Tai Chi for Stroke Rehabilitation on Balance and Cognition (TCSR)

Chungnam National University

Status: Completed

Conditions: Stroke

Treatments: Behavioral: symptom management; Behavioral: Tai Chi exercise

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT02868840

ChungnamNU

Details and patient eligibility

About

Tai Chi, an ancient Chinese martial art, is a low intense aerobic exercise characterized by continuous movements that embrace the mind, body, and spirit. Tai Chi addresses the integration and balance of mind and body using the fundamental principles of slow, smooth, and continuous movement control, and the transfer of body weight while maintaining an upright and relaxed posture. The present randomized clinical trial project aims to apply the suggested principles as the typical features of Tai Chi applied stroke rehabilitation, and to evaluate the effects on physical (balance), psychological, and cognitive function.

Full description

Cerebrovascular disease is a major global concern. The individuals with stroke would suffer from disease associated symptoms which influence their functioning in everyday life. These symptom clusters were usually known to be sharing similar underlying mechanisms. It is clear that the development of effective stroke rehabilitation involves interdisciplinary team approach to manage physical, social, cognitive, and psychological functioning in this population.

Tai Chi, an ancient Chinese martial art, is a low intense aerobic exercise characterized by continuous movements that embrace the mind, body, and spirit. Tai Chi addresses the integration and balance of mind and body using the fundamental principles of slow, smooth, and continuous movement control, and the transfer of body weight while maintaining an upright and relaxed posture. The newly developed style of Tai Chi for health programs is the seated Tai Chi, which shares the common Tai Chi principles while being modified to adjust the movements for patients with limited mobility.

The present randomized clinical trial project aims to apply the suggested principles as the typical features of Tai Chi applied stroke rehabilitation, and to evaluate the effects on physical (balance), psychological, and cognitive function. Only a few studies ever addressed the feasibility of Tai Chi for stroke rehabilitation, and the relationship between cognition and balance in this population is still very early stage of investigation. The main purpose of our collaborating project is to explore the direct relationship between cognition and balance in stroke patients during their rehabilitation process.

Enrollment: 50 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 30 to 70 years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• diagnosed as stroke at least for 3 months upto 2 years
• eligible to participate rehabilitation therapy referred by primary physician

Exclusion criteria

• not able to understand questionnaires
• not able to stand alone for balance test

Trial design

Primary purpose: Supportive Care

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: Single Blind

---

50 participants in 2 patient groups

Tai Chi group

Experimental group

Description:

Tai Chi exercise, twice a week, one hour per session. participated in Tai Chi either while seated or standing upon their comfort level.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Tai Chi exercise

Symptom management group

Active Comparator group

Description:

manage stroke symptom through phone and text message along with other rehabilitation therapy.

Treatment:

Behavioral: symptom management