Relationship Between Physical Fitness and Psychopathology, Cognition and Quality of Life in Patients Diagnosed With Schizophrenia: a Mixed Method Study.
The goal of this observational study is to assess the physical fitness and the influence of possible factors (disease symptomatology, cognitive status, patient functioning and degree of perceived quality of life) on patients diagnosed with schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorder older than 18 years in an outpatient setting. The main question it aims to answer is:
Do the symptoms of the illness influence the level of physical fitness of patients?
Participants will complete a series of questionnaires assessing their cognitive status, perceived quality of life and disease severity, and physical activity assessments to measure their cardiovascular endurance and muscular power.
Eligibility
Sex
ALL
Min age
18 Years
Max age
—
Healthy volunteers
No
Inclusion Criteria:
1. be over 18 years of age diagnosed with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder by a specialist physician.
2. be able to understand their involvement in the study when provided with the relevant information.
3. clinically stable, without behavioral disorganization that prevents participation in project activities and without suicidal ideation or suicide risk.
4. if they are under pharmacological treatment, they must be stable in the type of drug and its dosage and posology for at least 4 weeks.
Exclusion Criteria:
1. presenting pathologies that suppose a contraindication for the practice of supervised physical exercise (neurological diseases that suppose a cognitive deterioration such as to hinder the execution of tasks, musculoskeletal diseases that hinder stability and gait, or cardiovascular or metabolic diseases that suppose a risk for the individual).
2. being pregnant or in the puerperium period.
3. presenting in the last 3 months a moderate to severe comorbid substance abuse disorder that makes safe participation in the study impossible.
4. have been hospitalized for psychiatric or organic reasons in the 3 months prior to inclusion in the project.
Primary outcome measure(s)
The Modified Shuttle Walk Test (MSWT) — At baseline and after 3 months follow-up. requires the patient to walk/run a 10m course (delimited 0.5m from each end by a cone) at a speed that increases 0.6 km/h every minute. The start of the race is marked by a triple beep and each lap is indicated by a single beep. At the conclusion of each level, patients were instructed to increase their speed slightly and reminded that they were free to accelerate at any time during the test. The trial concluded under the following conditions: (1) the participant became too breathless to sustain the prescribed pace, (2) the participant deviated more than 0.5 m from the cone upon the beep, (3) the participant attained a heart rate exceeding 85% of their age-predicted maximum, or (4) in case the patient reported symptoms such as chest pain, angina, dizziness, mental confusion, or severe muscular exhaustion. With the meters performed in the test, we will estimate the maximum oxygen consumption (VO2max), using the formula proposed by Tous-Espelosin et al. in 2021.
The 5 repetitions Sit to Stand Test (5R STS) — At baseline and after 3 months follow-up. Participants will be instructed to sit in an armless chair of standard height (48 cm) with a hard seat, placed firmly against a wall. They will be required to cross their arms over their chest and keep their feet flat on the floor, wearing stable footwear throughout the test. Participants will be asked to stand up and sit down, landing firmly on the seat, five times as quickly as possible on the command "go". If the patient performs the test in 30 seconds or more, this time will be noted, and the test score will be recorded as 30 seconds. Using the Powerfrail app, the examiner will record the test performance on video to time the five repetitions, in addition to calculating the muscle power in W/kg.
The handgrip strength — At baseline and after 3 months follow-up. will be measured with a dynamometer (Takei model) following a standardized methodology developed by the University of Southampton in 2011, based on the recommendations of the American Society of Hand Therapists (ASHT). The patient will be seated in a chair with legs, backrest and arms fixed, forearms on the arms of the chair and wrist in neutral position with the thumb up. The patient will perform a measurement first with the right hand, then with the left hand and then repeat the procedure 2 more times. The best of the six measurements will be used for statistical analysis.
This page summarises publicly available registry data for informational purposes — not medical advice. Eligibility is determined by each study team; patients should discuss participation with their clinician.
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