Styled Table

Table 1
Basic characteristics of the literature included in the study.

Inclusion in the literature
Number of included studies/ sample size
Type of included study
Intervention
Outcomes
Methodological quality assessment tools
Conclusion

Experimental group
Control group

Ahn & Kim (2023)
21/1,916
RCT
Aerobic, resistance, multicomponent, and neuromotor exercises
No treatment, usual treatment, usual care, health education and stretching
①
Cochrane Collaboration RoB
The effect of exercise therapy on reducing cognitive function in elderly patients with mild cognitive impairment.

Biazus-Sehn et al. (2020)
18/1,473
RCT
Sport
No treatment
①②③④⑤
Cochrane Collaboration RoB
Physical exercise improves cognitive deficits in older patients with mild cognitive impairment.

Gómez-Soria et al. (2022)
8/592
RCT
MNPI
Passive (no intervention) or active control
②
PEDro
Multicomponent non-pharmacological intervention (MNPI) improves overall cognitive performance in elderly MCI patients.

Law et al. (2020)
35/2,079
RCT
Physical exercise
No intervention/placebo
②
PEDro
Physical activity may reduce overall cognitive decline and behavioral problems in people with mild cognitive impairment or dementia.

Pisani et al. (2021)
17/1,224
RCT
Physical exercise
No
①②
PEDro
Physical activity improved the cognitive abilities of MCI patients.

Song et al. (2018)
7/620
RCT
Physical exercise
All types of controls
①②③
EPHPP
Physical exercise, especially aerobic exercise, is beneficial to the overall cognitive ability of MCI patients.

Song et al. (2022)
7/854
RCT
Traditional Chinese Medicine (Tai Chi, Baduan Brocade and Qigong)
All types of controls
②③
Cochrane Collaboration RoB
Tai Chi Promising as Alternative Mind-Body Intervention for MCI Rehabilitation in Elderly Patients.

Yu et al. (2021)
10/709
RCT
Baduan Brocade/Baduan Brocade + conventional treatment
Conventional treatment
③
Cochrane Collaboration RoB
Compared to conventional treatment, Baduanjin plus conventional treatment significantly improved cognitive and memory function in patients with mild cognitive impairment.

Yuan, Li & Liu (2022)
12/820
RCT
Dance activity, dance practice or dance therapy
Unlimited/any type
②③
Cochrane Collaboration RoB
Dance activities significantly improve overall cognition, memory, visuospatial function, cognitive flexibility, attention and balance in older patients with mild cognitive impairment.

Zhang et al. (2019)
4/737
RCT
Chinese traditional sports
Do not receive any intervention, routine care or other sports that are different from traditional Chinese sports
②
PEDro
Traditional Chinese exercise is associated with significant improvements in visuospatial function, but does not affect specific cognitive domains.

Zhang et al. (2020)
5/182
RCT
Any form and intensity of external resistance training
Lifestyle routines without any movement, balance and tone exercises, and sham training similar to resistance training
①②③
Cochrane Collaboration RoB
Resistance training can improve general cognitive function and can be used to slow cognitive decline in MCI patients.

Zhou et al. (2020)
8/428
RCT
Exercise intervention (aerobic, resistance or multi-component exercise)
Sham exercise (such as stretching), placebo or no treatment or health education
①②③
Cochrane Collaboration RoB, PEDro
Exercise intervention significantly improved overall cognitive function.

Zhou & Li (2022)
7/430
RCT
Exercise interventions are not limited to exercise type, intensity, or duration
Other control interventions
②
Cochrane Collaboration RoB
Exercise training has a positive effect on cognitive function in patients with mild cognitive impairment.

Zhu et al. (2020)
3/524
RCT
Aerobic dance
Health education and/or exercise, not aerobic dance training
①②
Cochrane Collaboration RoB
Aerobic dance significantly improves overall cognitive function in older adults with mild cognitive impairment.

Zou et al. (2019)
9/1,105
RCT
Mind-body movement
Positive (such as educational programs, memory training, physical exercise) or passive comparisons (such as waiting lists or unchanged lifestyles)
②③
PEDro
Physical and mental exercise has the potential to improve various cognitive functions in patients with mild cognitive impairment.

Han et al. (2023)
18/1,700
RCT
Exercise interventions are not limited to exercise type, intensity, or duration
Controls could be exercises of stretching, activities of health education, routine care, daily lifestyle, and social recreation.
②③
Cochrane Collaboration RoB
Exercise training has a positive effect on cognitive function in patients with mild cognitive impairment.

Lin, Chen & Cheng (2023)
14/560
RCT
Exercise interventions are not limited to exercise type, intensity, or duration
Participants in the control group either continued with their regular physical activities or engaged in sham exercises, such as stretching and balance activities.
②③
Cochrane Collaboration RoB
Walking has no significant benefit on cognitive function in individuals with mild cognitive impairment.

Cai et al. (2023)
27/2,526
RCT
physical and mental exercises such as taijiquan, Ba Duan Jin, qigong, meditation, yoga, music and dance
conventional care, health education or blank
②③
Cochrane Collaboration RoB
Physical and mental exercises has a positive effect on cognitive function in patients with mild cognitive impairment.

Notes: RCT (randomized controlled trial), NRCT (non-randomized controlled trial); ① for ADAS-cog, ② for MMSE, ③ for MOCA, ④ for COR-SOG,⑤ for NCSE.