Effect of high-endurance exercise intervention on sleep-dependent procedural memory consolidation in individuals with schizophrenia: A randomized controlled trial

Lincoln Lik Hang LO; Edwin Ho Ming LEE; Christy Lai Ming HUI; Catherine Shiu Yin CHONG; Wing Chung CHANG; Sherry Kit Wa CHAN; Jessie Jingxia LIN; William Tak Lam LO; Eric Yu Hai CHEN

doi:10.1017/S0033291721003196

Effect of high-endurance exercise intervention on sleep-dependent procedural memory consolidation in individuals with schizophrenia: A randomized controlled trial

Lincoln Lik Hang LO, Edwin Ho Ming LEE^*, Christy Lai Ming HUI, Catherine Shiu Yin CHONG, Wing Chung CHANG, Sherry Kit Wa CHAN, Jessie Jingxia LIN, William Tak Lam LO, Eric Yu Hai CHEN

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Journal Publications › Journal Article (refereed) › peer-review

3 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Background Little is known about the effects of physical exercise on sleep-dependent consolidation of procedural memory in individuals with schizophrenia. We conducted a randomized controlled trial (RCT) to assess the effectiveness of physical exercise in improving this cognitive function in schizophrenia. Methods A three-arm parallel open-labeled RCT took place in a university hospital. Participants were randomized and allocated into either the high-intensity-interval-training group (HIIT), aerobic-endurance exercise group (AE), or psychoeducation group for 12 weeks, with three sessions per week. Seventy-nine individuals with schizophrenia spectrum disorder were contacted and screened for their eligibility. A total of 51 were successfully recruited in the study. The primary outcome was sleep-dependent procedural memory consolidation performance as measured by the finger-tapping motor sequence task (MST). Assessments were conducted during baseline and follow-up on week 12. Results The MST performance scored significantly higher in the HIIT (n = 17) compared to the psychoeducation group (n = 18) after the week 12 intervention (p < 0.001). The performance differences between the AE (n = 16) and the psychoeducation (p = 0.057), and between the AE and the HIIT (p = 0.999) were not significant. Yet, both HIIT (p < 0.0001) and AE (p < 0.05) showed significant within-group post-intervention improvement. Conclusions Our results show that HIIT and AE were effective at reverting the defective sleep-dependent procedural memory consolidation in individuals with schizophrenia. Moreover, HIIT had a more distinctive effect compared to the control group. These findings suggest that HIIT may be a more effective treatment to improve sleep-dependent memory functions in individuals with schizophrenia than AE alone.

Original language	English
Number of pages	13
Journal	Psychological Medicine
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1017/S0033291721003196
Publication status	E-pub ahead of print - 7 Oct 2021
Externally published	Yes

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
This research was supported by the Department of Psychiatry, University of Hong Kong. We thank all our colleagues from the department for all their kind support. We would also like to thank Dr Nestor Vinas for his suggestions and technical support on using a power meter to quantify cycling performance, which was an essential element of this study. Finally, we would like to thank our research team in the Department of Psychiatry, University of Hong Kong for their support throughout the project. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT03800368.

Publisher Copyright:
© The Author(s), 2021. Published by Cambridge University Press.

Keywords

Exercise
functional threshold power
memory consolidation
motor sequence learning
schizophrenia

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

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10.1017/S0033291721003196

Cite this

LO, L. L. H., LEE, E. H. M., HUI, C. L. M., CHONG, C. S. Y., CHANG, W. C., CHAN, S. K. W., LIN, J. J., LO, W. T. L., & CHEN, E. Y. H. (2021). Effect of high-endurance exercise intervention on sleep-dependent procedural memory consolidation in individuals with schizophrenia: A randomized controlled trial. Psychological Medicine. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0033291721003196

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title = "Effect of high-endurance exercise intervention on sleep-dependent procedural memory consolidation in individuals with schizophrenia: A randomized controlled trial",

abstract = "Background Little is known about the effects of physical exercise on sleep-dependent consolidation of procedural memory in individuals with schizophrenia. We conducted a randomized controlled trial (RCT) to assess the effectiveness of physical exercise in improving this cognitive function in schizophrenia. Methods A three-arm parallel open-labeled RCT took place in a university hospital. Participants were randomized and allocated into either the high-intensity-interval-training group (HIIT), aerobic-endurance exercise group (AE), or psychoeducation group for 12 weeks, with three sessions per week. Seventy-nine individuals with schizophrenia spectrum disorder were contacted and screened for their eligibility. A total of 51 were successfully recruited in the study. The primary outcome was sleep-dependent procedural memory consolidation performance as measured by the finger-tapping motor sequence task (MST). Assessments were conducted during baseline and follow-up on week 12. Results The MST performance scored significantly higher in the HIIT (n = 17) compared to the psychoeducation group (n = 18) after the week 12 intervention (p < 0.001). The performance differences between the AE (n = 16) and the psychoeducation (p = 0.057), and between the AE and the HIIT (p = 0.999) were not significant. Yet, both HIIT (p < 0.0001) and AE (p < 0.05) showed significant within-group post-intervention improvement. Conclusions Our results show that HIIT and AE were effective at reverting the defective sleep-dependent procedural memory consolidation in individuals with schizophrenia. Moreover, HIIT had a more distinctive effect compared to the control group. These findings suggest that HIIT may be a more effective treatment to improve sleep-dependent memory functions in individuals with schizophrenia than AE alone. ",

keywords = "Exercise, functional threshold power, memory consolidation, motor sequence learning, schizophrenia",

