Dyspnea, a prevalent and debilitating symptom in patients with advanced lung cancer, negatively affects symptom burden and prognosis. Physical activity has emerged as a promising non-pharmacological ...intervention for managing dyspnea.
This study compared the effectiveness of two widely-recognized physical activity modalities, namely Tai Chi (TC) and aerobic exercise (AE) for treating dyspnea in patients with advanced lung cancer.
Patients with advanced lung cancer (n=226) were randomized into TC, AE, or control groups. There was no baseline dyspnea requirement for patients. The AE group received two 60-minute supervised sessions and home-based exercises per month, the TC group received 60-minute sessions twice weekly, and the control group received exercise guidelines for 16 weeks. The primary outcome (sleep quality) of the study has been previously reported. In this secondary analysis, we focused on dyspnea outcomes, including overall and lung cancer-specific dyspnea. Assessments were conducted at baseline (T0), 16 weeks (T1), and one year (T2).
Compared to the control group, TC significantly improved overall dyspnea at T1 (between-group difference, −8.69; P=0.03) and T2 (between-group difference, −11.45; P=0.01), but not AE. Both AE (between-group difference, −11.04; P=0.01) and TC (between-group difference, −14.19; P<0.001) significantly alleviated lung cancer-specific dyspnea at T2 compared with the control group.
Both TC and AE alleviate dyspnea severity in patients with advanced lung cancer, and continuous exercise can yield substantial improvements. Due to its multi-component nature, Tai Chi has a greater effect on dyspnea.
Tai Chi is an ancient exercise originated from China. The slow movements of Tai Chi are not thought to evoke an increase in heart rate above 60% HRM, and yet Tai Chi has been found to improve ...vascular health. We are interested in the response to a single session of Tai Chi, as a mild physical stressor. The acute response to exercise is very important as a stimulus for adaptation, but to our knowledge, no previous studies have assessed the acute response to Tai Chi. The aim of this study was to investigate the response to a single session of Tai Chi. Blood markers of oxidative stress (lipid peroxidation, antioxidant capacity) and inflammation (IL-6) were assessed along with flow-mediated dilation (FMD) in young (18-25years old) and elderly participants (65–75 years old). Participants visited the laboratory twice to undertake Tai Chi or a control visit. Blood withdrawal and FMD assessment were performed every hour, for 4 consecutive hours. Inflammation at baseline was increased in older participants, compared to young and MDA and IL-6 increased immediately after Tai Chi in both groups. Antioxidant capacity increased immediately and post one hour after Tai Chi in both groups. A single bout of Tai Chi was seen to promote cytokine release and increased antioxidant capacity, and may have a beneficial effect in improving human vasculature via these mechanisms in both old and young.
To investigate whether a simplified and personalized Tai-Chi program could be beneficial for practitioners. A prospective quasi-experimental observer-blinded controlled trial was done in Beitou ...District of Taipei City.
Community-dwelling adults aged 65 and older without debilitating disease (N = 50) participated the study. Those who were willing to participate in exercise program were assigned to individualized Tai-Chi (iTC) group (n = 20), receiving iTC training for 8 weeks, and traditional Tai-Chi (tTC) group (n = 15), receiving tTC training for 8 weeks. Those who were not willing to participate in exercise training were included in the control group (n = 15). Functional balance tests, the Berg Balance Scale (BBS), timed up-and-go (TUG) test, functional-reach test, and measurement of lower-extremity muscle strength were conducted before and 8 weeks after the intervention.
Significant improvements were noted in all functional balance tests and strength assessments of 16 major lower-limb muscle groups in participants of the iTC group compared to the control group, whereas only BBS and muscle strength of hips and ankles were improved in the tTC group. Practitioners of iTC outperformed tTC in BBS and strength of two major muscles.
Personalized Tai-Chi training designed based on an objective measurement and conducted according to graded intensity and complexity benefitted practitioners after a short period.
Trial registration number: ClinicalTrials.gov ID: NCT03659396 , Unique Protocol ID: 1000087 Date of registration: 03/28/2017 The trial was registered retrospectively.
In COPD, functional status is improved by pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) but requires specific facilities. Tai Chi, which combines psychological treatment and physical exercise and requires no special ...equipment, is widely practiced in China and is becoming increasingly popular in the rest of the world. We hypothesized that Tai Chi is equivalent (ie, difference less than ±4 St. George’s Respiratory Questionnaire SGRQ points) to PR.
A total of 120 patients (mean FEV1, 1.11 ± 0.42 L; 43.6% predicted) bronchodilator-naive patients were studied. Two weeks after starting indacaterol 150 μg once daily, they randomly received either standard PR thrice weekly or group Tai Chi five times weekly, for 12 weeks. The primary end point was change in SGRQ prior to and following the exercise intervention; measurements were also made 12 weeks after the end of the intervention.
