Combining Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation With Tai Chi to Improve Dual-Task Gait Performance in Older Adults With Mild Cognitive Impairment: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Abstract

Introduction: Engaging in a secondary task while walking increases motor-cognitive interference and exacerbates fall risk in older adults with mild cognitive impairment (MCI). Previous studies have demonstrated that Tai Chi (TC) may improve cognitive function and dual-task gait performance. Intriguingly, with emerging studies also indicating the potential of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) in enhancing such motor-cognitive performance, whether combining tDCS with TC might be superior to TC alone is still unclear. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of combining tDCS with TC on dual-task gait in patients with MCI.Materials and Methods: Twenty patients with MCI were randomly assigned to receive either anodal or sham tDCS, both combined with TC, for 36 sessions over 12 weeks. Subjects received 40 min of TC training in each session. During the first 20 min, they simultaneously received either anodal or sham tDCS over the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. Outcome measures included dual-task gait performance and other cognitive functions.Results: There were significant interaction effects between groups on the cognitive dual task walking. Compared to sham, the anodal tDCS group demonstrated a greater improvement on cadence and dual task cost of speed.Conclusion: Combining tDCS with TC may offer additional benefits over TC alone in enhancing dual-task gait performance in patients with MCI.Clinical Trial Registration: [www.ClinicalTrials.gov], identifier [TCTR20201201007].

tDCS over the left prefrontal Cortex improves mental flexibility and inhibition in geriatric inpatients with symptoms of depression or anxiety: A pilot randomized controlled trial

“…Twenty eligible participants were included in the final sample ( n = 10 in each group), consistent with similar sample sizes of older adults with multi-session tDCS interventions in MCI and depression ( 54 , 56 ). Participant recruitment and data collection were stopped early because of the emergence of SARS-CoV-2.…”

“…The tDCS montage applied in this study (anode over the left DLPFC; cathode over the contralateral supraorbital region) was similar to a separate randomized control trial using tDCS in older adults with MCI ( 54 ). However, previous tDCS modelling highlighted the potential of deeper cortical and larger white matter network activation using an extracephalic return electrode ( 76 ), which in turn may alter the efficacy of tDCS and the obtained results.…”

“…Electrodes were placed in 5 cm × 7 cm (35 cm 2 ) electrode sponges and saturated with 10 ml 0.9% NaCl solution and secured to the scalp using a snuggly fitting hairnet. Using the 10:20 EEG system ( 53 ), the anode was placed over F3 (the left DLPFC) and the cathode over the contralateral (right) supraorbital region, in line with Liao and colleagues ( 54 ); refer to Figure 1 . A 1.5 mA current was applied for 20 min per session.…”

“…Differences between pre-test and post-test scores were calculated for all cognitive assessments. Analysis methods were based on a previous randomized control trial using multi-session tDCS using a similar sample size of older adults with MCI ( 54 ). A two-way mixed ANOVA was performed in SPSS (Version 27, IBM Corp. Armonk, NY) on change scores, with time as a within-subjects factor and treatment condition (anodal or sham) as a between-subject factor.…”

Effects of 12 weeks of Tai Chi Chuan intervention on the postural stability and self-reported instability in subjects with functional ankle instability: Study protocol for a randomized controlled trial

“…TCC is a medium-intensity form of physical and mental exercise that involves cognitive activities such as movement recall, task switching, concentration, and visuospatial processing that are carried out simultaneously with physical movements. Previous studies have reported that TCC training can improve brain executive function, language function, learning and memory ability, and cognitive processing speed ( 37 – 39 ). As TCC is a combination of cognitive and motor tasks, we firmly believe in our hypothesis that 12-week TCC intervention has a positive effect on postural stability and self-reported outcomes in patients with FAI, with a possible superiority over CBT.…”