Search

The article offers information on the therapeutic effects of physical exercise, in patients with early psychosis. It states that onset of psychosis is related to neuronal dysregulation and degeneration. It states that the fall in brain volumes is related to neuronal loss but substantially to loss of neuronal connectivity, loss of dendritic spines, and the fall in supporting glial cells.

Objective: Active-play video games have been used to enhance aerobic fitness in various clinical populations, but their use among individuals with schizophrenia has been limited.Methods: Feasibility, acceptability, safety, and adherence data were obtained for use of aerobic exercise (AE) equipment by 16 individuals with schizophrenia during a 12-week AE program consisting of three one-hour exercise sessions per week. Equipment included exercise video games for Xbox 360 with Kinect motion sensing devices and traditional exercise equipment.Results: Most participants (81%) completed the training, attending an average of 79% of sessions. The proportion of time spent playing Xbox (39%) exceeded time spent on any other type of equipment. When using Xbox, participants played 2.24±1.59 games per session and reported high acceptability and enjoyment ratings, with no adverse events.Conclusions: Measures of feasibility, acceptability, adherence, and safety support the integration of active-play video games into AE training for people with schizophrenia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]