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Exercise Promotes Neuroplasticity in Both Healthy and Depressed Brains: An fMRI Pilot Study.

ABSTRACT: Memory impairments are a frequently reported cognitive symptom in people suffering from major depressive disorder (MDD) and often persist despite antidepressant therapy. Neuroimaging studies have identified abnormal hippocampal activity during memory processes in MDD. Exercise as an ad-on treatment for MDD is a promising therapeutic strategy shown to improve mood, cognitive function, and neural structure and function. To advance our understanding of how exercise impacts neural function in MDD, we must also understand how exercise impacts healthy individuals without MDD. This pilot study used a subsequent memory paradigm to investigate the effects of an eight-week exercise intervention on hippocampal function in low-active healthy (n = 8) and low-active MDD (n = 8) individuals. Results showed a marked improvement in depression scores for the MDD group (p < 0.0001) and no change in memory performance for either group (p > 0.05). Functional imaging results showed a marginally significant decrease in hippocampal activity in both groups following the exercise intervention. Our whole brain analysis collapsed across groups revealed a similar deactivation pattern across several memory-associated regions. These results suggest that exercise may enhance neural efficiency in low-fit individuals while still resulting in a substantially greater mood effect for those suffering from MDD. This trial is registered with clinical trials.gov NCT03191994.

SUBMITTER: Gourgouvelis J

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5554572 | biostudies-literature | 2017

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Exercise Promotes Neuroplasticity in Both Healthy and Depressed Brains: An fMRI Pilot Study.

Gourgouvelis Joanne J Yielder Paul P Murphy Bernadette B

Neural plasticity 20170730

Memory impairments are a frequently reported cognitive symptom in people suffering from major depressive disorder (MDD) and often persist despite antidepressant therapy. Neuroimaging studies have identified abnormal hippocampal activity during memory processes in MDD. Exercise as an ad-on treatment for MDD is a promising therapeutic strategy shown to improve mood, cognitive function, and neural structure and function. To advance our understanding of how exercise impacts neural function in MDD, w ...[more]

PMID: 28828187

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Project description:Adolescence is a neuroplastic period for self-processing and emotion regulation transformations, that if derailed, are linked to persistent depression. Neural mechanisms of adolescent self-processing and emotion regulation ought to be targeted via new treatments, given moderate effectiveness of current interventions. Thus, we implemented a novel neurofeedback protocol in adolescents to test the engagement of circuits sub-serving self-processing and emotion regulation. METHODS:Depressed (n?=?34) and healthy (n?=?19) adolescents underwent neurofeedback training using a novel task. They saw their happy face as a cue to recall positive memories and increased displayed amygdala and hippocampus activity. The control condition was counting-backwards while viewing another happy face. A self vs. other face recognition task was administered before and after neurofeedback training. RESULTS:Adolescents showed higher frontotemporal activity during neurofeedback and higher amygdala and hippocampus and hippocampi activity in time series and region of interest analyses respectively. Before neurofeedback there was higher saliency network engagement for self-face recognition, but that network engagement was lower after neurofeedback. Depressed youth exhibited higher fusiform, inferior parietal lobule and cuneus activity during neurofeedback, but controls appeared to increase amygdala and hippocampus activity faster compared to depressed adolescents. CONCLUSIONS:Neurofeedback recruited frontotemporal cortices that support social cognition and emotion regulation. Amygdala and hippocampus engagement via neurofeedback appears to change limbic-frontotemporal networks during self-face recognition. A placebo group or condition and contrasting amygdala and hippocampus, hippocampi or right amygdala versus frontal loci of neurofeedback, e.g. dorsal anterior cingulate cortex, with longer duration of neurofeedback training will elucidate dosage and loci of neurofeedback in adolescents.

