SynthesisBMC geriatrics2025
Evaluating the effects of physical activity and antidepressive agents on depressive symptoms in older adults: a meta-analysis of existing evidence.
Synthesis in BMC geriatrics, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
1 citing paper in PubMed.
- Discovery of aloe-emodin as an antidepressant agent by targeting RANBP9.Molecular diversity · 2026Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
2 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundAlthough a wide range of treatments for depression are currently available, the condition continues to pose a substantial threat to the physical health of older adults. In recent years, physical activity has attracted increasing attention for its beneficial effects in alleviating depressive symptoms, compared to antidepressant medication.
objectiveThis meta-analysis aimed to estimate and compare the standardized effects of physical activity and antidepressive agents in alleviating depressive symptoms among older adults aged 65 and above. By quantitatively synthesizing results from multiple independent studies, the goal is to derive a more precise and generalizable estimate of intervention efficacy, thereby informing evidence-based clinical practice in geriatric mental health.
methodsSearched the PubMed, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library databases for published English literature and screened 22 target articles with depression symptoms as outcome indicators. Meta-analysis statistics were conducted using Revman 5.3 to calculate effect sizes and standard mean differences reflecting the magnitude of the effect indicators.
resultsThe meta-analysis, conducted using a random-effects model, demonstrated that both physical activity (PA-SD) and antidepressive agents (AA-SD) significantly reduced depressive symptoms (DS) among older adults. The effect size for PA-SD reached a statistically significant moderate level (SMD = - 0.60, 95% CI [-0.77, - 0.43], Z = 7.05, p < 0.00001), while that for AA-SD reached a statistically significant small level (SMD = - 0.30, 95% CI [-0.44, - 0.16], Z = 4.15, p < 0.0001). The overall pooled effect size across all included studies was SMD = - 0.46 (95% CI [-0.59, - 0.33], Z = 6.87, p < 0.00001). A statistically significant difference in effect sizes was observed between the two intervention types (Chi² = 7.20, df = 1, p = 0.007).
conclusionsPhysical activity and antidepressive agents can both alleviate depression symptoms in older adults, but there are significant differences in impact methods or mechanisms between the two.
trial registrationThis study has been registered in PROSPERO (ID: CRD420251008013).
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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.