The effectiveness of Tai Chi for short-term cognitive function improvement in the early stages of dementia in the elderly: a systematic literature review.

Author: Lim KH1, Pysklywec A2, Plante M3, Demers L3,4
Affiliation: <sup>1</sup>Centre Intégré Universitaire de Sante at Service Sociaux du Nord de l'île de Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada. <sup>2</sup>Department of Geography and Planning, Queen's University, Kingston, ON, Canada. <sup>3</sup>Centre de Recherche de l'In Université de Montréalstitut Universitaire de Gériatrie de Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada. <sup>4</sup>École de Réadaptation, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada.
Conference/Journal: Clin Interv Aging.
Date published: 2019 May 8
Other: Volume ID: 14 , Pages: 827-839 , Special Notes: doi: 10.2147/CIA.S202055. eCollection 2019. , Word Count: 199

Purpose: This systematic review examines intervention studies using Tai Chi in the early stages of dementia to determine the effectiveness of Tai Chi for the short-term improvement of cognitive functions for elderly persons with the disease. Methods: A keyword search was done in PubMed/MEDLINE, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), Excerpta Medica Database (EMBASE), and Cochrane Library databases using keywords such as Tai Chi, Dementia*, and cognition. A secondary search strategy consisting of a manual search in the reference lists of selected articles was also used. Results: A total of nine studies were reviewed including six randomized controlled trials, two non-randomized controlled trials, and one non-randomized prospective study. The studies suggest Tai Chi has impacts on global cognitive functions, visuospatial skills, semantic memory, verbal learning/memory, and self-perception of memory. The effects of Tai Chi on overall cognition for people with mild cognitive impairment are comparable to those in control groups which engaged in exercise. Conclusion: The studies reviewed affirm the potential of Tai Chi to improve short-term cognitive function in the elderly at the onset of dementia.

KEYWORDS: Tai chi; behavioral intervention; cognition; dementia; older adult; systematic review

PMID: 31190769 PMCID: PMC6512568 DOI: 10.2147/CIA.S202055