Dataset Information

Tai Chi training's effect on lower extremity muscle co-contraction during single- and dual-task gait: Cross-sectional and randomized trial studies.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Tai Chi (TC) mind-body exercise has been shown to reduce falls and improve balance and gait, however, few studies have evaluated the role of lower extremity muscle activation patterns in the observed benefits of TC on mobility.

Purpose

To perform an exploratory analysis of the association between TC training and levels of lower extremity muscle co-contraction in healthy adults during walking under single-task (ST) and cognitive dual-task (DT) conditions.

Methods

Surface electromyography of the anterior tibialis and lateral gastrocnemius muscles was recorded during 90 sec trials of overground ST (walking normally) and DT (walking with verbalized serial subtractions) walking. A mean co-contraction index (CCI), across all strides, was calculated based on the percentage of total muscle activity when antagonist muscles were simultaneously activated. A hybrid study design investigated long-term effects of TC via a cross-sectional comparison of 27 TC experts and 60 age-matched TC-naïve older adults. A longitudinal comparison assessed the shorter-term effects of TC; TC-naïve participants were randomly allocated to either 6 months of TC training or to usual care.

Results

Across all participants at baseline, greater CCI was correlated with slower gait speed under DT (?(95% CI) = -26.1(-48.6, -3.7)) but not ST (?(95% CI) = -15.4(-38.2, 7.4)) walking. Linear models adjusting for age, gender, BMI and other factors that differed at baseline indicated that TC experts exhibited lower CCI compared to TC naives under DT, but not ST conditions (ST: mean difference (95% CI) = -7.1(-15.2, 0.97); DT: mean difference (95% CI) = -10.1(-18.1, -2.4)). No differences were observed in CCI for TC-naive adults randomly assigned to 6 months of TC vs. usual care.

Conclusion

Lower extremity muscle co-contraction may play a role in the observed benefit of longer-term TC training on gait and postural control. Longer-duration and adequately powered randomized trials are needed to evaluate the effect of TC on neuromuscular coordination and its impact on postural control.

Trial registration

The randomized trial component of this study was registered at ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT01340365).

SUBMITTER: Wayne PM

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7822271 | biostudies-literature | 2021

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Publications

Tai Chi training's effect on lower extremity muscle co-contraction during single- and dual-task gait: Cross-sectional and randomized trial studies.

Wayne Peter M PM Gow Brian J BJ Hou Fengzhen F Ma Yan Y Hausdorff Jeffrey M JM Lo Justine J Rist Pamela M PM Peng Chung-Kang CK Lipsitz Lewis A LA Novak Vera V Manor Brad B

PloS one 20210122 1

<h4>Background</h4>Tai Chi (TC) mind-body exercise has been shown to reduce falls and improve balance and gait, however, few studies have evaluated the role of lower extremity muscle activation patterns in the observed benefits of TC on mobility.<h4>Purpose</h4>To perform an exploratory analysis of the association between TC training and levels of lower extremity muscle co-contraction in healthy adults during walking under single-task (ST) and cognitive dual-task (DT) conditions.<h4>Methods</h4> ...[more]

PMID: 33481829

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Project description:BackgroundTai Chi (TC) exercise improves balance and reduces falls in older, health-impaired adults. TC's impact on dual task (DT) gait parameters predictive of falls, especially in healthy active older adults, however, is unknown.PurposeTo compare differences in usual and DT gait between long-term TC-expert practitioners and age-/gender-matched TC-naïve adults, and to determine the effects of short-term TC training on gait in healthy, non-sedentary older adults.MethodsA cross-sectional study compared gait in healthy TC-naïve and TC-expert (24.5 ± 12 years experience) older adults. TC-naïve adults then completed a 6-month, two-arm, wait-list randomized clinical trial of TC training. Gait speed and stride time variability (Coefficient of Variation %) were assessed during 90 s trials of undisturbed and cognitive DT (serial subtractions) conditions.ResultsDuring DT, gait speed decreased (p < 0.003) and stride time variability increased (p < 0.004) in all groups. Cross-sectional comparisons indicated that stride time variability was lower in the TC-expert vs. TC-naïve group, significantly so during DT (2.11 vs. 2.55%; p = 0.027); by contrast, gait speed during both undisturbed and DT conditions did not differ between groups. Longitudinal analyses of TC-naïve adults randomized to 6 months of TC training or usual care identified improvement in DT gait speed in both groups. A small improvement in DT stride time variability (effect size = 0.2) was estimated with TC training, but no significant differences between groups were observed. Potentially important improvements after TC training could not be excluded in this small study.ConclusionIn healthy active older adults, positive effects of short- and long-term TC were observed only under cognitively challenging DT conditions and only for stride time variability. DT stride time variability offers a potentially sensitive metric for monitoring TC's impact on fall risk with healthy older adults.

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Dataset Information

Tai Chi training's effect on lower extremity muscle co-contraction during single- and dual-task gait: Cross-sectional and randomized trial studies.

Background

Purpose

Methods

Results

Conclusion

Trial registration

Publications

Tai Chi training's effect on lower extremity muscle co-contraction during single- and dual-task gait: Cross-sectional and randomized trial studies.

Similar Datasets

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