Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42580712›Full record

Trial reportSchizophrenia bulletin2026

A Physical Exercise Program Significantly Boosts the Impact of Cognitive Training on Attention Deficits After a First Episode of Schizophrenia.

Keith H Nuechterlein, Joseph Ventura, Kenneth L Subotnik, Juliane Nguyen, Emily A McGraw, Margaret G Distler, Dennis Dacarett Galeano, Michael F Zito

Abstract readRandomized Controlled Trial
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Trial report in Schizophrenia bulletin, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

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.

2 · The registry

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.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors.

Keith H NuechterleinDepartment of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, Semel Institute for Neuroscience & Human Behavior, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095-6968, United States.
Joseph VenturaDepartment of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, Semel Institute for Neuroscience & Human Behavior, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095-6968, United States.
Kenneth L SubotnikDepartment of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, Semel Institute for Neuroscience & Human Behavior, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095-6968, United States.
Juliane NguyenDepartment of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, Semel Institute for Neuroscience & Human Behavior, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095-6968, United States.
Emily A McGrawDepartment of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, Semel Institute for Neuroscience & Human Behavior, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095-6968, United States.
Margaret G DistlerDepartment of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, Semel Institute for Neuroscience & Human Behavior, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095-6968, United States.
Dennis Dacarett GaleanoDepartment of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, Semel Institute for Neuroscience & Human Behavior, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095-6968, United States.
Michael F ZitoDepartment of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, Semel Institute for Neuroscience & Human Behavior, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095-6968, United States.

Funding

Enhancing Cognitive Training Through Exercise Following a First Schizophrenia EpisodeR01MH110544 · NIMH · UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LOS ANGELES · PI NUECHTERLEIN, KEITH H · 2016 to 2022
$7.3M
Improving Cognition Through Telehealth Aerobic Exercise and Cognitive Training After a First Schizophrenia EpisodeR01MH130848 · NIMH · UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LOS ANGELES · PI KEITH H NUECHTERLEIN · 2023 to 2026
$4.9M
NIH HHSNIMH NIH HHS NCT02823041NIMH NIH HHS R01 MH110544NIMH NIH HHS R01 MH130848
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

background and hypothesisOur initial smaller study and other recent research suggest that adding a physical exercise program to cognitive training has promise for enhancing the impact on attention and overall cognition. We hypothesized that this would be the case even compared to adding a healthy living training program. STUDY

designIn a randomized clinical trial of individuals with a recent first episode of schizophrenia, we provided cognitive training, 4 h/week for 6 months for all participants. Half were randomized to a physical exercise program and half to a healthy living group. The MATRICS Consensus Cognitive Battery was administered at baseline, 3, and 6 months, with a focus on Attention/Vigilance. Exercise was measured by the International Physical Activity Questionnaire and the number of exercise sessions completed. STUDY

resultsAttention/Vigilance was differentially enhanced by cognitive training and physical exercise compared to cognitive training and healthy living group (T score gain of 4.6 vs. -0.2 over 6 months, P < .01). Improvement in Attention/Vigilance by 3 months was significantly associated with number of exercise sessions attended (P = .02) and exercise intensity (P < .03) during that period. Attention/Vigilance gain by 6 months was significantly predicted by total metabolic energy expended during the first 3 months (P = .04) and proportion of group exercise sessions attended (P < .01) over 6 months. In the first 3 months, brain-derived neurotropic factor tended to increase in the exercise condition but decrease in the comparison condition.

conclusionAdding an exercise program to cognitive training enhances the impact on the core deficit in attention in schizophrenia. The gains in attention are significantly related to the amount and intensity of exercise, consistent with the view that physical exercise is driving the attention improvements beyond the effect of cognitive training.

Indexed as

AttentionCognitive DysfunctionCognitive TrainingExerciseExercise TherapyOutcome Assessment, Health CareSchizophreniaAdultCombined Modality TherapyFemaleHumansMaleYoung Adultaerobic exercisecognitive remediationfirst-episode psychosis

Identifiers

PMID42580712
PMCPMC13461222

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

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.