author = "LO, {Lincoln Lik Hang} and LEE, {Edwin Ho Ming} and HUI, {Christy Lai Ming} and CHONG, {Catherine Shiu Yin} and CHANG, {Wing Chung} and CHAN, {Sherry Kit Wa} and LIN, {Jessie Jingxia} and LO, {William Tak Lam} and CHEN, {Eric Yu Hai}",

note = "Funding Information: This research was supported by the Department of Psychiatry, University of Hong Kong. We thank all our colleagues from the department for all their kind support. We would also like to thank Dr Nestor Vinas for his suggestions and technical support on using a power meter to quantify cycling performance, which was an essential element of this study. Finally, we would like to thank our research team in the Department of Psychiatry, University of Hong Kong for their support throughout the project. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT03800368. Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} The Author(s), 2021. Published by Cambridge University Press.",

year = "2021",

month = oct,

day = "7",

doi = "10.1017/S0033291721003196",

language = "English",

journal = "Psychological Medicine",

issn = "0033-2917",

publisher = "Cambridge University Press",

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TY - JOUR

T1 - Effect of high-endurance exercise intervention on sleep-dependent procedural memory consolidation in individuals with schizophrenia

T2 - A randomized controlled trial

AU - LO, Lincoln Lik Hang

AU - LEE, Edwin Ho Ming

AU - HUI, Christy Lai Ming

AU - CHONG, Catherine Shiu Yin

AU - CHANG, Wing Chung

AU - CHAN, Sherry Kit Wa

AU - LIN, Jessie Jingxia

AU - LO, William Tak Lam

AU - CHEN, Eric Yu Hai

N1 - Funding Information: This research was supported by the Department of Psychiatry, University of Hong Kong. We thank all our colleagues from the department for all their kind support. We would also like to thank Dr Nestor Vinas for his suggestions and technical support on using a power meter to quantify cycling performance, which was an essential element of this study. Finally, we would like to thank our research team in the Department of Psychiatry, University of Hong Kong for their support throughout the project. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT03800368. Publisher Copyright: © The Author(s), 2021. Published by Cambridge University Press.

PY - 2021/10/7

Y1 - 2021/10/7

N2 - Background Little is known about the effects of physical exercise on sleep-dependent consolidation of procedural memory in individuals with schizophrenia. We conducted a randomized controlled trial (RCT) to assess the effectiveness of physical exercise in improving this cognitive function in schizophrenia. Methods A three-arm parallel open-labeled RCT took place in a university hospital. Participants were randomized and allocated into either the high-intensity-interval-training group (HIIT), aerobic-endurance exercise group (AE), or psychoeducation group for 12 weeks, with three sessions per week. Seventy-nine individuals with schizophrenia spectrum disorder were contacted and screened for their eligibility. A total of 51 were successfully recruited in the study. The primary outcome was sleep-dependent procedural memory consolidation performance as measured by the finger-tapping motor sequence task (MST). Assessments were conducted during baseline and follow-up on week 12. Results The MST performance scored significantly higher in the HIIT (n = 17) compared to the psychoeducation group (n = 18) after the week 12 intervention (p < 0.001). The performance differences between the AE (n = 16) and the psychoeducation (p = 0.057), and between the AE and the HIIT (p = 0.999) were not significant. Yet, both HIIT (p < 0.0001) and AE (p < 0.05) showed significant within-group post-intervention improvement. Conclusions Our results show that HIIT and AE were effective at reverting the defective sleep-dependent procedural memory consolidation in individuals with schizophrenia. Moreover, HIIT had a more distinctive effect compared to the control group. These findings suggest that HIIT may be a more effective treatment to improve sleep-dependent memory functions in individuals with schizophrenia than AE alone.

AB - Background Little is known about the effects of physical exercise on sleep-dependent consolidation of procedural memory in individuals with schizophrenia. We conducted a randomized controlled trial (RCT) to assess the effectiveness of physical exercise in improving this cognitive function in schizophrenia. Methods A three-arm parallel open-labeled RCT took place in a university hospital. Participants were randomized and allocated into either the high-intensity-interval-training group (HIIT), aerobic-endurance exercise group (AE), or psychoeducation group for 12 weeks, with three sessions per week. Seventy-nine individuals with schizophrenia spectrum disorder were contacted and screened for their eligibility. A total of 51 were successfully recruited in the study. The primary outcome was sleep-dependent procedural memory consolidation performance as measured by the finger-tapping motor sequence task (MST). Assessments were conducted during baseline and follow-up on week 12. Results The MST performance scored significantly higher in the HIIT (n = 17) compared to the psychoeducation group (n = 18) after the week 12 intervention (p < 0.001). The performance differences between the AE (n = 16) and the psychoeducation (p = 0.057), and between the AE and the HIIT (p = 0.999) were not significant. Yet, both HIIT (p < 0.0001) and AE (p < 0.05) showed significant within-group post-intervention improvement. Conclusions Our results show that HIIT and AE were effective at reverting the defective sleep-dependent procedural memory consolidation in individuals with schizophrenia. Moreover, HIIT had a more distinctive effect compared to the control group. These findings suggest that HIIT may be a more effective treatment to improve sleep-dependent memory functions in individuals with schizophrenia than AE alone.

KW - Exercise

KW - functional threshold power

KW - memory consolidation

KW - motor sequence learning

KW - schizophrenia

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U2 - 10.1017/S0033291721003196

DO - 10.1017/S0033291721003196

M3 - Journal Article (refereed)

C2 - 34615565

AN - SCOPUS:85117125433

SN - 0033-2917

JO - Psychological Medicine

JF - Psychological Medicine

ER -

Effect of high-endurance exercise intervention on sleep-dependent procedural memory consolidation in individuals with schizophrenia: A randomized controlled trial

Abstract

Bibliographical note

Keywords

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