Impact of Tai Chi on Peripheral Neuropathy Revisited: A Mixed-Methods Study.
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ABSTRACT:
SUBMITTER: Hermanns M
PROVIDER: S-EPMC6299306 | biostudies-other | 2018 Jan-Dec
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-other
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Project description:Aims and objectives:This study aimed to evaluate Tai Chi group training among patients with chronic heart failure (CHF) aged 70 years and older. Background:Physical activity is recommended for CHF treatment. Tai Chi is found to be beneficial to different patient groups, although few studies focus on older patients with CHF. Design:A mixed methods study. Participants were randomly assigned to Tai Chi training twice a week for 16 weeks (N = 25) or control (N = 20). Quantitative data were collected at baseline, at the end of the training period and 6 months after training, assessing self-rated fatigue and quality of life, natriuretic peptides and physical performance. Individual qualitative interviews were conducted with participants (N = 10) in the Tai Chi training group. Results:No statistical differences between the Tai Chi training group and the control group in quality of life or natriuretic peptides was found. After 16 weeks, the training group tended to rate more reduced activity and the control group rated more mental fatigue. Participants in the training group rated increased general fatigue at follow-up compared with baseline. Qualitative interviews showed that Tai Chi training was experienced as a new, feasible and meaningful activity. The importance of the leader and the group was emphasized. Improvements in balance were mentioned and there was no physical discomfort. Conclusion:Tai Chi was experienced as a feasible and meaningful form of physical exercise for patients with CHF aged over 70 years despite lack of achieved health improvement. Further investigations, using feasibility and meaningfulness as outcome variables seems to be useful.
| S-EPMC5867290 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Background:The newly compiled Bafa Wubu of Tai Chi (Eight Methods and Five Footworks) is a fitness routine that has been developed in accordance with the appeal of the General Administration of Sport of China and promoted both in China and abroad. This paper aims to compare the differences in energy consumption and related parameters between the two types of Tai Chi. Methods:A total of 60 healthy participants were recruited; 37 males (aged 37.4?±?10.4?years) and 23 females (aged 31.9?±?12.8?years). The maximal exercise capacity of participants was measured at baseline. Then, they received Tai Chi training for 12-week and their energy metabolism was measured dynamically. Results:A set of the Bafa Wubu of Tai Chi requires approximately 3?min, while a set of 24 form simplified Tai Chi approximately 5?min and 40?s. The average oxygen uptake/kg (VO2/kg, 10.8?±?2.52?ml/kg/min vs. 12.9?±?2.59?ml/kg/min, P?=?0.000), the highest VO2/kg (19.3?±?6.03?ml/kg/min vs. 24.1?±?7.50?ml/kg/min, p?=?0.000, the average metabolic equivalent (METs,2.3?±?0.16 METs vs. 3.2?±?0.14 METs, p?=?0.000), the highest oxygen pulse (VO2/HR, 11.1?±?0.99?ml vs. 13.9?±?0.93?ml, p?=?0.000) and rate of perceived exertion (RPE, 10.7?±?0.70 vs. 1.3?±?0.62, p?=?0.000) gained immediately after Bafa Wubu of Tai Chi exercise were significantly lower than those in 24 form simplified Tai Chi; heart rate recovery (HRR,1.5?±?0.41 vs. 1.3?±?0.45, p?=?0.008) at 1?min after the practice was significantly higher than after the 24 form simplified Tai Chi. Meanwhile, the average heart rate (HR, 104.1?±?11.41?bpm vs. 105.7?±?9.68?bpm, p?=?0.696) and the highest respiratory quotient (RQ, 1.0?±?0.06 vs. 0.9?±?0.09, p?=?0.643) were not significantly different. The intensity of Tai Chi was described as the highest oxygen uptake of the participants when they performed the Tai Chi divided by their individual maximal oxygen uptake. Tai Chi intensity during Bafa Wubu of Tai Chi (50%?±?11.7% vs. 64%?±?12.5%) was significantly lower than during 24 form simplified Tai Chi. Conclusion:The newly compiled Bafa Wubu of Tai Chi is characterized by lower energy consumption than 24 form simplified Tai Chi. Trial registration:Ethics Committee of Sports Science Experiment, Beijing Sport University- 2018010H. Registered 19 June 2018.
