I benefits of regular physical activity they are not only linked to the health of the cardiovascular system, but also extend to the central nervous system, improving the quality of life of patients with multiple sclerosis. This protective mechanism would be due to the positive influence that exercise has on the immune system. It is the result of a research conducted, on patients and animal models, by the Neurology department of the Irccs Neuromed of Pozzilli (Is) in collaboration with the Tor Vergata University, the Irccs San Raffaele and the Irccs Santa Lucia Foundation of Rome.
Published in ‘Neurobiology of Disease’, the study examined 235 patients with multiple sclerosis, analyzing their level of physical activity in the six months prior to diagnosis. “Based on their lifestyle – he says Luana Gilio, first signatory of the scientific work – we divided the patients into three groups: sedentary, those who habitually carried out moderate intensity activities and those who exercised assiduously. The results showed us a statistically significant difference between the three groups in terms of anxiety and depression levels ”.
In addition to clinical observation, the research authors also looked into the level of inflammation in the central nervous system in patients by measuring interleukin 2 levels. The same marker of inflammation was then also analyzed in the animal model of multiple sclerosis. “We have seen – he says Diego Centonze, head of the Neuromed Neurology Unit – that physical exercise is associated with a reduced expression of interleukin 2. In practical terms, physical activity would have an anti-inflammatory action on the central nervous system and a positive effect on mood ”.
“We know – continues Gilio – that neuroinflammation plays an important role in the development of disorders such as anxiety and depression. This study therefore provides an important message for prevention: practicing physical activity throughout our life translates into an advantage for health even when we are affected by a disease such as multiple sclerosis. Future research will aim at evaluating the effects of physical exercise when the disease has a long-term course ”.