Summary: Physical activity produces a twofold benefit for people with depression: it reduces clinical symptoms and enhances the brain’s capacity to adapt and learn, researchers report.
Source: RUB (Ruhr-Universität Bochum)
Physical activity supports brain health and boosts the brain’s ability to change.
A study conducted by the University Clinic for Psychiatry and Psychotherapy at Ruhr-Universität Bochum (RUB), Ostwestfalen-Lippe campus, confirms that regular physical activity has a dual beneficial effect on major depressive disorder: it not only alleviates depressive symptoms but also restores neuroplasticity — the brain’s capacity to reorganize itself, which is essential for learning and adaptation.
“These results highlight how important seemingly simple measures, such as physical activity, can be in both treating and preventing conditions like depression,” says the study leader, Associate Professor Dr. Karin Rosenkranz. The study was published on 9 June 2021 in the journal Frontiers in Psychiatry.
Structured exercise programme enhances motivation and social connection
Depression frequently leads to withdrawal and reduced physical activity. To test the effects of exercise, Dr. Rosenkranz’s team recruited 41 patients receiving inpatient treatment. Participants were divided into two groups: one completed a three-week physical activity programme while the other took part in a control programme without exercise.
The exercise programme was designed by the sports science team at the University of Bielefeld under Professor Thomas Schack. Activities were varied, enjoyable, non-competitive, and focused on teamwork. This approach aimed to rebuild confidence in physical abilities, reduce fear of challenges, and replace negative associations with exercise — for example, bad experiences from school gym classes.
“Focusing on fun, cooperation and gradual challenges specifically supported motivation and social togetherness,” explains Karin Rosenkranz. The control group engaged in a non-physical intervention during the same three-week period.
Severity of depressive symptoms — including reduced drive, diminished interest, low motivation and pervasive negative mood — was assessed before and after the interventions. The researchers also measured neuroplasticity using transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), an established, noninvasive method to evaluate the brain’s capacity for change.
“Neuroplasticity underlies the brain’s ability to learn and adapt,” says Karin Rosenkranz. Measuring it provided insight into whether physical activity could reverse the neuroplastic deficits often seen in depression.
Exercise increased neuroplasticity and reduced symptoms
At baseline, patients with major depressive disorder showed lower neuroplasticity compared with typical healthy reference values. After the three-week exercise programme, neuroplasticity increased significantly in the exercising group, reaching levels comparable to healthy individuals. At the same time, depressive symptoms declined in that group.
“We observed that the greater the increase in neuroplasticity, the larger the reduction in clinical symptoms,” summarizes Karin Rosenkranz. The control group showed smaller and less consistent changes in both clinical measures and neuroplasticity.
The investigators caution that their data do not prove a direct causal chain between symptom improvement and restored neuroplasticity. Nevertheless, existing evidence indicates that physical activity promotes neural connectivity and related processes, which plausibly contribute to clinical improvement.
About this exercise and depression research news
Source: RUB (Ruhr-Universität Bochum)
Contact: Press Office, Ruhr-Universität Bochum
Image: The image is in the public domain
Original Research: Open access. “Physical Activity Reduces Clinical Symptoms and Restores Neuroplasticity in Major Depression” by Wanja Brüchle, Caroline Schwarzer, Christina Berns, Sebastian Scho, Jessica Schneefeld, Dirk Koester, Thomas Schack, Udo Schneider, Karin Rosenkranz. Published in Frontiers in Psychiatry.
Abstract
Physical Activity Reduces Clinical Symptoms and Restores Neuroplasticity in Major Depression
Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a prevalent mental health condition, and deficits in neuroplasticity are hypothesized to be one underlying mechanism. While physical activity has been shown to enhance neuroplasticity in healthy people and to improve clinical symptoms in MDD, it remained uncertain whether physical activity’s clinical benefits stem from restoring deficient neuroplasticity.
This study evaluated a three-week physical activity programme in patients with MDD (N = 23) compared with a control intervention (N = 18). Clinical severity was measured using both self-rated (BDI-II) and clinician-rated (HAMD-17) scales. Motor cortex excitability and long-term potentiation (LTP)-like plasticity were assessed using transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) and paired-associative stimulation (PAS). Cognitive domains including attention, working memory and executive function were also tested.
Both groups showed reductions in self-reported and clinician-rated depressive symptoms after the interventions; however, the reduction measured by HAMD-17 was significantly greater in the physical activity group. Cognitive performance did not show marked changes in either group. Motor excitability remained stable across interventions. Baseline LTP-like plasticity in the motor cortex was low in both groups but increased significantly after the physical activity programme and not after the control intervention.
Higher baseline depressive symptom scores correlated with lower neuroplasticity. Importantly, larger decreases in BDI-II scores during the interventions were associated with stronger increases in neuroplasticity, an effect particularly pronounced after physical activity. The association was strongest for psychological and affective symptom items assessed by the BDI-II. The larger clinical improvement captured by HAMD-17 — which emphasizes somatic and neurovegetative symptoms — also favoured the physical activity intervention.
In summary, a short, structured physical activity programme improved depressive symptoms and restored deficient neuroplasticity in patients with MDD. These changes were strongly related at the individual level, underscoring the potential clinical relevance of interventions that enhance neuroplasticity in depression treatment.