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Randomized Controlled Trial
. 2024 Aug;60(4):621-633.
doi: 10.23736/S1973-9087.24.08166-8. Epub 2024 Jun 18.

Distinct effects of long-term Tai Chi Chuan and aerobic exercise interventions on motor and neurocognitive performance in early-stage Parkinson's disease: a randomized controlled trial

Cheng-Liang Chang  1 , Tsu-Kung Lin  2   3   4 , Chien-Yu Pan  5 , Tsai-Chiao Wang  1   6 , Yu-Ting Tseng  7 , Chung-Yao Chien  8 , Chia-Liang Tsai  9
Affiliations
Randomized Controlled Trial

Distinct effects of long-term Tai Chi Chuan and aerobic exercise interventions on motor and neurocognitive performance in early-stage Parkinson's disease: a randomized controlled trial

Cheng-Liang Chang et al. Eur J Phys Rehabil Med. 2024 Aug.

Abstract

Background: Parkinson's disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative condition characterized by movement disorders and probable cognitive impairment. Exercise plays an important role in PD management, and recent studies have reported improvement in motor symptoms and cognitive function following aerobic and Tai Chi Chuan exercise.

Aim: To explore the different effects of Tai Chi Chuan and aerobic exercise on the clinical motor status and neurocognitive performance of patients with early-stage PD.

Design: A randomized controlled trial.

Setting: Parkinson's Disease Center at Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital and National Cheng Kung University Hospital.

Population: Patients with idiopathic PD.

Methods: Fifty-six patients with PD were recruited and divided into three groups: aerobic exercise (AE, N.=14), Tai Chi Chuan exercise (TE, N.=16), and control (CG, N.=13). Before and after a 12-week intervention period, we used unified Parkinson's disease rating scale Part III (UPDRS-III) scores and neuropsychological (e.g., accuracy rates [ARs] and reaction times [RTs]) and neurophysiological (e.g., event-related potential [ERP] N2 and P3 latencies and amplitudes) parameters to respectively assess the patients' clinical motor symptoms and neurocognitive performance when performing a working memory (WM) task.

Results: Compared to baseline, UPDRS-III scores were significantly lower in the AE and TE groups after the intervention period, whereas those for the CG group were higher. In terms of the neurocognitive parameters, when performing the WM task after the intervention period, the AE group exhibited significantly faster RTs and larger ERP P3 amplitudes, the TE group exhibited an improvement only in ERP P3 amplitude, and the CG group exhibited a significantly reduced ERP P3 amplitude. However, neither the TE nor the AE group exhibited improved ARs and ERP N2 performance.

Conclusions: The present study supported the distinct effectiveness of Tai Chi Chuan and aerobic exercise for improving motor symptoms and providing neurocognitive benefits in PD patients.

Clinical rehabilitation impact: These results have important implications regarding the use of these exercise interventions for managing PD, particularly in the early stages.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflicts of interest: The authors certify that there is no conflict of interest with any financial organization regarding the material discussed in the manuscript.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
—Delayed matching S1–S2 paradigm.
Figure 2
Figure 2
—The Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials (CONSORT) chart illustrating the flow of participants from initial contact to post-intervention assessment.
Figure 3
Figure 3
—Reaction times and accuracy rates (mean±SD) during the delayed matching S1–S2 paradigm for the three groups (aerobic exercise group [AE]; Tai Chi Chuan group [TE]; control group [CG]) before and after the 12-week intervention period.
Figure 4
Figure 4
—The grand average ERP waveforms for the congruent and incongruent conditions during the delayed matching S1-S2 paradigm for the three groups (aerobic exercise group [AE]; Tai Chi Chuan group [TE]; control group [CG]) before and after the 12-week intervention period.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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