Long-term Tai Chi Training Is Associated With Better Dual-task Postural Control and Cognition in Aging Adults.
Year: 2018
Type: article
Abstract: OBJECTIVE: Many activities within our daily lives require us to stand upright while concurrently performing a cognitive task (ie, dual tasking). The "costs" of dual tasking can present as a detriment to either task, or even both. Evidence supports that tai chi (TC), a mind-body exercise, improves both postural control and cognition. The purpose of this study was to (1) determine whether long-term TC training reduces dual-task costs to standing postural control, and (2) determine whether it characterizes the relationship between these costs and cognition in aging adults with and without long-term TC training. METHODS: Twenty-six TC experts (age 63 ± 8 y, TC experience 24 ± 11 y) and 60 controls (TC naïve: age 64 ± 8 y) were studied. Center-of-pressure sway speed and elliptical area were recorded during quiet and dual-task standing. In addition, postural sway speed and range were analyzed in the anterior-posterior and medial-lateral direction. Dual-task cost was calculated as the percent change in center-of-pressure outcomes from quiet to dual-task conditions. Cognition was assessed with the digit span (verbal memory), trail making test (working memory and task switching ability), category naming (semantic verbal fluency), and F-A-S test (phonemic verbal fluency). RESULTS: TC experts had significantly lower dual-task costs to postural control in elliptical area (16.1 vs 110.4%, 95% confidence interval [CI], -94.27 to -0.07) compared with TC-naïves. TC experts also performed better on the digit span (23.5 vs 19.2; 95% CI, 0.68 to 3.59), trail making test A (28.5 vs 32.6 s; 95% CI, -3.83 to -0.21), and category naming (46.2 vs 41.3, 95%, CI 0.80 to 4.09), compared with TC naïves. There was not a clear significant association between better cognitive functioning and lower dual-task costs for either groups. These group differences and associations were independent of age, body mass index, education, and physical activity level. CONCLUSIONS: These observations suggest cognitive-motor benefits from TC and the need for future controlled trials.
Source: PubMed
Language: English
Field: Health Professions
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: green
Awards: Tai chi, physiologic complexity, and healthy aging, Modulating brain activity to preserve gait in older adults., Mentoring and research in mind-body and integrative therapies, Harvard Clinical and Translational Science Center (UL1), Training Program in Cardiovascular Research, Harvard Translational Research in Aging Training Program, Cerebrovascular Mechanisms of Slow Gait and Falls, Vascular mechanisms and tDCS treatment of gait and posture in aging and age-related disease, Harvard Clinical and Translational Science Center (UL1)
OpenAlex ID: W2992311375