---
title: Enhancing Synaptic Plasticity and Cognition in Schizophrenia
nct_id: NCT01776112
overall_status: COMPLETED
phase: NA
sponsor: University Medical Center Goettingen
study_type: INTERVENTIONAL
primary_condition: Schizophrenia
countries: Germany
canonical_url: "https://parkinsonspathways.com/agent/trials/NCT01776112.md"
clinicaltrials_gov: "https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT01776112"
ct_last_update_post_date: 2015-05-27
last_seen_at: "2026-05-12T07:16:05.485Z"
source: ClinicalTrials.gov (mirrored, no enrichment)
---
# Enhancing Synaptic Plasticity and Cognition in Schizophrenia

**Official Title:** Enhancing Synaptic Plasticity and Cognition by Physical Exercise and Cognitive Training in Schizophrenia: A Randomised Controlled Trial

**NCT ID:** [NCT01776112](https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT01776112)

## Key Facts

- **Status:** COMPLETED
- **Phase:** NA
- **Study Type:** INTERVENTIONAL
- **Target Enrollment:** 66
- **Lead Sponsor:** University Medical Center Goettingen
- **Conditions:** Schizophrenia
- **Start Date:** 2011-01
- **Completion Date:** 2014-08
- **CT.gov Last Update:** 2015-05-27

## Brief Summary

To explore: (a) if physical exercise (sports) combined with cognitive training leads to (superior) improvement of cognition in schizophrenia compared to sports or cognitive training alone (b) if a sports program alone or in combination with cognitive training has influence on hippocampal pathology and synaptic plasticity in schizophrenia compared to a placebo condition.

## Eligibility

- **Minimum age:** 18 Years
- **Maximum age:** 55 Years
- **Sex:** ALL
- **Healthy Volunteers:** Yes

```
Inclusion Criteria:

* Male and female patients with the diagnosis of schizophrenia (based on ICD-10 criteria)
* Age between 18 and 55
* Verbal IQ ≥ 85
* Stable psychopathology on constant medication for 2 weeks
* Informed consent.

Exclusion Criteria:

Patients, who are

* not willing or able to participate in the sports program and cognitive training
* reveal a significant worsening of psychopathology (based on an increase over 20% of the PANSS positive score)
* have an organic mental disorder (such as intoxication or neurological disorders of the CNS)
* suffer from instable somatic diseases
* have an active substance abuse
```

## Arms

- **SZ-Exercise** (EXPERIMENTAL) — Standard treatment and participation in the sports program (cycling) including cognitive training, 3 sessions cycling (30 min. each) per week for 3 months and 2 sessions Cogpack per week for the last 6 weeks.
- **SZ-TableSoccer** (PLACEBO_COMPARATOR) — Standard treatment and participation in an activity without physical improvement as placebo condition (table soccer in groups of 4), but including cognitive training, 3 sessions (30 min. each) per week for 3 months and 2 sessions Cogpack per week for the last 6 weeks.
- **HC-Exercise** (EXPERIMENTAL) — Standard treatment and participation in an activity without physical improvement as placebo condition (table football in groups of 4), but including cognitive training, 3 sessions (30 min. each) per week for 3 months and 2 sessions Cogpack per week for the last 6 weeks.

## Interventions

- **Exercise** (OTHER) — Standard treatment and participation in the sports program (cycling) including cognitive training, 3 sessions cycling (30 min. each) per week for 3 months and 2 sessions Cogpack per week for the last 6 weeks.
- **TableSoccer** (OTHER) — Standard treatment and participation in an activity without physical improvement as placebo condition (table football in groups of 4), but including cognitive training, 3 sessions (30 min. each) per week for 3 months and 2 sessions Cogpack per week for the last 6 weeks.

## Primary Outcomes

- **Hippocampal volume** _(time frame: after three months of exercise)_ — Measurement of hippocampal volume before and after the exercise intervention, 3T-MRI MPRAGE-Sequence, manual and automated delineation of hippocampal borders

## Secondary Outcomes

- **Verbal Learning Memory** _(time frame: after three months of exercise)_
- **Positive and negative symptoms** _(time frame: after three months of exercise)_

## Locations (1)

- Dept. of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Medical Center Goettingen, Georg-August-University, Göttingen, Lower Saxony, Germany

## Recent Field Changes (last 30 days)

- `status.overallStatus` — added _(2026-05-12)_
- `status.primaryCompletionDate` — added _(2026-05-12)_
- `status.completionDate` — added _(2026-05-12)_
- `status.lastUpdatePostDate` — added _(2026-05-12)_
- `design.phases` — added _(2026-05-12)_
- `design.enrollmentCount` — added _(2026-05-12)_
- `eligibility.criteria` — added _(2026-05-12)_
- `eligibility.minAge` — added _(2026-05-12)_
- `eligibility.maxAge` — added _(2026-05-12)_
- `eligibility.sex` — added _(2026-05-12)_
- `outcomes.primary` — added _(2026-05-12)_
- `outcomes.secondary` — added _(2026-05-12)_
- `armsInterventions.arms` — added _(2026-05-12)_
- `armsInterventions.interventions` — added _(2026-05-12)_
- `sponsor.lead` — added _(2026-05-12)_
- `results.hasResults` — added _(2026-05-12)_
- `locations.dept. of psychiatry and psychotherapy, university medical center goettingen, georg-august-university|göttingen|lower saxony|germany` — added _(2026-05-12)_

---

*Canonical: https://parkinsonspathways.com/agent/trials/NCT01776112.md*  
*Source data (authoritative): https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT01776112*  
*This page is a raw mirror with no AI summary, no editorial enrichment, and no Parkinson's-specific filtering.*