| S-EPMC7391605 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Virtual healthcare is fast entering medical practice. Research into the feasibility of using it to teach treatment regimens such as exercise has not been explored. Maintaining an exercise regime can be difficult in cystic fibrosis: group classes risk potential infection, yet motivation is hard to maintain when alone. Tai Chi is a low-impact exercise and involves gentle, demanding movements. This study aimed to assess the feasibility, safety and acceptability of learning Tai Chi via an internet-based approach and compared patient-reported outcomes. Children and adults with cystic fibrosis were recruited to a randomised, comparative effectiveness trial. Participants learnt eight Tai Chi movements; teaching was delivered in eight lessons over 3?months: delivered either via the internet or face-to-face. Assessments were at 3-monthly intervals over 9?months. Outcomes included health status, quality of life, sleep, mindfulness and instructor-led questions. 40 adults and children completed the eight sets of Tai Chi lessons. The median age was 22.8?years (range 6.1-51.5?years); 27 patients were female. The cohort comprised 26 adults (aged >16?years), six teenagers and eight children (aged <12?years). The groups were well matched. Feasibility and safety were demonstrated. Participants showed significant improvements in self-reported sleep, cough (both daytime and night-time), stomach ache and breathing. No differences in lung function, health status, quality of life, sleep or mindfulness was shown before or after completing the lessons. Tai Chi was safe and well tolerated; it was feasible to deliver individual lessons via the internet, reducing concerns regarding cross-infection, and appeared to improve self-reported symptoms.
| S-EPMC6293041 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Tai-Chi (TC) practice has been increasingly used to prevent falls in older adults. However, the biomechanical mechanisms underlying the effects of TC practice on fall risk among older adults remain unanswered. The objective of this pilot study was to examine how TC gait biomechanically impacts the human body in terms of dynamic gait stability and lower limb muscle strength in comparison with regular walking gait. Ten healthy adults performed five trials of TC gait following three to seven trials of regular walking. Full body kinematics and kinetics were collected, and then dynamic gait stability and lower limb joint moments were determined. During TC gait, individuals were less stable, moved more slowly and experienced a larger mediolateral movement in comparison with regular walking gait. The peak moment at the ankle joint on the sagittal and transverse planes, at the knee joint on all three planes, and at the hip joint on the frontal plane was significantly different when performing TC gait than during regular gait. The results indicate that TC gait challenges body balance and requires more muscle strength of the lower limb joints compared to regular walking gait. To cope with these challenges, the body could develop neuromuscular control strategies to maintain body balance and thus reduce the risk of falls. The findings and methodology in this study could provide preliminary guidance for identifying optimal TC forms in order to maximize the effects of TC-based fall prevention interventions among various populations with elevated risk of falls.
