Online control ability affects precision fitting performances of long-term Tai Chi practitioners in older adults


Author: Hui Tang1, Jiahao Pan2, Li Li3

Affiliation: <sup>1</sup> Department of Health Science and Kinesiology, Georgia Southern University, Statesboro, USA; Department of Kinesiology and Health Education, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, USA.

<sup>2</sup> Center for Orthopaedic & Biomechanics Research, Boise State University, Boise, USA.

<sup>3</sup> Department of Health Science and Kinesiology, Georgia Southern University, Statesboro, USA. Electronic address: lili@georgiasouthern.edu.
Conference/Journal: Gait Posture
Date published: 2024 Dec 24
Other:
 Volume ID: 117   ,  Pages: 179-184   ,  Special Notes: doi: 10.1016/j.gaitpost.2024.12.021.   ,  Word Count: 285  
    Background:

Age-related decline in goal-directed behavior could be risky for older adults to maintain daily activities. Our previous studies have shown that long-term Tai Chi (TC) practice could improve motor performance and postural control during goal-directed tasks. However, there was a paucity of studies examining TC's effects on online control of goal-directed action.



Research question:

Do long-term TC practitioners have different kinematic characteristics in online control of goal-directed behavior compared to our control groups during precision fitting tasks?



Methods:

36 older adults were recruited for sedentary (SE), brisk walking (BW), and TC groups based on their exercise habits. Participants were required to fit a block (90 × 90 mm) through two different openings (130 × 130 mm and 100 × 100 mm) at two different distances (arm's length or 130 % of arm's length). Hand, trunk, and center of pressure (CoP) data were collected and analyzed, where velocities and timing variables were used to evaluate the manual motor control.



Results:

We observed that: (1) TC group used significantly less time of completion in all three phases than SE and BW groups, especially in the ADJ phase when condition with more task constraints; (2) TC group demonstrated faster average hand velocity in all three phases than SE and BW groups; (3) TC group had a faster average trunk velocity than SE and BW groups and faster average CoP velocity than the BW group in the ADJ phase.



Significance:

The long-term TC practitioners might exhibit better online control ability in the precision fitting task than the SE and BW groups, leading to more smooth and effortless goal-directed movement executions. Therefore, the long-term TC practice could be an effective intervention for maintaining precision manual motor control among older adults.



Keywords: Kinematic analysis; Online control; Precision fitting task; Tai Chi.



PMID: 39740611 DOI: 10.1016/j.gaitpost.2024.12.021