Abstract
The aim of this study was to test the feasibility of an exercise augmentation to pharmacotherapy in depressed younger and older adults while exploring neural mechanisms. A randomized, double-blind, controlled clinical trial was conducted in 15 inactive younger (20-39 years) and older (60-79 years) adults meeting Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition, criteria for a major depressive episode (https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02407704). Participants were randomized to receive a 12-week regimen of venlafaxine XR or venlafaxine XR plus supervised exercise. Cardiorespiratory fitness was assessed using a submaximal Vo2 test, and neuroimaging assessments were conducted using a Siemans MAGNETOM 7-Tesla magnetic resonance scanner at the University of Pittsburgh. Attrition was 38% and 14% for the medication and exercise groups, respectively. Attendance was 91% for the exercise intervention. Exploratory analyses revealed an association between improvement in fitness and increased cortical thickness in the anterior cingulate cortex. Exercise augmentation to pharmacotherapy is feasible for depressed younger and older adults and may have neural benefits in a core brain region implicated in depression.
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