AUTHOR=Chen Yan , Wan Aiying , Mao Min , Sun Wei , Song Qipeng , Mao Dewei 

TITLE=Tai Chi practice enables prefrontal cortex bilateral activation and gait performance prioritization during dual-task negotiating obstacle in older adults

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience

VOLUME=14

YEAR=2022

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/aging-neuroscience/articles/10.3389/fnagi.2022.1000427

DOI=10.3389/fnagi.2022.1000427

ISSN=1663-4365

ABSTRACT=<sec><title>Background</title><p>With aging, the cognitive function of the prefrontal cortex (PFC) declined, postural control weakened, and fall risk increased. As a mind–body exercise, regular Tai Chi practice could improve postural control and effectively prevent falls; however, underlying brain mechanisms remained unclear, which were shed light on by analyzing the effect of Tai Chi on the PFC in older adults by means of functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS).</p></sec><sec><title>Methods</title><p>36 healthy older adults without Tai Chi experience were divided randomly into Tai Chi group and Control group. The experiment was conducted four times per week for 16 weeks; 27 participants remained and completed the experiment. Negotiating obstacle task (NOT) and negotiating obstacle with cognitive task (NOCT) were performed pre- and post-intervention, and Brodmann area 10 (BA10) was detected using fNIRS for hemodynamic response. A three-dimensional motion capture system measured walking speed.</p></sec><sec><title>Results</title><p>After intervention in the Tai Chi group under NOCT, the HbO<sub>2</sub> concentration change value (ΔHbO<sub>2</sub>) in BA10 was significantly greater (right BA10: <italic>p</italic> = 0.002, left BA10: <italic>p</italic> = 0.001), walking speed was significantly faster (<italic>p</italic> = 0.040), and dual-task cost was significantly lower than pre-intervention (<italic>p</italic> = 0.047). ΔHbO<sub>2</sub> in BA10 under NOCT was negatively correlated with dual-task cost (right BA10: <italic>r</italic> = −0.443, <italic>p</italic> = 0.021, left BA10: <italic>r</italic> = −0.448, <italic>p</italic> = 0.019). There were strong negative correlations between ΔHbO<sub>2</sub> and ΔHbR under NOCT either pre-intervention (left PFC <italic>r</italic> = −0.841, <italic>p</italic> &lt; 0.001; right PFC <italic>r</italic> = −0.795, <italic>p</italic> &lt; 0.001) or post-intervention (left PFC <italic>r</italic> = −0.842, <italic>p</italic> &lt; 0.001; right PFC <italic>r</italic> = −0.744, <italic>p</italic> &lt; 0.001).</p></sec><sec><title>Conclusion</title><p>Tai Chi practice might increase the cognitive resources in older adults through the PFC bilateral activation to prioritize gait performance during negotiating obstacles under a dual-task condition.</p></sec>