Physical exercise for late-life major depression.

M Belvederi Murri M Amore M Menchetti G Toni F Neviani M Cerri M B L Rocchi D Zocchi L Bagnoli E Tam A Buffa S Ferrara M Neri G S Alexopoulos S Zanetidou

Br J Psychiatry

Martino Belvederi Murri, MD, Section of Psychiatry, Department of Neuroscience, Ophthalmology, Genetics and Infant-Maternal Science, University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy, and Department of Psychological Medicine, Institute of Psychiatry, King's College London, London, UK; Mario Amore, MD, PhD, Section of Psychiatry, Department of Neuroscience, Ophthalmology, Genetics and Infant-Maternal Science, University of Genoa, Italy; Marco Menchetti, MD, PhD, Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, University of Bologna; Giulio Toni, MD, Cardiology Unit, Ramazzini Hospital, Carpi; Francesca Neviani, MD, PhD, Department of Geriatrics, Nuovo Ospedale Civile S. Agostino Estense, Modena and Reggio Emilia University, Modena; Matteo Cerri, MD, PhD, Department of Biomedical and Neuromotor Sciences, University of Bologna; Marco B. L. Rocchi, Department of Biomolecular Sciences, Service of Biostatistics, University of Urbino; Donato Zocchi, MD, Luigi Bagnoli, MD, primary care physicians, Bologna; Enrico Tam, PhD, Department of Movement and Neurological Sciences, University of Verona; Angela Buffa, MD, PhD, Unit of Internal Medicine, Geriatrics and Nephrology, S. Orsola Malpighi Hospital, Bologna; Serena Ferrara, PsyD, Consultation Liaison Psychiatry Service, Department of Mental Health, Bologna; Mirco Neri, Department of Geriatrics, Nuovo Ospedale Civile S. Agostino Estense, Modena and Reggio Emilia University, Modena, Italy; George S. Alexopoulos, MD, PhD, Department of Psychiatry, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, USA; Stamatula Zanetidou, MD, Consultation Liaison Psychiatry Service, Department of Mental Health, Bologna, Italy; the Safety and Efficacy of Exercise for Depression in Seniors (SEEDS) Study Group.

Published: September 2015

Background: Interventions including physical exercise may help improve the outcomes of late-life major depression, but few studies are available.

Aims: To investigate whether augmenting sertraline therapy with physical exercise leads to better outcomes of late-life major depression.

Method: Primary care patients (465 years) with major depression were randomised to 24 weeks of higher-intensity, progressive aerobic exercise plus sertraline (S+PAE), lower-intensity, non-progressive exercise plus sertraline (S+NPE) and sertraline alone. The primary outcome was remission (a score of ≤10 on the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression).

Results: A total of 121 patients were included. At study end, 45% of participants in the sertraline group, 73% of those in the S+NPE group and 81% of those in the S+PAE group achieved remission (P = 0.001). A shorter time to remission was observed in the S+PAE group than in the sertraline-only group.

Conclusions: Physical exercise may be a safe and effective augmentation to antidepressant therapy in late-life major depression.

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http://dx.doi.org/10.1192/bjp.bp.114.150516	DOI Listing

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