Tai Chi Improves Brain Metabolism and Muscle Energetics in Older Adults

Abstract

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSETai Chi is a mind‐body exercise that has been shown to improve both mental and physical health. As a result, recent literature suggests the use of Tai Chi to treat both physical and psychological disorders. However, the underlying physiological changes have not been characterized. The aim of this pilot study is to assess the changes in brain metabolites and muscle energetics after Tai Chi training in an aging population using a combined brain‐muscle magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) examination.METHODSSix healthy older adults were prospectively recruited and enrolled into a 12‐week Tai Chi program. A brain 1H MRS and a muscle 31P MRS were scanned before and after the training, and postprocessed to measure N‐acetylaspartate to creatine (NAA/Cr) ratios and phosphocreatine (PCr) recovery time. Wilcoxon‐signed rank tests were utilized to assess the differences between pre‐ and post‐Tai Chi training.RESULTSA significant within‐subject increase in both the NAA/Cr ratios (P = .046) and the PCr recovery time (P = .046) was observed between the baseline and the posttraining scans. The median percentage changes were 5.38% and 16.51% for NAA/Cr and PCr recovery time, respectively.CONCLUSIONSOur pilot study demonstrates significant increase of NAA/Cr ratios in posterior cingulate gyrus and significantly improved PCr recovery time in leg muscles in older adults following short‐term Tai Chi training, and thus provides insight into the beneficial mechanisms.

Tai Chi for Chronic Illness Management: Synthesizing Current Evidence from Meta-Analyses of Randomized Controlled Trials

“…51,52 With the development of imaging techniques, studies have begun to explore the effects of Tai Chi on brain structure and functioning. 13,[53][54][55] Tai Chi has increasingly been used for stroke rehabilitation. 56 Yet, the duration of Tai Chi intervention was short (20.8% were six months or longer) in most studies with no long-term follow-up.…”

Effects of Tai Chi Chuan on Inhibitory Control in Elderly Women: An fNIRS Study

“…The practice of TCC requires the integration of mental concentration and breathing control into physical motions to achieve a harmonious balance between body and mind (Lan et al, 2004(Lan et al, , 2013. This combination produces psychological benefits, including improvements in attentiveness and reductions in stress and anxiety (Zhou et al, 2018). Moreover, TCC involves visual information processing that occurs simultaneously with the physical movements.…”

Regular Tai Chi Practice Is Associated with Improved Memory as well as Structural and Functional Integrity of the Hippocampal Formation in the Elderly

“…Future cross-sectional and longitudinal research should also consider to account for a number of moderating factors (e.g., fitness level in cardiorespiratory, muscular and motor dimension, frequency, intensity and duration of relevant activities, whether activities are performed alone or with friends, etc.) and to evaluate additional neurobiological mechanisms (e.g., brain metabolism, muscle energetics, reduced oxidative stress, reduced psychological stress) through which Tai Chi may influence cognitive performance (Cheung et al, 2018; Gatts, 2008; Goon et al, 2009; Guo et al, 2014; Zhou et al, 2018).…”