Tai Chi Versus Conventional Exercise to Improve Cognitive Performance in Older Adults With Mild Cognitive Impairment

The University of Hong Kong (HKU)

Status: Enrolling

Conditions: Mild Cognitive Impairment

Treatments: Behavioral: Conventional Exercise; Behavioral: Tai Chi; Behavioral: Health Education

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT05540613

TC_MCI_RCT

Details and patient eligibility

About

This randomized controlled trial aims to evaluate the effectiveness of Tai Chi and conventional exercise on improving cognitive function in older adults with mild cognitive impairment (MCI). Participants will be randomized into three six-month programmes, namely Health Education group, Tai Chi group and Conventional Exercise group. Assessments will be conducted at baseline, after the 26-week interventions, and 26-week after the competition of the intervention.

Enrollment: 315 estimated patients

Sex: All

Ages: 50+ years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Chinese older adults aged equal or larger than 50 years

• Ethnic Chinese

• MCI under criteria of Mayo Clinic, including the following

  i. people with subjective complaint about a decline in cognitive function. ii. total score in the Montreal Cognitive Assessment is equal or below the 7th percentile of the age- and education- corrected normative data of Hong Kong. iii. the decline in cognitive function does not impair daily functioning, as revealed by getting ≥2 marks in every item on the Chinese Lawton Instrumental Activities of Daily Living 4-point Scale).

Exclusion criteria

• medical history of major chronic diseases such as cancer, stroke, cerebro- and cardio-vascular diseases, and renal disease
• uncontrolled diabetes
• diagnosed with dementia or using anti-dementia medication
• diagnosed with psychiatric diseases or using psychiatric medication
• with diseases or on medications known to severely affect cognitive performance
• somatic condition (e.g., limb lost) that prevent participation in exercise
• impaired mobility by chronic diseases (e.g., neurological, musculoskeletal and autoimmune diseases)
• incapable to perform physical exercise
• regular exercise habit (>3 times 60-min Tai Chi or moderate-intensity conventional exercise weekly) in the past 3 months

Trial design

Primary purpose: Treatment

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: Single Blind

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315 participants in 3 patient groups

Health Education

Sham Comparator group

Description:

A 26 weeks brain health and general health education program with two 1.5-hour sessions weekly.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Health Education

Conventional Exercise

Active Comparator group

Description:

A 26 weeks Conventional Exercise training with two 1.5-hour sessions weekly.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Conventional Exercise

Tai Chi

Experimental group

Description:

A 26 weeks Tai Chi training with two 1.5-hour sessions weekly.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Tai Chi