Effects of Tai Chi on working memory in older adults: evidence from combined fNIRS and ERP.

Objective: The study aimed to investigate the effects of a 12-week Tai Chi exercise intervention on working memory in older adults using ERP-fNIRS. Method: Fifty older adults were randomly assigned to either an experimental group receiving a 12-week Tai Chi exercise intervention or a control group receiving regular daily activities. Working memory was assessed using the n-back task before and after the intervention, and spatial and temporal components of neural function underlying the n-back task were measured using ERP-fNIRS. Results: The experimental group demonstrated significant improvements in reaction time and accuracy on the 2-back task and showed higher activation levels in the R-DLPFC. Additionally, the Tai Chi group displayed significant increases in P3 amplitude in the overall n-back task. Conclusion: These findings suggest that Tai Chi interventions can enhance working memory in older adults, as evidenced by increasing neural activity and improving HbO in the R-DLPFC during the 2-back task.

Determining Whether Tai Chi Chuan Is Related to the Updating Function in Older Adults: Differences Between Practitioners and Controls.

Background: Tai Chi Chuan (TCC) is an effective method for delaying cognitive decline in older adults. However, in older adults, the association between long-term TCC practice and working memory updating has not been extensively studied. Objective: This cross-sectional study investigated how updating function operationalized via Reaction Times (RTs) and Accuracy Rates (ARs) of N-Back tasks being measured in a laboratory setting is related to long term practice of TCC. Methods: Twenty-six healthy elderly people participated in this experiment. According to the duration of time TCC was practiced, 13 subjects in the TCC group had more than 5 years of experience with TCC exercise, and 13 elderly subjects who had not been systematically exposed to mind-body exercise were assigned to the control group. The N-back task was administered to every participant to evaluate the updating function. Results: The TCC group had faster RTs than the control group (p < 0.05). For the 1-back task, the TCC group showed faster RTs than the control group; for the 2-back task, the TCC group exhibited faster RTs than the control group. The TCC group had higher ARs than the control group (p < 0.05). For the 1-back task, the TCC group showed higher ARs than the control group; for the 2-back task, the TCC group exhibited higher ARs than the control group. Conclusions: Long-term TCC practitioners exhibit a better updating function as compared to controls who did not practice TCC. Thus, our findings suggest that long-term TCC positively influences the updating function of older adults, making it, in turn, an effective mind-body exercise to maintain specific aspects of cognitive functioning.

Dance intervention for negative symptoms in individuals with autism spectrum disorder: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopment disorder, marked by deficits in social communication and social interaction as well as by a restricted, repetitive patterns of behaviors, interests and activities. There is an increasing interest in the use of dance as part of rehabilitation for individuals with ASD. However, it is not clear how dance can influence on ASD symptoms. And few studies have measured and compared the outcomes of multiple studies. This study was aimed to provide a more comprehensive perspective of the efficacy of dance practice on ASD symptoms by conducting a systematic review with meta-analysis. METHODS: The electronic databases PubMed, EBSCO, MEDLINE, Cochrane and PsycINFO were searched for relevant studies reporting on the effects of dance on ASD symptoms. Only randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and non-randomized controlled studies were included in this review. Two review authors independently performed literature search, data extraction, and study quality assessment. Effect sizes for ASD symptoms were expressed as standardized mean differences (SMD) with 95% confidence intervals. RESULTS: Seven eligible studies were included for meta-analysis. Dance interventions varied in frequency (1-2 sessions/week), time (40 - 90 min), duration (7 - 17 weeks) and type. As compared to control groups, dance practice showed significant alleviation of overall symptoms of ASD (-1.48 points, CI -2.55 to - 0.42 points, p = 0.006, I2 = 75%) and improvement in social interaction (0.88, CI 0.46 to 1.30, p < 0.0001, I2 = 0%), but no significant effect on empathy (0.09, CI - 0.25 to 0.42, p = 0.61, I2 = 2%). CONCLUSIONS: Dance probably alleviate the negative symptoms and social deficits of individuals with ASD. However, little difference is found in empathy. Further research and studies are needed to determine the optimal dose and if dance results in greater benefits than other types of physical activity.