Differences in brain connectivity between older adults practicing Tai Chi and Water Aerobics: a case-control study

Abstract

Background: This study aimed to investigate the neural mechanisms that differentiate mind-body practices from aerobic physical activities and elucidate their effects on cognition and healthy aging. We examined functional brain connectivity in older adults (age > 60) without pre-existing uncontrolled chronic diseases, comparing Tai Chi with Water Aerobics practitioners.

Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional, case-control fMRI study involving two strictly matched groups (n = 32) based on gender, age, education, and years of practice. Seed-to-voxel analysis was performed using the Salience, and Frontoparietal Networks as seed regions in Stroop Word-Color and N-Back tasks and Resting State.

Results: During Resting State condition and using Salience network as a seed, Tai Chi group exhibited a stronger correlation between Anterior Cingulate Cortex and Insular Cortex areas (regions related to interoceptive awareness, cognitive control and motor organization of subjective aspects of experience). In N-Back task and using Salience network as seed, Tai Chi group showed increased correlation between Left Supramarginal Gyrus and various cerebellar regions (related to memory, attention, cognitive processing, sensorimotor control and cognitive flexibility). In Stroop task, using Salience network as seed, Tai Chi group showed enhanced correlation between Left Rostral Prefrontal Cortex and Right Occipital Pole, and Right Lateral Occipital Cortex (areas associated with sustained attention, prospective memory, mediate attention between external stimuli and internal intention). Additionally, in Stroop task, using Frontoparietal network as seed, Water Aerobics group exhibited a stronger correlation between Left Posterior Parietal Lobe (specialized in word meaning, representing motor actions, motor planning directed to objects, and general perception) and different cerebellar regions (linked to object mirroring).

Conclusion: Our study provides evidence of differences in functional connectivity between older adults who have received training in a mind-body practice (Tai Chi) or in an aerobic physical activity (Water Aerobics) when performing attentional and working memory tasks, as well as during resting state.

Keywords: Stroop; Tai Chi; embodied cognition; fMRI; functional connectivity; longevity; mind–body; self-regulation.

Figure 1

Study flowchart.

Figure 2

Resting State connectivity analysis comparison between groups. Tai Chi group exhibited an increased correlation between the seed of anterior cingulate cortex with the clusters central opercular cortex right and insular cortex right. Peak-cluster shown in red. Yellow arrows indicate localization of peak-cluster in MRI space (x = 42, y = 02, z = 18).

Figure 3

N-Back connectivity analysis comparison between groups. The Tai Chi group exhibited an increased correlation between the seed of left supramarginal gyrus and the clusters of cerebellum crus 2 left, cerebellum 7b left and cerebellum crus 2 right. Peak-cluster shown in red with coordinates in MNI space (x = −4, y = −76, z = −38).

Figure 4

Stroop connectivity analysis comparison between groups. Using salience network, the Tai Chi group exhibited an increased correlation between the seed of the rostral left prefrontal cortex and the right occipital pole, the anterior division of the right lateral occipital cortex, and the superior division of the right lateral occipital cortex. Peak cluster shown in red at x = 16, y = −94, z = −04 in MNI space. Using frontoparietal network, Water Aerobics group exhibited increased correlation between the seed of the left posterior parietal lobe and the cerebellum crus 1 left, cerebellum crus 2 left, and cerebellum 6 left. Peak clusters shown in blue at x = −30, y = −70, z = −32.