Effect of Baduanjin exercise on cerebral blood flow and cognitive frailty in the community older adults with cognitive frailty: A randomized controlled trial

Author: Huiying Lin1,2, Yu Ye2, Mingyue Wan2, Pingting Qiu2, Rui Xia2, Guohua Zheng1
Affiliation:
1 College of Nursing and Health Management, Shanghai University of Health & Medicine Sciences, Pudong New District, Shanghai, China.
2 College of Rehabilitation Medicine, Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shangjie University Town, Fuzhou, China.
Conference/Journal: J Exerc Sci Fit
Date published: 2023 Jan 1
Other: Volume ID: 21 , Issue ID: 1 , Pages: 131-137 , Special Notes: doi: 10.1016/j.jesf.2022.12.001. , Word Count: 308


Objectives:
Regular Baduanjin exercise training has been shown to be beneficial to the physical and cognitive health of older adults, but the underlying mechanisms remain to be investigated. This study examined the influence of Baduanjin on cerebral hemodynamics in community-dwelling older adults with cognitive frailty.

Design:
Randomized controlled trial.

Methods:
A total of 102 eligible participants were randomly allocated into the Baduanjin exercise intervention group (BEG) or usual physical activity control group (CG) for 24 weeks. Cerebral hemodynamic parameters of bilateral middle/anterior cerebral artery and basilar artery, cognitive ability and physical frailty were assessed using Transcranial Doppler (TCD), Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) and Edmonton Frailty Scale (EFS) at baseline and 24 weeks post-intervention.

Results:
After 24 weeks intervention, the changes in peak systolic velocity (PSV), mean blood flow velocity (MBFV), and end diastolic velocity (EDV) in the right middle cerebral artery and basilar artery were better in the BEG than in the CG; the increase in MoCA scores and the decrease in EFS scores were significantly higher in the BEG than in the CG. Moreover, the interaction of exercise and time on those variables showed obvious significance.

Conclusions:
The 24 weeks Baduanjin exercise training had a positive beneficial effect on cerebral blood flow in community-dwelling older adults with cognitive frailty. This may be a potential mechanism by which Baduanjin exercise improves the cognitive frailty in older adults.

Trial registration:
Chinese Clinical Trial Registry, ChiCTR1800020341.

Date of registration:
December 25, 2018, http://www.chictr.org.cn/showproj.aspx?proj=29846.

Keywords: ACA, anterior cerebral artery; BA, basilar artery; Baduanjin; CBF, cerebral blood flow; CF, cognitive frailty; Cerebral blood flow; Cognitive frailty; EDV, end diastolic velocity; EFS, Edmonton frailty scale; GDS, global deterioration scale; ITT, intention-to-treat; MBFV, mean of blood flow velocity; MCA, middle cerebral artery; Mechanisms; MoCA, Montreal cognitive assessment; PSV, peak systolic velocity; Randomized controlled trial; TCD, transcranial doppler.

PMID: 36606263 PMCID: PMC9791406 DOI: 10.1016/j.jesf.2022.12.001

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