Project description:IntroductionFew studies have evaluated exercise interventions for smokers with depression or other psychiatric comorbidities. This pilot study evaluated the potential role of supervised vigorous exercise as a smoking cessation intervention for depressed females.MethodsThirty adult women with moderate-severe depressive symptoms were enrolled and randomly assigned to 12 weeks of thrice weekly, in person sessions of vigorous intensity supervised exercise at a YMCA setting (EX; n = 15) or health education (HE; n = 15). All participants received behavioral smoking cessation counseling and nicotine patch therapy. Assessments were done in person at baseline, at the end of 12 weeks of treatment, and at 6 months post-target quit date. Primary end points were exercise adherence (proportion of 36 sessions attended) and biochemically confirmed 7-day point prevalence abstinence at Week 12. Biomarkers of inflammation were explored for differences between treatment groups and between women who smoked and those abstinent at Week 12.ResultsTreatment adherence was high for both groups (72% for EX and 66% for HE; p = .55). The Week 12 smoking abstinence rate was higher for EX than HE (11/15 [73%] vs. 5/15 [33%]; p = .028), but no significant differences emerged at 6-month follow-up. Interleukin-6 levels increased more for those smoking than women abstinent at Week 12 (p = .040).ConclusionsVigorous intensity supervised exercise is feasible and enhances short-term smoking cessation among depressed female smokers. Innovative and cost-effective strategies to bolster long-term exercise adherence and smoking cessation need evaluation in this population. Inflammatory biomarkers could be examined in future research as mediators of treatment efficacy.ImplicationsThis preliminary study found that vigorous intensity supervised exercise is feasible and enhances short-term smoking cessation among depressed female smokers. This research addressed an important gap in the field. Despite decades of research examining exercise interventions for smoking cessation, few studies were done among depressed smokers or those with comorbid psychiatric disorders. A novel finding was increases in levels of a pro-inflammatory biomarker observed among women who smoked at the end of the intervention compared to those who did not.

Project description:BackgroundRecent studies indicate that exercise can induce neuroplastic changes in people with Parkinson's disease (PwPD). Reports of feasibility outcomes from existing pilot trials however are, of date, insufficient to enable replication by others in larger definitive trials.ObjectiveTo evaluate trial design for a definitive trial by exploring process and scientific feasibility.MethodsThe trial design was a parallel-group RCT pilot with a 1 : 1 allocation ratio to either HiBalance or an active control group (HiCommunication). Both groups received one-hour sessions twice weekly, plus home exercises weekly, for 10 weeks. Participants with mild-to-moderate Parkinson's disease (PD) were recruited via advertisement. Assessment included physical performance, structural and functional MRI, blood sampling, neuropsychological assessment, and speech/voice assessment. Process and scientific feasibility were monitored throughout the study. Process feasibility involved recruitment, participant acceptability of assessments and interventions, assessment procedures (focus on imaging, blood sampling, and dual-task gait analysis), and blinding procedures. Scientific feasibility involved trends in outcome response and safety during group training and home exercises. Data are presented in median, minimum, and maximum values. Changes from pre- to postintervention are reported descriptively.ResultsThirteen participants were included (4 women, mean age 69.7 years), with a recruitment rate of 31%. Attendance rates and follow-up questionnaires indicated that both groups were acceptable to participate. Image quality was acceptable; however, diplopia and/or sleepiness were observed in several participants during MRI. With regard to dual-task gait performance, there appeared to be a ceiling effect of the cognitive tasks with seven participants scoring all correct answers at pretest. Blinding of group allocation was successful for one assessor but was broken for half of participants for the other.ConclusionsThe overall trial design proved feasible to perform, but further strengthening ahead of the definitive RCT is recommended, specifically with respect to MRI setup, cognitive dual-tasks during gait, and blinding procedures. This trial is registered with NCT03213873.

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Exercise Promotes Neuroplasticity in Both Healthy and Depressed Brains: An fMRI Pilot Study.

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Exercise Promotes Neuroplasticity in Both Healthy and Depressed Brains: An fMRI Pilot Study.

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