First-Episode Psychosis and Exercise Study
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Exercise in First Episode Psychosis: Assessing the effect of an exercise intervention on brain glutathione in a first-episode psychosis population.
IRAS ID
234178
Contact name
Emily Fisher
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Birmingham
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 8 months, 25 days
Research summary
This project will be the first of its kind to assess the antioxidant glutathione in the brains of patients with first-episode psychosis (FEP), in response to an intervention of exercise.
FEP describes the preceding events before a diagnosis of schizophrenia, a debilitating psychiatric disease characterised by episodic positive and negative symptoms. FEP is an important early intervention point, since prognosis is improved, as well as the risk of relapse and treatment resistance.
Recent research has pointed to the process of oxidative stress, and a reduction of the antioxidant glutathione in the pathogenesis of FEP and schizophrenia. Glutathione has a primary role in neutralising the harmful effects of oxidative stress, ultimately leading to damage of lipids, proteins, DNA and even cell death. Several studies have observed a deficit in glutathione in patients with FEP, which has been associated with some of the symptoms experienced by this group.
We know that exercise training has the capacity to strengthen the antioxidant response, and increase glutathione in the blood, as well as the brain. These studies in healthy volunteers have the potential to be translated into the FEP population, in an effort to increase the glutathione response, and reduce the toxic effect of oxidative stress. A recent advancement in magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) has allowed us to directly quantify glutathione in the brain, and gain a more accurate picture of how glutathione plays a role in FEP.
By providing an enjoyable choice intervention of exercise to FEP patients, we will be able to reduce the huge attrition rates seen in most exercise studies. This will allow the best data to be obtained, and a generation of meaningful results.
Elucidating the role of glutathione in exercise training and subsequent alleviation of psychotic symptoms would be a novel finding, providing progression in the potential for therapy.REC name
West Midlands - Edgbaston Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
17/WM/0412
Date of REC Opinion
21 Dec 2017
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion