What question did this study set out to answer?

To evaluate the efficacy of a two-week high-frequency aerobic exercise program on depressive symptoms and frontal function in individuals with subthreshold depression.

July 20, 2026Translational Psychiatry0 citationsOpen Access

The Immediate and sustained benefits of two-week high-frequency aerobic exercise on depressive symptoms and frontal function in subthreshold depression: A randomized controlled trial

LLLin Li JLJingxuan Liu YHYuhan Hu

Key Points

To evaluate the efficacy of a two-week high-frequency aerobic exercise program on depressive symptoms and frontal function in individuals with subthreshold depression.
Single-blind, randomized controlled trial with 57 female participants assigned to aerobic exercise (6–7 sessions/week) or sitting control.
Depression symptoms measured using the Beck Depression Inventory-II and Patient Health Questionnaire-9 at baseline, post-intervention, and two-week follow-up.
Neural activity assessed through functional near-infrared spectroscopy during a Verbal Fluency Task.
AE intervention led to significant decreases in BDI-II and PHQ-9 scores, improving response and remission rates.
Activation in DLPFC, FEF, and PMC-and-SMA decreased, indicating reduced neural activity associated with depression.
Functional connectivity improved within sensory and motor areas, correlating with improvements in somatic symptoms.

Abstract

Aerobic exercise (AE) has been shown to improve subthreshold depression (SD). Current interventions typically involve longer durations and a moderate frequency. There is potential to further optimize this approach. This study designed a two-week high-frequency AE program and evaluated its efficacy and neural mechanisms in SD. This single-blind, randomized controlled study randomly assigned 57 female SD participants to AE (n = 29; 6–7 sessions/week) or a sitting control (n = 28). Depression severity and symptoms were assessed using the Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II) and the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) at baseline, post-intervention, and two-week follow-up. Functional near-infrared spectroscopy combined with the Verbal Fluency Task was used to assess multiple neural activity metrics in the prefrontal cortex and motor cortex. The AE intervention significantly decreased in BDI-II and PHQ-9 scores, while increasing response and remission rates. Simultaneously, AE significantly reduced activation in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC), frontal eye field (FEF), and premotor and supplementary motor areas (PMC-and-SMA). Functional connectivity strength decreased between the DLPFC and the FEF, PMC-and-SMA, and the primary somatosensory cortex (S1), and the PMC-and-SMA and S1. Network efficiency improved within the S1 and FEF, including enhanced node efficiency, increased degree centrality, and reduced shortest path. Moreover, the functional enhancement of PMC-and-SMA and FEF was significantly associated with alleviations in somatic symptoms (sleep disturbances and fatigue). The study demonstrates the feasibility and efficacy of the two-week high-frequency AE protocol in improving SD, with benefits comparable to those of previous AE protocols.

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