Did Tai Chi improve cognition differently from conventional exercise?

Details

Previous studies have shown that Tai Chi and conventional exercise can change the brain through distinct mechanisms, producing different brain adaptations. The researchers therefore speculated that the two forms of exercise might also differ in their effects on cognition.

They conducted a parallel-group, assessor-blinded pilot randomized controlled trial comparing the exercises in older people with mild cognitive impairment (MCI). A total of 34 adults aged 50 or older with MCI were randomized in a 1:1:1 ratio to Tai Chi (TC; n = 10; three 60-minute sessions of Yang-style Tai Chi per week for 24 weeks), conventional exercise (EX; n = 12; three 60-minute fitness-training sessions per week for 24 weeks), or a control group (CON; n = 12; no intervention). Global cognition, assessed using the Hong Kong version of the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA-HK), and performance in various cognitive domains were examined at baseline and at 12 and 24 weeks.

Both exercise groups improved in MoCA-HK global cognition compared with the control group at 12 and 24 weeks (all P < 0.001). At week 12, only the Tai Chi group achieved a clinically relevant improvement in global cognition. By the end of the interventions at week 24, both exercise groups had achieved clinically relevant improvements.

Compared with conventional exercise, Tai Chi produced greater improvements in MoCA-HK global cognition at 12 weeks (P < 0.001) and in cognitive flexibility, measured by the Trail Making Test part B/A ratio score, throughout the study (all P < 0.05). The two interventions were equally effective in improving the other cognitive domains examined.

The authors said further studies are needed to substantiate whether Tai Chi has superior long-term benefits for global cognition compared with conventional exercise, and to investigate the mechanisms through which both exercises improve cognitive domains and the corresponding brain adaptations. The trial was registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT04248400, first registered on 30 January 2020.