The between-group difference for SGRQ at the end of the exercise interventions was –0.48 (95% CI PR vs Tai Chi, –3.6 to 2.6; P = .76), excluding a difference exceeding the minimal clinically important difference. Twelve weeks later, the between-group difference for SGRQ was 4.5 (95% CI, 1.9 to 7.0; P < .001), favoring Tai Chi. Similar trends were observed for 6-min walk distance; no change in FEV1 was observed.
Tai Chi is equivalent to PR for improving SGRQ in COPD. Twelve weeks after exercise cessation, a clinically significant difference in SGRQ emerged favoring Tai Chi. Tai Chi is an appropriate substitute for PR.
ClinicalTrials.gov; No.: NCT02665130; URL: www.clinicaltrials.gov.
The arousal state has been demonstrated to be involved in the fundamental pathophysiological mechanism of sleep disturbances. Tai chi (TC) and repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) have ...been documented to alleviate sleep disturbances by interfering with different arousal components. It is reasonable to assume that combining TC and rTMS could induce synergistic and longer-lasting benefits for sleep disturbances.
Thirty-eight older community-dwelling people were randomly assigned to one of three groups: TC plus rTMS (n = 12), TC alone (n = 13), and treat-as-usual (TAU) (n = 13). The interventions were conducted three times per week for 4 weeks for the two intervention groups. The primary outcome was the insomnia severity, while the secondary outcomes were the actigraphy-assessed sleep patterns, use of hypnotic medications, mood states, and quality of life. The mediator outcomes included self-reported somatic arousal and cognitive arousal as well as electroencephalogram (EEG)-assessed cortical arousal. The assessments were conducted at baseline (T0), post-intervention (T1), and 3-month follow-up (T2).
Significant improvements in the insomnia severity were observed in the TC plus rTMS group compared with the TAU group at T1 (Cohen's d = 1.62, p = 0.003) and T2 (Cohen's d = 1.97, p < 0.001). In contrast, significant improvements in the TC alone group were found only at T2 (Cohen's d = 1.03, p = 0.010) when compared with the TAU group. Significant interaction effects were noted on the actigraphy-assessed sleep efficiency (p = 0.015) and total sleep time (p = 0.004), depression (p = 0.003) and stress scores (p = 0.002), and mental function in relation to quality of life (p = 0.042). However, none of the mediators elucidated how combining TC and rTMS could improve the insomnia severity.
The research findings are expected to guide further clinical practice in the management of sleep disturbances among older adults using various interventions. Future studies are needed to unravel the underlying mechanism and optimize the protocol to maximize the therapeutic benefits.
•Combining TC and rTMS was found to produce synergistic and longer-lasting effects on sleep disturbances among older adults.•The benefits of TC on sleep disturbances are consistent with previous evidence in comparison with usual treatment.•The pilot study provides preliminary evidence on pertinent mechanisms underlying such combination of intervention.•Integrating TC and rTMS is a safe approach with high treatment adherence for managing sleep disturbance in older adults.
Meditation-based mind-body therapies (yoga, tai-chi, qi-gong, mindfulness) have been suggested to have a potential therapeutic effect on negative symptoms.
We conducted a systematic review and ...meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) examining effectiveness of yoga, tai-chi, qi-gong and mindfulness on negative symptoms of schizophrenia, using different databases and trial registries. The primary outcome was effect of mind-body therapies on negative symptoms and the secondary outcome was effect on positive symptoms.
Fifteen RCTs were included in the meta-analysis (N = 1081 patients). Overall, we found a beneficial effect of mind-body interventions on negative symptoms at endpoint compared to treatment-as-usual or non-specific control interventions, but the effect was small and moderate to high heterogeneity was present. A subgroup analysis for different types of therapy revealed a significant effect of mindfulness-based and yoga interventions on negative symptoms, but heterogeneity within the yoga subgroup was high. Our results did not show an increase of positive symptoms (N = 1051).
Our results suggest a potential for meditation-based mind-body therapies in the treatment of negative symptoms, in particular for mindfulness based approaches and to a lesser extent yoga. Limitations in the available comparisons do not allow concluding on a specific effect of these interventions. Overall, the currently available evidence remains limited and does not yet allow one to recommend mind-body therapies for the reduction of negative symptoms. However, the present findings justify further research on mind-body therapies for the treatment of negative symptoms.
To objectively evaluate the most common forms of mind-body exercise (MBE) (tai chi, yoga, qigong) on cognitive function among people with mild cognitive impairment (MCI).
We searched 6 electronic ...databases (Scopus, PubMed, PsycINFO, WanFang, Web of Science, CNKI) from inception until September 2018.
Nine randomized controlled trials and 3 nonrandomized controlled trials were included for meta-analysis.
Two researchers independently performed the literature searches, study selection, data extraction, and methodological quality assessment using the revised Physiotherapy Evidence Database (PEDro) scale.