| S-EPMC7239740 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Previous research has suggested that tai chi offers a therapeutic benefit in patients with fibromyalgia.We conducted a single-blind, randomized trial of classic Yang-style tai chi as compared with a control intervention consisting of wellness education and stretching for the treatment of fibromyalgia (defined by American College of Rheumatology 1990 criteria). Sessions lasted 60 minutes each and took place twice a week for 12 weeks for each of the study groups. The primary end point was a change in the Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire (FIQ) score (ranging from 0 to 100, with higher scores indicating more severe symptoms) at the end of 12 weeks. Secondary end points included summary scores on the physical and mental components of the Medical Outcomes Study 36-Item Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36). All assessments were repeated at 24 weeks to test the durability of the response.Of the 66 randomly assigned patients, the 33 in the tai chi group had clinically important improvements in the FIQ total score and quality of life. Mean (+/-SD) baseline and 12-week FIQ scores for the tai chi group were 62.9+/-15.5 and 35.1+/-18.8, respectively, versus 68.0+/-11 and 58.6+/-17.6, respectively, for the control group (change from baseline in the tai chi group vs. change from baseline in the control group, -18.4 points; P<0.001). The corresponding SF-36 physical-component scores were 28.5+/-8.4 and 37.0+/-10.5 for the tai chi group versus 28.0+/-7.8 and 29.4+/-7.4 for the control group (between-group difference, 7.1 points; P=0.001), and the mental-component scores were 42.6+/-12.2 and 50.3+/-10.2 for the tai chi group versus 37.8+/-10.5 and 39.4+/-11.9 for the control group (between-group difference, 6.1 points; P=0.03). Improvements were maintained at 24 weeks (between-group difference in the FIQ score, -18.3 points; P<0.001). No adverse events were observed.Tai chi may be a useful treatment for fibromyalgia and merits long-term study in larger study populations. (Funded by the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine and others; ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT00515008.)
| S-EPMC3023168 | biostudies-literature
Project description:OBJECTIVES:Cardiac rehabilitation (CR) programmes are standard of care for patients following a coronary event. While such exercise-based secondary prevention programme do offer benefits, they are used by less than 30% of eligible patients and attrition within these programmes is high. This project is a nested qualitative assessment of a pilot programme considering Tai Chi (TC) as an alternative to CR. We hypothesised that TC may overcome several key barriers to CR. METHODS:A semistructured focus group agenda was used to assess three key domains of feasibility: (1) patients' experiences, (2) reasons/barriers for not having attended CR and (3) any improvements in physical activity and other secondary outcomes (quality of life, weight, sleep). A thematic analysis was used to better understand the key concepts. RESULTS:This high-risk group of patients reported that they enjoyed TC exercise, and felt confident and safe doing it. TC practice was reported to support other types of physical activity allowing for a generalisation of positive effects. DISCUSSION:This analysis is consistent with published reports of TC practice improving mood and psychological well-being. Qualitative methods allowed us to find emergent experiential reports of behaviour change factors found in established behaviour change theories.
| S-EPMC7265974 | biostudies-literature
Project description:PURPOSE:The aim of the study was to assess the feasibility, safety, and preliminary estimates of effectiveness of Tai Chi on functional outcomes in stroke survivors. DESIGN:A mixed-method study with a single-group repeated-measure design and in-depth interviews. METHODS:Fourteen stroke survivors with hemiplegia were recruited to participate in a Tai Chi program, twice weekly for 12 months. Outcomes included physical function, self-efficacy, and activity of daily living measured at 3-month intervals for 12 months. FINDINGS:Ten participants (mean age, 68.5 years) completed all assessments with significantly improved balance (? = 14.08, p = .007), flexibility (? = 11.70, p = .020), and self-efficacy (? = 21.84, p < .001) over 12 months. Qualitative results highlighted the positive impact on physical improvement, psychological well-being, social support, and improved confidence in performing activities of daily living. CONCLUSION:An adapted Tai Chi program was safe, feasible, and well received in community-dwelling stroke survivors. CLINICAL RELEVANCE:The Tai Chi-based rehabilitation program shows promise for improving function and balance outcomes related to fall prevention in stroke survivors.
| S-EPMC6608725 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Parkinson's disease (PD) is a common progressive neurodegenerative disease characterized by motor dysfunction. Although the inhibition of inflammation by Tai Chi has been demonstrated to involve a peripheral cytokine response and may play an important role in improving the motor function of PD patients, the related specific molecular mechanisms of the peripheral immune response to Tai Chi are not fully understood. The microarray dataset 'GSE124676' for the peripheral immune response to Tai Chi of PD patients was downloaded from the Gene Expression Omnibus database. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were screened and analyzed using weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA). A total of 136 DEGs were found in the PD patients after Tai Chi, suggesting an effect of Tai Chi on the peripheral immunity of PD patients. The DEGs are mainly involved in neutrophil activation, T-cell activation, and NOD-like receptor and IL-17 signaling pathways. Furthermore, six key candidate genes (FOS, FOSB, JUNB, ZFP36, CAMP and LCN2) that are involved in peripheral inflammation and the inhibition of inflammation induced by Tai Chi were observed. The results in the present study could be conducive to comprehensively understanding the molecular mechanism involved in the effect of Tai Chi on peripheral inflammation in PD patients and providing novel targets for future advanced research.
