只需進行一次半小時的中等強度運動，就足以立即改善情緒，現在科學家已經弄清楚了其中的原因。
在小鼠（很可能也包括人類）身上，這種情緒提升源自於一種名為脂聯素的荷爾蒙的釋放。脂聯素進入大腦，活化與情緒調節相關的區域。結果是情緒得到改善，這種改善效果可以持續數小時，儘管在人類身上持續時間尚未測量。
這其中蘊含著一些非常驚人的意義。對於能夠運動的人來說，即使只運動一次，也能立即緩解焦慮或憂鬱症狀。
同樣的機制可能會啟發人們研發出一類新的、快速的抗憂鬱藥物，其起效速度比SSRI等傳統療法快得多。
香港理工大學神經生物學家邱淑瑜 告訴 Psypost： “能夠快速起效、療效持久且副作用最小的抗憂鬱藥物仍然很少見。”
"This study provides clinical evidence for the effectiveness of a single session of exercise in alleviating depressive symptoms."
Ongoing physical activity is widely recognized as a means of both treating and preventing mild to moderate depression. However, not much is known about the effects of a single bout of moderate exercise – a nice jog, for example.
Emerging evidence seems to suggest that bursts of exercise have a positive effect on individuals with depression; Yau and her colleagues wanted to quantify that effect and identify the reason behind it.
They recruited 40 adult humans between the ages of 18 and 40, and a few dozen mice across multiple experimental groups, and got them to work exercising.
The humans were the easy part. Each participant filled out a Profile of Mood States survey to assess their mood. Then, they ran on a treadmill for 30 minutes while wearing a heart rate monitor. After exercising, they immediately retook the survey.
Participants both with and without symptoms of anxiety and depression demonstrated a significant mood lift, with symptomatic participants reporting lower anger, confusion, fatigue, depression, and anxiety overall. Meanwhile, esteem and vigor rose across all participants.
To figure out why, the researchers turned to the mice. This is where it becomes unpleasant. To induce depression-like symptoms, some of the animals were put through several weeks of a protocol called chronic unpredictable stress.
This means the mice are subjected to prolonged exposure to a variety of inconsistent and unpredictable stressors, such as wet bedding, restraint, a tilted cage, or holding a mouse's foot to an electrified pad for five minutes.
It results in reductions in grooming behavior, exploration, and curiosity, and an increase in immobility when put through physical tests, similar to symptoms of depression in humans.
Some mice were not subjected to this protocol to serve as the control group.
Then, the mice were given a similar burst of moderate exercise on a treadmill, and their behavior was assessed. It worked: both stressed and unstressed mice showed behaviors associated with an elevated mood, including grooming and increased mobility, and spent a longer time attempting to swim when placed in water.
These effects were measured at 2 hours post-exercise, and persisted for at least 24 hours; by 48 hours, the effects had subsided.
To figure out why, the researchers euthanized freshly exercised mice and studied them. They found higher levels of a hormone called adiponectin in both the blood and the medial prefrontal cortex of the mice after exercise, a region of the brain that includes the anterior cingulate cortex, a crucial region for emotion regulation.
腦部影像和映射顯示，脂聯素可以活化某些神經元中的一種名為AdipoR1的受體；敲除另一組小鼠中這些神經元中的該受體，即可消除與正向情緒提升相關的行為。
進一步研究發現，AdipoR1 活化了一種名為APPL1的蛋白質，該蛋白質進入神經元的細胞核，引發一系列分子變化，有助於建構或加強突觸。
這些神經元也形成了新的 樹突棘 ——當APPL1被阻斷時，這種效應消失了——這表明它們也參與了運動提升情緒的作用。 氯胺酮也能觸發類似的樹突去抑制，或許能為我們揭示其作用機制提供一些線索。
然而，關鍵似乎在於 AdipoR1 的激活——它就像一個開關，開啟了運動後的極樂狀態。
這表明存在一個強有力的治療幹預標靶；事實上，科學家一直在研究合成脂聯素受體激動劑AdipoRon 作為憂鬱症治療藥物的潛力，儘管它尚未在人體上進行測試。
儘管如此，該研究確實顯示了運動可以改善情緒的明確機制，表明運動可能是一種有效的治療方案，適用於那些難以找到合適藥物的人。
「最終，我們的目標是製定以人群為基礎的指導方針，提供最佳的單次運動處方以改善情緒，從而成為預防憂鬱症發生的有效策略，」Yau說。
這項研究成果已發表在《分子精神醫學》期刊。
You must be logged in to post a comment.