PMID 42077795

Research
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Affective Reactivity to a Single Bout of High-Intensity Interval Training in Schizophrenia: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Sanden M, Pauck Bernhardsen G, Hanssen-Bauer K, Høye A, Johnsen E, Morken G, Nygård M, Abel Engh J

Question

Does one supervised HIIT session elicit greater immediate positive and negative affect changes than an active control condition in people with schizophrenia?

Summary

In stable outpatients with schizophrenia, a single mid-program supervised 4x4 treadmill HIIT session did not improve immediate affect more than a socially engaging low-intensity video-game control. Both groups showed favorable affective shifts, and higher baseline symptoms were linked with lower pre-session positive affect.

Methodology

  • Sixty-nine adult outpatients with schizophrenia completed pre/post PANAS at session 12.
  • 69 participants.
  • Treadmill walking/running.
  • Work intervals: 4 minutes.
  • Recovery: 3 minutes active recovery.
  • Intensity: 85%-95% HRmax work, 70% HRmax recovery.
  • About 42 minutes.
  • 2 sessions/week.
  • 12 weeks.
  • Randomized observer-blinded parallel-group controlled trial analysis
  • Positive affect, Negative affect, and Symptoms were tracked.

Outcomes

Positive affect

HIIT increased positive affect within group, but not significantly more than active control.

Between-group B=1.53, 95% CI -0.90 to 3.96, p=.221; HIIT within-group delta 3.17, p=.001.

Mixed

Negative affect

Active control reduced negative affect within group; HIIT did not significantly differ from control.

Between-group B=0.90, 95% CI -0.94 to 2.75, p=.342; ACC within-group delta -2.09, p=.002; HIIT p=.090.

Mixed

Symptoms

Higher apathy, depressive symptoms, and negative symptoms were associated with lower pre-session positive affect; exploratory moderation suggested greater HIIT positive-affect gains with higher negative symptoms.

AES B=-0.53 p<.001; CDSS B=-0.85 p<.001; PANSS-Negative B=-0.50 p=.002; Group x Time x PANSS-Negative B=0.38, p=.040 unadjusted.

Mixed

Insights

  • Immediate affect improvements after HIIT may not exceed those from structured, socially engaging low-intensity activity.
  • Affective check-ins before and after sessions may be useful, especially in populations with motivational symptoms.

Limitations

  • Self-report PANAS only.
  • Immediate single-session affect analysis at the midpoint of a longer program.
  • RPE and cardiovascular response were not assessed in this affect analysis.
  • Stable outpatient schizophrenia sample limits generalizability.
  • Higher-order moderation analyses were exploratory and underpowered.

Safety

  • Staff were present to ensure safety and engagement; no adverse event details were reported in this affect paper.