Ahmed Jerome Romain1, Cedine Fankam1, Antony D. Karelis2, Elaine Letendre3, Gladys Mikolajacks1, Emmanuel Stip1,3,4, Amal Abdel-Baki1,3,4; 1University of Montreal Hospital Research Centre, 2University of Quebec at Montreal, 3University Hospital of Montreal (CHUM), 4University of Montreal
Background: Physical activity (PA) has been suggested to reduce the high prevalence of metabolic syndrome and obesity in psychosis population but interval training (IT) which is efficacious in other populations is poorly studied among people with psychosis. Objective: To determine the effects of a 6-month supervised IT program on metabolic, anthropometric, and psychiatric/functional outcomes. Methods: Randomized controlled trial comparing the effects of a bi-weekly 30 minutes IT to a waiting list of overweight individuals with psychosis. Body composition and metabolic risk factors were compared at baseline and 6 months using repeated-measures mixed linear models with the restricted maximum of likelihood method of estimation. Results. 66 individuals (62% men, 30.7 ± 7.2 years old; BMI: 32.7 ± 5.7 kg/m², waist circumference: 107.4 ± 13.3 cm) were randomised. Mean attendance to IT sessions was 64%. PA dropout rate was 50%. Among completers (>64% of prescribed IT sessions), IT was associated with significant improvements on waist circumference (-3.09 cm, SE = 1.4; p = 0.03), negative symptoms (-3.7, SE = 1.4; p = 0.01), social (SOFAS) (+6.16, SE = 1.76; p = 0.001) and global functioning (+5.38, SE = 2.3; p = 0.02). The effects of exercise in the first-episode psychosis (FEP) sub-group were similar to those of the entire cohort along with specific effects on fat free mass, fat mass and general PANSS psychopathology. Conclusion. IT contributes to improve metabolic complications and social functioning in obese individuals with psychosis. Further studies on prevention of metabolic complications are warranted.
