Exercise did not clearly help people with schizophrenia think well.
No differenceThe short version
In three studies, exercise did not help attention or alertness more than other groups did.
- 3
- studies pooled
- 1,014
- adults with schizophrenia in 22 studies
The review
Who took part
1,014 adults with schizophrenia took part in 22 studies, from several countries. Average ages in each group ran from about 22 to 55.
What they did
Most studies had people do aerobic exercise for about 12 weeks. The other groups had usual care, table football or occupational therapy. Some had cognitive remediation or waited to start.
What happened
Across all studies, exercise did not clearly help overall thinking, though it did after six months. Only reasoning and problem solving went up, from two studies, and working memory fell after six months. Attention, speed, memory and social thinking did not change, and the abstract's claims do not match.
What the review found
- No difference
In three studies, exercise did not help attention or alertness more than other groups did.
Pooled analysis of 3 studies · vs groups given usual care, stretching or cognitive remediation · ⚠ mixes trials with other kinds of study
How solid is this?
- Large group
- Numbers unreliable
- Summary claims more than the results show
- Mixes trials with other kinds of study
Source
Impact of aerobic exercise on cognitive function in patients with schizophrenia during daily care: A meta-analysis (2022)
DOI: 10.1016/j.psychres.2022.114560 (opens in a new tab)
