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Roeh, Astrid; Malchow, Berend; Levold, Katrin; Labusga, Marcin; Keller-Varady, Katriona; Schneider-Axmann, Thomas; Wobrock, Thomas; Schmitt, Andrea; Falkai, Peter and Hasan, Alkomiet (2020): Effects of Three Months of Aerobic Endurance Training on Motor Cortical Excitability in Schizophrenia Patients and Healthy Subjects. In: Neuropsychobiology, Vol. 79, No. 1: pp. 100-107

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Abstract

Background: Aerobic endurance training has been discussed to induce brain plasticity and improve cognitive functions in healthy subjects and patients with neuropsychiatric disorders. For schizophrenia, a motor cortical inhibitory deficit has been established as one aspect of impaired plasticity, especially involving impairments in GABAergic interneuron networks, but the possibility to restore these deficits via exercise-induced plasticity has not been evaluated yet. Methods: 17 schizophrenia patients and 16 matched healthy controls underwent 3 months of aerobic endurance training (30 min, 3 times a week) on bicycle ergometers. After 6 weeks, computer-assisted cognitive remediation training (30 min, 2 times a week) was added. Transcranial magnetic stimulation of the left and right hemispheres was performed at baseline and at the end of the intervention. We evaluated the intensity to induce a motor-evoked potential of 1 mV (S1mV), the resting motor threshold (RMT), the cortical silent period (CSP) at an intensity of 120 and 150% of the individual RMT, short-latency interval intracortical inhibition (3 ms), and intracortical facilitation (7 and 15 ms). Depending on the variable and hemisphere, follow-up data was available for 7-15 schizophrenia patients and for 10-12 healthy controls. Results: Repeated measures ANOVA revealed no significant time x group interactions for any of the analyzed variables. A significant increase in S1mV and CSP duration at 150% RMT of the left hemisphere could be observed in both groups over time. Conclusion: Regular ergometer training over 3 months increases motor cortical inhibition as displayed by an increase in CSP. The increase in S1mV may also indicate a higher degree of inhibition after the intervention. We could not establish a difference between schizophrenia patients and healthy controls. Due to the limited sample size, our results have to be considered as preliminary and need to be replicated in future trials.

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