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SYSTEMATIC REVIEW article

Front. Hum. Neurosci.
Sec. Brain Health and Clinical Neuroscience
Volume 18 - 2024 | doi: 10.3389/fnhum.2024.1493677
This article is part of the Research Topic Exercising body & brain: the effects of physical exercise on brain health View all articles

Taichi on the Brain: an Activation Likelihood Estimated Meta-analysis of Functional Neuroimaging Data

Provisionally accepted
Shengxin Wang Shengxin Wang 1*Tianyu Liu Tianyu Liu 2Jingtao Du Jingtao Du 2*Jun Chen Jun Chen 2Xiufen Luo Xiufen Luo 2*Yujie Meng Yujie Meng 2*Chun Zeng Chun Zeng 2*Xupeng Zhang Xupeng Zhang 2*Binghua Shao Binghua Shao 2*
  • 1 Chengdu University of Technology, Chengdu, Sichuan Province, China
  • 2 Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, China

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    Tai Chi Chuan (TCC) is an exercise regimen renowned for its comprehensive benefits to both physical and mental health. The present research endeavor aims to elucidate the neurocognitive impacts of TCC compared to alternative exercise modalities or therapeutic interventions. A systematic meta-analysis was undertaken, encompassing a rigorous review of diverse datasets, wherein 422 scholarly articles were examined, with a subset of 18 articles meeting the stringent criteria for inclusion in the analytical framework. The study cohort comprised 677 participants, characterized by a mean age of 56.52 ± 14.89 years and an average educational attainment of 11.06 ± 3.32 years. Noteworthy alterations in functional neural activity were identified within the superior frontal gyrus. This comprehensive analysis provides significant insights into the enduring neural modifications and the distinctive contributions of TCC to cognitive health. Nevertheless, it is imperative to acknowledge the potential for bias in smaller functional magnetic resonance imaging studies owing to their inconclusive outcomes. This observation underscores the critical need for collaborative, multicenter research initiatives with expanded sample sizes to enhance the robustness and generalizability of future findings.

    Keywords: Tai Chi Chuan, functional MRI, activation likelihood estimation, Meta-analysis, Neuroimaging

    Received: 09 Sep 2024; Accepted: 23 Dec 2024.

    Copyright: © 2024 Wang, Liu, Du, Chen, Luo, Meng, Zeng, Zhang and Shao. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence:
    Shengxin Wang, Chengdu University of Technology, Chengdu, 610059, Sichuan Province, China
    Jingtao Du, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, China
    Xiufen Luo, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, China
    Yujie Meng, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, China
    Chun Zeng, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, China
    Xupeng Zhang, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, China
    Binghua Shao, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, China

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