The synopsis of our Cochrane review of exercise for depression described the key results, the summary estimates of standardized mean differences, of the larger review. These results underwent rigorous peer review prior to publication in the Cochrane Library. We are confident about the validity and interpretation of the overall effect size, which was moderate and equivalent to a difference in the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) of about 5 points between exercise and control. The forest plot in the JAMA Clinical Evidence Synopsis was produced for that article and included only those trials that reported BDI scores at the end of treatment. These trials were a subset of the trials used to reach conclusions regarding effect size in the larger review. Citing the rate of positive results from this subgroup of trials therefore gives an incomplete interpretation of available data.
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