• Special Issue Topic

    Empower Yourself - Physical Activity as Prevention and Rehabilitation of Neurological and Psychiatric Diseases

    Submission Deadline: September 30, 2023

    Guest Editor

    Dr. Manuel Zeitelhofer E-Mail

    Division of Vascular Biology, Department for Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, Karolinska Institutet, 171 65 Solna, Sweden

    Research Keywords: multiple sclerosis; stroke; Tai Chi; exercise therapy; rehabilitation; neuroplasticity


    About the Special Issue

    Prescribing exercise as medicine is a cornerstone for the prevention and treatment of various chronic diseases such as metabolic, cardiovascular and pulmonary diseases, as well as neurological and psychiatric diseases.

    During the COVID-19 pandemics exercise as prevention and rehabilitation has been highlighted as an important measure to cope with the pandemics both physically and mentally. It has been shown that the risk for hospitalization and death due to COVID-19 increases more than 2-fold in physically inactive persons compared to persons performing at least 150 min/week moderate to vigorous physical activity. Moreover, mental health issues have increased worldwide with insomnia, anxiety and depression being very prevalent among the general population during the COVID-19 pandemics with twice as high prevalence as compared to non-pandemic periods. In fact, one-third of patients suffering from long COVID are still experiencing symptoms such as fatigue, post-exertional malaise, cognitive dysfunction, breathlessness and muscle and joint pain even after 1-year, which results in reduced quality of life. This has put exercise as medicine in the spotlight for treating psychiatric and neurological diseases more than ever.

    This special issue invites original articles, reviews, case reports, communications and opinions to highlight the tremendous need to foster exercise as medicine and as prevention for psychiatric and neurological diseases including the neurological and mental health consequences of long COVID.

    Keywords: mental health; long COVID; exercise as medicine; rehabilitation; prevention; neurological diseases

    Call for Papers

    Published Articles

    Open Access
    Systematic Review
    Effect of gardening physical activity on neuroplasticity and cognitive function
    Background: The beneficial effects of gardening as a form of physical activity have garnered growing interest in recent years. This research aimed to evaluate the effect of gardening as a physica [...] Read more.
    Antonio G. Lentoor
    Published: June 05, 2024 Explor Neuroprot Ther. 2024;4:251–272
    DOI: https://doi.org/10.37349/ent.2024.00081
    View:2020
    Download:60
    Open Access
    Review
    Therapeutic exercise in fibromyalgia syndrome: a narrative review
    Fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS) is characterised by the presence of distributed pain in different areas of the body accompanied by the alteration of some functions such as the activity of the neuroveget [...] Read more.
    Carlos Forner-Álvarez ... Núria Sempere-Rubio
    Published: February 20, 2024 Explor Neuroprot Ther. 2024;4:1–10
    DOI: https://doi.org/10.37349/ent.2024.00067
    View:1280
    Download:40
    Times Cited: 0