Exercise as an augmentation strategy for treatment of major depression
by
Trivedi MH, Greer TL, Grannemann BD, Chambliss HO, Jordan AN.
University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas,
Mood Disorders Research Program and Clinic,
6363 Forest Park, Dallas, TX 75235, USA.
Madhukar.Trivedi@UTSouthwestern.edu
J Psychiatr Pract. 2006 Jul;12(4):205-13

ABSTRACT

The use of augmentation strategies among patients with major depression is increasing because rates of complete remission with standard antidepressant monotherapy are quite low. Clinical and neurobiological data suggest that exercise may be a good candidate for use as an augmentation treatment for depression. This pilot study examined the use of exercise to augment antidepressant medication in patients with major depression. Seventeen patients with incomplete remission of depressive symptoms began a 12-week exercise program while continuing their antidepressant medication (unchanged in type or dose). Individual exercise prescriptions were calculated based on an exercise dose consistent with currently recommended public health guidelines. The exercise consisted of both supervised and home-based sessions. The 17-item Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HRSD17) and the Inventory of Depressive Symptomatology-Self-Report (IDS-SR30) were used to assess symptoms of depression on a weekly basis. Intent-to-treat analyses yielded significant decreases on both the HRSD17 (5.8 points, p < 0.008) and IDS-SR30 (13.9 points, p < 0.002). For patients who completed the study (n = 8), HRSD17 scores decreased by 10.4 points and IDS-SR30 scores decreased by 18.8 points. This study provides preliminary evidence for exercise as an effective augmentation treatment for antidepressant medication. This is a lower-cost augmentation strategy that has numerous health benefits and may further reduce depressive symptoms in partial responders to antidepressant treatment. Practical tips on how practitioners can use exercise to enhance antidepressant treatment are discussed. Longer-term use of exercise is also likely to confer additional health benefits for this population.

BDNF
SAMe
Folate
Inositol
Serotonin
Chromium
Runner's high
Exercise pills?
Low-fat blues
Antidepressants
Vitamins and mood
Nutritional psychiatry
Docosahexaenoic acid
Catecholamine depletion
Mood, food and cognition
Bad moods and sick hearts
Exercise and new brain cells
Creatine as an antidepressant
Exercise as an antidepressant
Phenylethylamine and exercise
Exercise programs treat depression
NO, BDNF, exercise and antidepressants
The exercise-regulated gene VGF: antidepressant action
Major depression: exercise as an augmentation strategy
Antianxiety effects of exercise/hippocampal neurogenesis
Vigorous exercise increases BDNF and receptors and prevents middle-age stem cell drop

Refs
and further reading

HOME
HedWeb
Nootropics
cocaine.wiki
Future Opioids
BLTC Research
MDMA/Ecstasy
Superhapiness?
Utopian Surgery?
The Abolitionist Project
The Hedonistic Imperative
The Reproductive Revolution
Critique of Huxley's Brave New World

The Good Drug Guide
The Responsible Parent's Guide
To Healthy Mood Boosters For All The Family