Clinical trial NCT04690244: The Effect of Tai Chi Chuan in Older Adults
Official title: The Effect of Tai Chi Chuan on Cognitive and Motor Functions in Older Adults
Study type: INTERVENTIONAL
Overall status: COMPLETED
Phase: NA
Conditions: Healthy Aging
Motor Learning
Cognitive Function
Lead sponsor: Lithuanian Sports University
Sponsor class: OTHER
First posted: 2020-12-30
Enrollment: 30
Sex: ALL
Minimum age (years): 60
Maximum age (years): 80
Standard ages: ADULT
OLDER_ADULT
Accepts healthy volunteers: yes
Allocation: RANDOMIZED
Intervention model: PARALLEL
Primary purpose: TREATMENT

Brief summary: 30 healthy older participants were enrolled in the study and were randomly classified into two groups. In the experimental group (n = 15) participants received 10-week Tai Chi Chuan practice intervention, in the control group (n=15) participants were asked do not change their living habits in 10 weeks. All participants had no practice Tai Chi Chuan before.

Detailed description: All participants had to proceed with familiarization with cognitive function tests before all measurements and evaluation. Study protocol began in the early morning after overnight fasting (10.7 ± 4.7 h). Firstly, participants were asked to lay in the supine position for 15 minutes in rest to measure resting heart rate (HR) and heart rate variability (HRV) during the last 10 minutes and blood pressure afterward. Subsequently, participants completed PSS-10 and HADS questionnaires, and then a venous blood sample was taken for BDNF and irisin concentrations measurements. Then measurements of cognitive functions and motor learning were performed. After baseline assessments, participants were randomized to the experimental and control groups. The experimental group subjects (n=15; 13 women) participated in 10 weeks Tai Chi practice. In the control group, participants (n=15; 13 women) were instructed do not to engage in any additional sports practice. All tests and measurements were repeated after 10 weeks in the same order as it was at the beginning of the study.

Eligibility criteria: Inclusion Criteria:

* age from 60 years old;
* voluntary participation in the study;
* does not have chronic diseases or injuries that may affect physical activity,
* does not have physical and mental disorders;
* has no hearing impairment;
* does not smoke;
* does not use psychotropic substances;
* pulse from 40 to 100 beats per minute at rest;
* impaired or corrected vision;
* blood pressure up to 139/89 mmHg at rest;
* never had practice of Tai Chi Chuan

Exclusion Criteria:

* persons suffering from: mental, oncological, cardiovascular, skeletal, muscular, respiratory disorders or diseases after physical exhaustion will not be invited to the study;
* after surgery; injuries (in last 3 years);
* contraindications to physical activity.

Primary outcomes:
measure: Heart Rate Variability
timeFrame: 10 weeks
measure: Blood Pressure
timeFrame: 10 weeks
measure: Perceived Stress Scale - PSS-10
timeFrame: 10 weeks
measure: Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS)
timeFrame: 10 weeks
measure: Muscle circulatory BDNF Measurement
timeFrame: 10 weeks
measure: Circulating Irisin Measurement
timeFrame: 10 weeks
measure: Motor Learning Evaluation
timeFrame: 10 weeks
measure: Cognitive Function Performance Evaluation
timeFrame: 10 weeks
measure: Balance Evaluation
timeFrame: 10 weeks
Secondary outcomes:
measure: Weight Measurment
timeFrame: 10 weeks
measure: Height Measurement
timeFrame: 10 weeks
Other outcomes:
Locations:
city: Kaunas
country: Lithuania
facility: Lithuanian Sports University
Study officials:
affiliation: Lithuanian Sport University
name: Rima Solianik, PhD
role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR
References: