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Stenlund T.1, Slunga Järvholm L.2, Malmberg Gavelin H.3, Stigsdotter Neely A.4, Boraxbekk C.-J.5,6
1Umeå University, Community Medicine and Rehabilitation, Physiotherapy, Umeå, Sweden, 2Umeå University, Public Health and Clinical Medicine, Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Umeå, Sweden, 3Umeå University, Psychology, Umeå, Sweden, 4Karlstad University, Social and Psychological Studies, Karlstad, Sweden, 5Copenhagen University at Amager Hvidovre Hospital, Danish Research Centre for Magnetic Resonance, Centre for Functional and Diagnostic Imaging and Research, Copenhagen, Denmark, 6Umeå University, Center for Demographic and Aging Research (CEDAR); Umeå Centre for Functional Brain Imaging, Umeå, Sweden
Background: Cognitive impairments and mental symptoms are common in persons with exhaustion disorder. Aerobic exercise interventions have earlier been shown to increase executive function performance and to reduce symptoms of burnout, depression and perceived stress in male participants with occupational burnout. However, the effects of aerobic exercise in a clinical population of persons on sick-leave because of exhaustion disorder are still unknown.
Purpose: The aim was to investigate the effects on cognitive performance of an additional 12-week aerobic exercise program for persons with exhaustion disorder who participated in a multimodal rehabilitation program. A secondary aim was to study the effects on burnout, depression and anxiety.
Methods: In this randomized clinical study a total of 108 persons (92 women and 16 men) diagnosed with exhaustion disorder participated in a 24-week multimodal rehabilitation (group-based cognitive behavioural therapy, prescription of physical activity and vocational measures). After 12 weeks a randomization was performed to either continued multimodal rehabilitation (control group) or addition of aerobic exercise. The aerobic exercise program was performed as group indoor cycling at a moderate-vigorous intensity, three times each week in 12 weeks. Cognitive performance, psychological variables and aerobic capacity were assessed before and after the intervention period.
Results: A total of 56 persons completed the intervention period. Most drop-outs occurred in the aerobic exercise program (61%). A significant time by group interaction was found in aerobic capacity and episodic memory, where the aerobic exercise group significantly improved more compared to the control group. There were no significant differences between the groups in psychological variables.
Conclusion(s): This study showed that persons with exhaustion disorder taking part in a moderate-vigorous aerobic exercise program improved their episodic memory.
Implications: In order to improve cognitive performance, aerobic exercise could be an important component of the multimodal rehabilitation for persons with exhaustion disorder. The results also show that it is possible for this group to perform aerobic exercise at a moderate-vigorous intensity. The persons need support in the clinic by a physiotherapist for finding the appropriate and recommended level of physical activity and intensity.
Funding acknowledgements: This study was founded by the research program REHSAM and the Västerbotten County Council.
Topic: Disability & rehabilitation
Ethics approval: This study was approved by the Regional Ethic Review Board in Umeå, Sweden (Approval Nr. 2010-53-31).
All authors, affiliations and abstracts have been published as submitted.
