = 69.
Fig. 3
Fig. 3. Bayes factors and correlation coefficients between aerobic fitness and white matter volumes.
The Bayes factors of the partial correlation tests are displayed on the left-hand side of the figure and colored according to the strength of the evidence and the corresponding correlation coefficients and highest density intervals are shown on the right-hand side. n = 69.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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