Abstract
ObjectiveThe current study aimed at comparing the effects of Tai Chi (a motor-cognitive exercise) with walking (an exercise without cognitive demands) on cognitive performance, brain structure, and brain function in the elderly.MethodsThis cross-sectional study included 42 healthy elderly women within two groups: Tai Chi (n = 20; mean age = 62.90 ± 2.38 years) and brisk walking exercise (n = 22; mean age = 63.27 ± 3.58 years). All the participants underwent a cognitive assessment via the Montreal Cognitive Assessment and brain structural and resting state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rsfMRI) assessments.ResultsEpisodic memory in the Tai Chi group was superior to that of the walking group. Higher gray matter density in the inferior and medial temporal regions (including the hippocampus) and higher ReHo in temporal regions (specifically the fusiform gyrus and hippocampus) were found in the Tai Chi group. Significant partial correlations were found between the gray matter density of the left hippocampus and episodic memory in the whole sample. Significant partial correlations were observed between the ReHo in left hippocampus, left parahippocampal, left fusiform, and delayed memory task, which was observed among all subjects.ConclusionThe present study suggests that long-term Tai Chi practice may improve memory performance via remodeling the structure and function of the hippocampus.
Highlights
In recent decades, the number of older individuals in societies has increased worldwide
Significant partial correlations were observed between the Regional Homogeneity (ReHo) in left hippocampus, left parahippocampal, left fusiform, and delayed memory task, which was observed among all subjects
The Voxel-Based Morphometry (VBM) analysis of the T1-weighted structural images showed that gray matter density in the left cerebellum and right inferior and left medial temporal lobe regions, including the left hippocampus and parahippocampal gyrus, was significantly higher in the Tai Chi group (TCG) group as compared to the walking group (WG) group (Table 3 and Figure 1)
Summary
The number of older individuals in societies has increased worldwide. In this population, subjective and objective cognitive decline are highly prevalent and both have been associated with an increased risk for developing dementia, in those over 65 years of age (Qiu and Fratiglioni, 2018). Age-related cognitive impairments are often pronounced in the domain of learning and memory, episodic memory that binds personal experience with the spatio-temporal environment (Tromp et al, 2015). As one of the most important cognitive components, episodic memory is associated with the recollection of personal experiences related to when and where an event takes place (Tulving, 1983), which is necessary for both work performance and daily life activity. Age-dependent episodic memory decline has been observed to be accompanied by volume reduction in the medial temporal and, to a lesser extent, frontal brain regions (Van Petten et al, 2004; Persson et al, 2006; Rajah et al, 2010)
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