Resistance Training Improves Cognitive Function and Depression Without Changing BDNF Levels in People Living with...

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Exercise Physiology
• Public Health

Background:

• Antiretroviral Therapy (ART) has increased life expectancy for people with Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), leading to a rise in age-related comorbidities.
• Cognitive impairment and depression are significant mental health challenges increasingly observed in the aging HIV population.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the impact of an eight-week resistance training (RT) program on cognitive function and depression in individuals with HIV.
• To assess changes in plasma Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF) levels following RT.

Main Methods:

• A randomized controlled trial involving 20 participants (12 male, 8 female) with HIV, divided into a Control Group (CG, n=9) and a Training Group (TG, n=11).
• Intervention involved an eight-week RT program for the TG.
• Cognitive function (Stroop Test), depression status (Beck Depression Inventory - BDI), and plasma BDNF levels were measured pre- and post-intervention.

Main Results:

• Resistance training led to significant improvements in cognitive domains for the TG.
• The TG demonstrated a significant reduction in depression symptoms compared to the CG (ΔCG: 1.56 ± 2.46; ΔTG -3.18 ± 1.66, P < 0.001).
• No significant changes in plasma BDNF levels were observed in either group post-intervention (P > 0.05).

Conclusions:

• Eight weeks of resistance training is an effective non-pharmacological strategy for enhancing cognitive function and alleviating depression in people living with HIV.
• RT improves mental health outcomes in this population without altering circulating BDNF levels.
• This study highlights the potential of exercise interventions in managing comorbidities in the long-term HIV care (ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT03879993).