The pooled effect size (standardized mean difference SMD) was calculated while random-effect model was selected. Overall results of the meta-analysis (N=1298 people with MCI) indicated that MBE significantly improved attention (SMD=0.39, 95% confidence interval CI 0.07-0.71, P=.02, I
=31.6%, n=245), short-term memory (SMD=0.74, 95% CI 0.57-0.90, P<.001, I
=0%, n=861), executive function (SMD=-0.42, 95% CI -0.63 to -0.21, P<.001, I
=38.54%, n=701), visual-spatial/executive function (SMD=0.35, 95% CI 0.07-0.64, P<.05, I
=0%, n=285), and global cognitive function (SMD=0.36, 95% CI 0.2-0.52, P<.001, I
=15.12%, n=902). However, the significant positive effect on cognitive processing speed was not observed following MBE interventions (SMD=0.31, 95% CI -0.01 to 0.63, P=.054, I
=28.66%, n=233).
Study findings of this meta-analysis suggest that MBE have the potential to improve various cognitive functions in people with MCI.
In COPD, functional status is improved by pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) but requires specific facilities. Tai Chi, which combines psychological treatment and physical exercise and requires no special ...equipment, is widely practiced in China and is becoming increasingly popular in the rest of the world. We hypothesized that Tai Chi is equivalent (ie, difference less than ±4 St. George's Respiratory Questionnaire SGRQ points) to PR.
A total of 120 patients (mean FEV
, 1.11 ± 0.42 L; 43.6% predicted) bronchodilator-naive patients were studied. Two weeks after starting indacaterol 150 μg once daily, they randomly received either standard PR thrice weekly or group Tai Chi five times weekly, for 12 weeks. The primary end point was change in SGRQ prior to and following the exercise intervention; measurements were also made 12 weeks after the end of the intervention.
The between-group difference for SGRQ at the end of the exercise interventions was -0.48 (95% CI PR vs Tai Chi, -3.6 to 2.6; P = .76), excluding a difference exceeding the minimal clinically important difference. Twelve weeks later, the between-group difference for SGRQ was 4.5 (95% CI, 1.9 to 7.0; P < .001), favoring Tai Chi. Similar trends were observed for 6-min walk distance; no change in FEV
was observed.
Tai Chi is equivalent to PR for improving SGRQ in COPD. Twelve weeks after exercise cessation, a clinically significant difference in SGRQ emerged favoring Tai Chi. Tai Chi is an appropriate substitute for PR.
ClinicalTrials.gov; No.: NCT02665130; URL: www.clinicaltrials.gov.
La inclusión es respeto, compromiso social, sacrificio, identidad y amor; acreditado en una investigación realizada por la Facultad de Cultura Física de la Universidad de Cienfuegos, basados en el ...significado de la educación inclusiva mediante el deporte, con residentes de la comunidad de Pastorita (orientado por estudiantes y profesores de la carrera) desde un enfoque inclusivo, reconoce y valora las diferencias individuales y las concibe como una fuente de enriquecimiento de la calidad profesional. Estas diferencias se hacen aún más presentes, teniendo en cuenta necesidades educativas comunes. Su dirección desde la actividad deportiva, garantiza la igualdad de oportunidades, no es tarea fácil, implica transformar procesos del aprendizaje. El Tai chi o Tai chi chuan, antigua tradición china, hoy en día se practica como una forma elegante de ejercicio. Implica movimientos realizados de forma lenta, concentrada y acompañada de respiración profunda, asegurando que el cuerpo esté en constante movimiento. Si se busca una manera de reducir el estrés, considere el Tai chi. Originalmente desarrollado para la defensa personal, evolucionando hasta convertirse en una forma elegante de ejercicio utilizado para mejorar otras afecciones de salud. A menudo descrito como meditación en movimiento, promueve la serenidad a través de movimientos suaves y fluidos.
Abstract
The default mode network (DMN) plays an important role in age-related cognitive decline. This study aims to explore the modulation effect of two mind–body interventions (Tai Chi Chuan and ...Baduanjin) on DMN in elderly individuals. Participants between 50 and 70 years old were recruited and randomized into a Tai Chi Chuan, Baduanjin or control group. The Wechsler Memory Scale-Chinese Revision and resting-state fMRI scans were administered at baseline and following 12 weeks of exercise. Seed-based resting-state functional connectivity (rsFC) was calculated. We found that (i) compared to the Baduanjin group, Tai Chi Chuan was significantly associated with increased rsFC between the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) and right putamen/caudate and (ii) compared to the control group, Tai Chi Chuan increased posterior cingulate cortex rsFC with the right putamen/caudate, while Baduanjin decreased rsFC between the mPFC and orbital prefrontal gyrus/putamen. Baseline mPFC rsFC with orbital prefrontal gyrus was negatively correlated with visual reproduction subscore. These results suggest that both Tai Chi Chuan and Baduanjin can modulate the DMN, but through different pathways. Elucidating the mechanisms underlying different mind–body interventions may shed light on the development of new methods to prevent age-related diseases as well as other disorders associated with disrupted DMN.
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