Tai Chi Chuan and Baduanjin Mind-Body Training Changes Resting-State Low-Frequency Fluctuations in the Frontal Lobe of Older Adults: A Resting-State fMRI Study

Abstract

Age-related cognitive decline is a significant public health concern. Recently, non-pharmacological methods, such as physical activity and mental training practices, have emerged as promising low-cost methods to slow the progression of age-related memory decline. In this study, we investigated if Tai Chi Chuan (TCC) and Baduanjin modulated the fractional amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations (fALFF) in different frequency bands (low-frequency: 0.01–0.08 Hz; slow-5: 0.01–0.027 Hz; slow-4: 0.027–0.073 Hz) and improved memory function. Older adults were recruited for the randomized study. Participants in the TCC and Baduanjin groups received 12 weeks of training (1 h/day for 5 days/week). Participants in the control group received basic health education. Each subject participated in memory tests and fMRI scans at the beginning and end of the experiment. We found that compared to the control group: (1) TCC and Baduanjin groups demonstrated significant improvements in memory function; (2) TCC increased fALFF in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) in the slow-5 and low-frequency bands; and (3) Baduanjin increased fALFF in the medial PFC in the slow-5 and low-frequency bands. This increase was positively associated with memory function improvement in the slow-5 and low-frequency bands across the TCC and Baduanjin groups. Our results suggest that TCC and Baduanjin may work through different brain mechanisms to prevent memory decline due to aging.

Altered hypothalamus functional connectivity with limbic system in fibromyalgia and the modulation effect of intervention

“…Our findings of clinical improvement after 12-weeks of Tai Chi exercise are consistent with a previous study demonstrating the positive effects of Tai Chi [29] and exercise [15] in fibromyalgia patients. In addition, our results are consistent with previous brain imaging studies, which demonstrated a significant modulation effect of Tai Chi on brain function and structure in healthy human subjects [49][50][51][52][53][54][55][56] and chronic pain patients [57,58] . Nevertheless, the lack of a control condition has significantly limited our ability to identify the precise mechanism behind Tai Chi's therapeutic effects.…”

Modulatory effects of different exercise modalities on the functional connectivity of the periaqueductal grey and ventral tegmental area in patients with knee osteoarthritis: a randomised multimodal magnetic resonance imaging study

“…Baduanjin is a much simpler mindebody exercise and may be easier for older adults, allowing them to pay more attention to breathing and controlling their movements. 70 The thalamus is the gateway to the cerebral cortex, and recent research suggests that it may play a role in maintaining attentional control. 71 We speculate that the increased PAG rsFC with the thalamus in the Baduanjin group may reflect increased attentional control regulation in pain modulation compared with the Tai Chi group.…”

The Effect of Exercise Training on Brain Structure and Function in Older Adults: A Systematic Review Based on Evidence from Randomized Control Trials

“…Nine of the 13 studies (69%) reported that older adults were assigned to a moderate frequency (three to four times weekly) intervention [38,[49][50][51][52][53][54][55][56], three studies (23%) reported older adults were assigned to a high frequency (five to seven times weekly) intervention [57][58][59], and one study (8%) reported older adults were assigned to a low frequency (one to two times weekly) intervention [45].…”

“…Of the included studies in the review, five studies (46%) used vigorous intensity exercise training [38,50,[54][55][56], three studies (15%) used moderate intensity [45,49,53], and one study (8%) used moderate-to-vigorous intensity [52]. Four studies (31%) did not report the intensity of exercise training [51,[57][58][59].…”

“…Seven studies (50%) indicated that the exercise intervention occurred for a short-term length of time ( 12 weeks) [38,49,52,[56][57][58][59], three studies (25%) indicated a mid-term length of time (13-24 weeks) [45,50,51], three studies (25%) indicated a long-term length of time (25-48 weeks) [53][54][55], and none of the included studies employed a very long-term length of time (> 48 weeks).…”