Impact of Short- and Long-term Tai Chi Mind-Body Exercise Training on Cognitive Function in Healthy Adults: Results From a Hybrid Observational Study and Randomized Trial.
BACKGROUND
Cognitive decline amongst older adults is a significant public health concern. There is growing interest in behavioral interventions, including exercise, for improving cognition. Studies to date suggest tai chi (TC) may be a safe and potentially effective exercise for preserving cognitive function with aging; however, its short-term and potential long-term impact on physically active, healthy adults is unclear.


OBJECTIVE
To compare differences in cognitive function among long-term TC expert practitioners and age-matched and gender-matched TC-naïve adults and to determine the effects of short-term TC training on measures of cognitive function in healthy, nonsedentary adults.


METHODS
A hybrid design including an observational comparison and a 2-arm randomized clinical trial (RCT).


METHODS
Healthy, nonsedentary, TC-naive adults (50 y-79 y) and age-matched and gender-matched long-term TC experts.


METHODS
A cross-sectional comparison of cognitive function in healthy TC-naïve (n=60) and TC expert (24.5 y ÷ 12 y experience; n=27) adults: TC-naïve adults then completed a 6-month, 2-arm, wait-list randomized clinical trial of TC training. Six measures of cognitive function were assessed for both cross-sectional and longitudinal comparisons.


RESULTS
TC experts exhibited trends towards better scores on all cognitive measures, significantly so for category fluency (P=.01), as well as a composite z score summarizing all 6 cognitive assessments (P=.03). In contrast, random assignment to 6 months of TC training in TC-naïve adults did not significantly improve any measures of cognitive function.


CONCLUSIONS
In healthy nonsedentary adults, long-term TC training may help preserve cognitive function; however, the effect of short-term TC training in healthy adults remains unclear.


BACKGROUND
ClinicalTrials.gov NCT01340365.
Osher Center for Integrative Medicine, Division of Preventive Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, United States (Ms Walsh).
Jacquelyn N
JN
Walsh
Harvard Medical School, Boston, United States (Dr Manor).
Brad
B
Manor
Movement Disorders Unit, Department of Neurology, Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, Tel Aviv, Israel (Dr Hausdorff).
Jeffrey
J
Hausdorff
Harvard Medical School, Boston, United States (Dr Novak).
Vera
V
Novak
Harvard Medical School, Boston, United States (Dr Lipsitz).
Lewis
L
Lipsitz
Osher Center for Integrative Medicine, Division of Preventive Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, United States (Mr Gow).
Brian
B
Gow
Harvard Medical School, Boston, United States (Dr Macklin).
Eric A
EA
Macklin
Harvard Medical School, Boston, United States (Dr Peng).
Chung-Kang
CK
Peng
Osher Center for Integrative Medicine, Division of Preventive Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, United States (Dr Wayne).
Peter M
PM
Wayne
Aging; cognitive function; dementia; tai chi