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SYSTEMATIC REVIEW article
Front. Med.
Sec. Geriatric Medicine
Volume 12 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fmed.2025.1568835
Optimal Exercise Temporal Parameters of Traditional Chinese Exercises for Cognitive Function of Older Adults with Mild Cognitive Impairment: A Systematic Review and Dose-Response Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials
Provisionally accepted- 1 Gdansk University of Physical Education and Sport, Gdańsk, Poland
- 2 Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, Sichuan Province, China
- 3 University WSB Merito Gdańsk, Gdańsk, Pomeranian, Poland
Background: Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is characterized by a progressive decline in memory and other cognitive functions, falling between normal cognition and dementia. Traditional Chinese exercises (TCEs) have been proven effective for managing MCI. A doseresponse meta-analysis was conducted to evaluate the correlation between exercise temporal parameters and their effectiveness in older adults with MCI. Methods: Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) on TCEs for MCI were searched across eight databases from their inception to September 2024. Literature was screened based on inclusion and exclusion criteria. Data from the selected studies were extracted, and the risk of bias was assessed using the RoB2 tool. The quality of the included studies was evaluated using the PEDro scale. The visualizations were conducted using the "robvis" package in R 4.3.3 software, while Stata 15.0 software was used to analyze the dose-response relations. Result: Out of 2,216 records,1 7 RCTs were included in the meta-analysis. Although significant heterogeneity was present among the studies, sensitivity analysis demonstrated good robustness. The results revealed significant improvements in cognitive function among older adults with MCI in the TCEs group: Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) (SMD = 1.04, 95% CI: 0.71-1.38) and Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) (SMD = 0.82, 95% CI: 0.41-1.42). The relations between exercise cycle, frequency, and overall cognitive function (MoCA and MMSE) followed a "Λ"-shaped curve. For MoCA, the relations with exercise duration also exhibited a "Λ"-shaped curve, while the relations between duration and MMSE was nonlinear. The peak improvements in MoCA and MMSE were observed at twelve weeks (25.59,. Improvement was positively correlated with the number of cycles up to a peak, after which it declined, following a "Λ"-shaped pattern. Conclusion: This study demonstrates a nonlinear dose-response relations between exercise temporal parameters and therapeutic effects on cognitive function in older adults with MCI. Regarding exercise cycle, MoCA and MMES yield the optimal outcomes at twelve and thirteen weeks.
Keywords: Exercise Therapy, dose-response, Cognitive Function, exercise parameters, Mild Cognitive Impairment, Traditional Chinese exercises
Received: 31 Jan 2025; Accepted: 31 Mar 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Wen, Luo, Liu, Li, Białas and Wilczyńska. 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:
Qingpan Wen, Gdansk University of Physical Education and Sport, Gdańsk, Poland
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