| Purpose:Many different types of sports can delay cognitive decline,Tai Chi Chuan(TCC),as a multi-modal exercise method,has multiple effects that can change the structure and function of the brain.However,it is unclear how TCC and general aerobic exercise alter the brain functional responses associated with task-switching,and the relationship between changes reflected in these functions and improved task switching ability.This study uses a typical task switching paradigm to compare the different effects of TCC and walking exercise on the task-switching ability of the elderly.This study hopes to analyze the brain mechanism of TCC different from general aerobic exercise for the task-switching in older adults from the perspective of imaging,and further explore the influence factors of cognitive balance dual task ability in the elderly.Methods:Finally 29 people completed the experiment(15 TCC practitioners and 14 walking practitioners).Within 24 weeks,the TCC group received Yang-style TCC exercises 5±1 times per week for 1.5 hours,while the walking group received 5±1 times per week for 1.5 hours of aerobic Walking exercise.The intensity of both exercises is medium.All participants received baseline assessments of neuropsychological function before intervention and functional Magnetic Resonance Imagine(fMRI)were performed before and after intervention.The task-switching task uses a task that includes digital size and parity as the stimulation material and was tested during the fMRI scan.The differences in behavior and brain activation between the two groups before and after 24 weeks of exercise were compared.Results:(1)24 weeks of TCC exercise significantly improved the task performance of the elderly female,TCC group significantly improved the accuracy rate local switch cost compared with the walking group.(2)In the switch condition,significant group by time interaction effect of the two groups were found in the right orbital middle frontal gyrus,left superior frontal gyrus,left middle frontal gyrus,left precuneus,and right paracentral lobule.Post hoc analysis for ROI with interactive effects found that TCC activation was reduced in these frontoparietal lobe regions and lower activation in the right paracentral lobule was associated with better balance performance.While activation of the right orbital middle frontal gyrus was enhanced,which was related to better task performance(RT)after 24 weeks of exercise intervention;The walking group did the opposite.(3)In the repetition condition,significant group by time interaction effect were found in the left and right lingual gyrus,left and right calcarine cortex,left putamen and right insula.Post hoc analysis for ROI with interactive effects found that TCC group activation was enhanced in the occipital cortex-related brain regions and striatum and that enhanced right lingual gyrus activation was associated with better task performance(RT),while activation of insula was weakened after 24 weeks of exercise intervention;The walking group did the opposite.(4)In the swicth>repetition condition,significant group by time interaction effect were found in the left medial superior frontal gyrus.Post hoc analysis for ROI with interactive effects found that TCC group activation was reduced in the medial superior frontal gyrus while walking group did the opposite after 24 weeks of exercise intervention.(5)In the TCC group,the left lower extremity YBT score was higher in the cognitive balance dual-task test,which was related to the weakened activation of the right paracentral lobuleConclusion:(1)The 24-week TCC exercise improved the task performance of the elderly female's task-switching ability,and the local switch cost of the error rate was significantly reduced(2)After 24 weeks of exercise,the TCC and the walking group had significant differences in activation of the frontoparietal lobe,visual network,and subcortical related brain regions when performing the switch task.The specific manifestation was that the functional activation of the visual network-related brain areas in the TCC group was enhanced,and the activation of the frontoparietal-related brain areas was weakened(3)In the TCC group,the balance ability was stronger in the cognitive balance dual-task test,which was related to the activation of the right paracentral lobule. |
PDF Full Text Request