It has been shown that learning a new skill leads to structural changes in the brain. However, it is unclear whether it is the acquisition or continuous practicing of the skill that causes this effect and whether brain connectivity of patients with schizophrenia can benefit from such practice. We examined the effect of 6 months exercise on a stationary bicycle on the brain in patients with schizophrenia and healthy controls. Biking is an endemic skill in the Netherlands and thus offers an ideal situation to disentangle the effects of learning vs practice. The 33 participating patients with schizophrenia and 48 healthy individuals were assigned to either one of two conditions, ie, physical exercise or life-as-usual, balanced for diagnosis. Diffusion tensor imaging brain scans were made prior to and after intervention. We demonstrate that irrespective of diagnosis regular physical exercise of an overlearned skill, such as bicycling, significantly increases the integrity, especially of motor functioning related, white matter fiber tracts whereas life-as-usual leads to a decrease in fiber integrity. Our findings imply that exercise of an overlearned physical skill improves brain connectivity in patients and healthy individuals. This has important implications for understanding the effect of fitness programs on the brain in both healthy subjects and patients with schizophrenia. Moreover, the outcome may even apply to the nonphysical realm.

• Klíčová slova
• connectivity, diffusion tensor imaging, fractional anisotropy, longitudinal, physical exercise, schizophrenia,
• MeSH
• bílá hmota anatomie a histologie   patologie   MeSH
• cyklistika fyziologie   MeSH
• dospělí MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• mladý dospělý MeSH
• následné studie MeSH
• schizofrenie patologie   terapie   MeSH
• terapie cvičením metody   MeSH
• výsledek terapie MeSH
• zobrazování difuzních tenzorů MeSH
• Check Tag
• dospělí MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• mladý dospělý MeSH
• mužské pohlaví MeSH
• ženské pohlaví MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH
• randomizované kontrolované studie MeSH

The proceedings of the workshop synthesize the experimental, preclinical, and clinical data suggesting that the cerebellum, basal ganglia (BG), and their connections play an important role in pathophysiology of various movement disorders (like Parkinson's disease and atypical parkinsonian syndromes) or neurodevelopmental disorders (like autism). The contributions from individual distinguished speakers cover the neuroanatomical research of complex networks, neuroimaging data showing that the cerebellum and BG are connected to a wide range of other central nervous system structures involved in movement control. Especially, the cerebellum plays a more complex role in how the brain functions than previously thought.

• MeSH
• autistická porucha patofyziologie   MeSH
• bazální ganglia anatomie a histologie   patologie   fyziologie   patofyziologie   MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• mozeček anatomie a histologie   patologie   fyziologie   patofyziologie   MeSH
• mozková kůra anatomie a histologie   patologie   fyziologie   patofyziologie   MeSH
• nervové dráhy anatomie a histologie   patologie   fyziologie   patofyziologie   MeSH
• pohybová aktivita fyziologie   MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Check Tag
• lidé MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Publikační typ
• kongresy MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH
• Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural MeSH
• Geografické názvy
• Česká republika MeSH