| S-EPMC9601924 | biostudies-literature
Project description:In order to maintain stable upright stance, the postural control system must account for the continuous perturbations to the body's center-of-mass including those caused by spontaneous respiration. Both aging and disease increase "posturo-respiratory synchronization;" which reflects the degree to which respiration affects postural sway fluctuations over time. Tai Chi training emphasizes the coordination of respiration and bodily movements and may therefore optimize the functional interaction between these two systems. The purpose of the project was to examine the effect of Tai Chi training on the interaction between respiration and postural control in older adults. We hypothesized that Tai Chi training would improve the ability of the postural control system to compensate for respiratory perturbations and thus, reduce posturo-respiratory synchronization. Participants were recruited from supportive housing facilities and randomized to a 12-week Tai Chi intervention (n=28; 86 ± 5 yrs) or educational-control program (n=34, 85 ± 6 yrs). Standing postural sway and respiration were simultaneously recorded with a force plate and respiratory belt under eyes-open and eyes-closed conditions. Posturo-respiratory synchronization was determined by quantifying the variation of the phase relationship between the dominant oscillatory mode of respiration and corresponding oscillations within postural sway. Groups were similar in age, gender distribution, height, body mass, and intervention compliance. Neither intervention altered average sway speed, sway magnitude or respiratory rate. As compared to the education-control group, however, Tai Chi training reduced posturo-respiratory synchronization when standing with eyes open or closed (p<0.001). Tai Chi training did not affect traditional parameters of standing postural control or respiration, yet reduced the coupling between respiration and postural control. The beneficial effects of Tai Chi training may therefore stem in part from optimization of this multi-system interaction.
| S-EPMC4695235 | biostudies-other
Project description:Background:Inhibitory control is a sub-ability of executive function and plays an important role in the entire cognitive process. However, declines in inhibitory control during aging significantly impair the quality of life of elderly people. Investigating methods to delay the decline of inhibitory control has become a focal point in current research. Tai Chi Chuan (TCC) is one effective method used to delay cognitive declines in older adults. However, the specific effects of TCC on inhibitory control and the mechanisms through which TCC may improve cognition in older adults have not been comprehensively investigated. Objective:The study explores possible neurological mechanisms related to the effects of TCC interventions on inhibitory control in older people using a functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) technique and reaction times (RTs). Methods:A total of 26 healthy, elderly people who had not received TCC training completed all study procedures. The subjects were randomized to either the TCC group or the control group. Subjects in the TCC group were taught TCC by a certified instructor and trained for 8 weeks. The control group continued to perform general daily activities. The Flanker task was administered to every participant to evaluate inhibitory control pre- and post-intervention. While participants were performing the Flanker task, fNIRS data were collected. Results:Post-intervention, significant differences for incongruent flankers were found only for the TCC intervention group. Faster RTs were observed for the incongruent flankers in the TCC group than in the control group (p < 0.05). Analysis of the fNIRS data revealed an increase in oxy-Hb in the prefrontal cortex during the incongruent flankers after the TCC exercise intervention. Conclusion:The TCC intervention significantly improved inhibitory control in older adults, suggesting that TCC is an effective, suitable exercise for improving executive function and neurological health in elderly people. Clinical Trial Registration:Chinese Clinical Trial Register, ChiCTR1900028457.
| S-EPMC6988574 | biostudies-literature