Investigating the effect of exercise on clinical symptoms, cognitive performance, and quality of life in schizophrenia patients treated with clozapine

This prospective study aims to investigate the effects of exercise on clinical symptoms, cognitive performance, and quality of life in schizophrenia patients treated with clozapine. Fifty-six (n = 56) participants were completed as the physical exercise group (PEG) (n = 28) and control group (CG) (n = 28). The PEG participated in an exercise program lasting 30 min, three times a week, for 12 weeks, in addition to a routine ergotherapy programme. The CG did not receive any treatment other than ergotherapy programme. Sociodemographic characteristics, Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANNS), Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS), Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MOCA), and The World Health Organisation Quality of Life (WHQOL-BREF) evaluated at baseline and after 12 weeks for both groups. After intervention, a statistically significant increase was observed in the MOCA and the psychological health sub-parameter of WHQOL-BREF in the PEG (p ≤ 0.05). According to the intergroup change analysis, the changes in the cognitive performance and psychological health sub-parameter of quality-of-life scores were significantly higher in the PEG than in the CG (p ≤ 0.05). The demonstrated improvement in cognitive performance and psychological health in patients with schizophrenia treated with Clozapine through physical exercise strongly advocates for the inclusion of structured exercise programs in comprehensive treatment plans.