[Sport and physical exercise in unipolar depression : Prevention, therapy, and neurobiological mechanisms of action].

There is increasing consensus on the relevance of exercise interventions for the treatment and prevention of unipolar depression. The present review article aims to provide a practitioner-friendly overview of recent insights into the underlying neurobiological mechanisms of exercise interventions in depression in order to enhance their dissemination and acceptance. Exercise has proven antidepressive efficacy in major depressive disorders. Furthermore, it has demonstrated a protective effect on the development of depressive symptoms. Neurobiological research has shown that exercise increases the volume of gray matter in the brain, improves the microstructure of white matter and leads to a higher functional connectivity in brain regions implicated in major depressive disorders. On a molecular level, preliminary findings indicate that exercise has anti-inflammatory, neuroplastic and antioxidative effects, which could represent the basis for the effects observed on a brain structural and functional level. Exercise interventions should be recommended as an adjunct therapy for all patients with major depressive disorder.