Exercise is medicine for mental health

Exercise can be as effective as a second drug to nearly half of depressed patients, whose condition has not been cured by a single antidepressant.

UT Southwestern Medical Center scientist involved in research, which was recently published in the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, found that both moderate and intense levels of daily exercise can, and the employment service, a second antidepressant that is often used when the initial drug not move patients in remission. The type of exercise is necessary, however, depends on patient characteristics, including gender.

These findings are the result of a four-year study at UT Southwestern Department of Psychiatry, in collaboration with the Cooper Institute in Dallas instead. The National Institute of Mental Health funded study, which began in 2003, is one of the first controlled studies in the U.S. suggests that adding a regular exercise routine combined with targeted medications actually completely the symptoms of major depression.

"Many people who start taking an antidepressant medication to feel better when they begin treatment, but I feel great or as good as they did before they fell into a depression," said Dr. Madhukar Trivedi, professor of psychiatry and The principal authors of the study. "This study shows that exercise can be as effective as adding another medication. Many people prefer to have the movement as another active ingredient, especially in the exercise of a proven effect positive a person's general health and welfare. "

Study participants with depression in an age range of 18 to 70 and it does not refer to treatment with a selective inhibitor of reuptake inhibitor antidepressants diagnosis, were divided into two groups. Each group received a different level of intensity of exercise for 12 weeks. The sessions were supervised by trained staff at the Cooper Institute, and supplemented by home sessions.

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The participants - whose average length of depression was seven years - treadmills, cycle ergometer exercise, or both, held an online diary of the frequency and duration of sessions, and wore a heart rate monitor in training at home. They also met with a psychiatrist during the trial.

At the end of the study, nearly 30 percent of patients in both groups achieved a complete remission of their depression and another 20 percent indicate a significant improvement in psychiatric standardized measurements. Moderate exercise is more effective in women with a family history of mental illness during intense exercise was effective in women whose families have no history of disease. Among men, the highest exercise was effective regardless of other characteristics.

"This is an important result because it was determined that the type of training is needed depends on the characteristics of the patient, illustrates the need for treatment must be tailored to the individual," said Dr. Trivedi, director of Disorders Research Program Humor and Clinic at UT Southwestern. "It also points to a new address to discuss the factors that make us say, to determine the most effective treatment."


Other UT Southwestern researchers involved in the study were Dr. Tracy Greer, assistant professor of psychiatry, Dr. Thomas Carmody, assistant professor of clinical sciences and psychiatry, Dr. Prabha Sunderajan, assistant clinical professor of psychiatry and Bruce Grannemann The teacher assigned to psychiatry. Scientists from Louisiana State University, North Carolina State University, American Psychological Association, Martindale Research Corp. Inc. and small packages also contributed.

In addition to funds from NIMH, the study of scholarships and awards from the National Alliance for Research on Schizophrenia and Depression, and the National Cancer Institute supports.

Source
Encyclopedia of Medicine of exercise in health and disease