Table 3.
Study characteristics of included studies.
| Author, year | Participant N (AT); M/W | Mean age | Intervention | Frequency and duration of intervention (Tai Chi) | Group and/or home | Setting | Outcomes/measure |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lam et al., 2011 [19] | 389 (15.4%) 92 M/297 W |
77.2 | TG: 24 forms simplified Tai Chi (n = 171) CG: Stretching and toning exercise (n = 218) |
3 × 30 min/week for 5 months | Both | China | MMSE; ADAS-Cog; category verbal fluency, delay recall; digit span (forward), digit span (backward); visual span (forward); visual span (backward); Chinese Trail A (sec); Chinese Trail B (sec); CDR Sum of Boxes |
| Lavretsky et al., 2011 [20] | 73 (6.8%) 28 M/45 W |
70.6 | TG: Escitalopram plus Tai Chi (n = 36) CG: Escitalopram plus health education (n = 37) |
one 120-minute session/week for10 weeks | Group | American | MMSE; Trail-Making Test A errors; California Verbal Learning Test; Trail-Making Test B; Stroop test |
| Lam et al., 2012 [21] | 389 (32.9%) 92 M/297 W |
77.8 | TG: 24 forms simplified Tai Chi (n = 171) CG: Stretching and toning exercise (n = 218) |
3 × 30 min/week for 12 months | Both | China | MMSE; ADAS-Cog; category verbal fluency; delay recall; digit span (forward); digit span (backward); visual span (forward); visual span (backward); Chinese Trail A (sec); Chinese Trail B (sec); CDR Sum of Boxes |
| Nguyen et al., 2012 [22] | 96(24.0%) 48 M/48 W |
69 | TG: 24-form style Tai Chi (n = 48) CG: maintain routine daily activities(n = 48) |
2 × 60 min/week for 6 months | Group | Vietnam | Trail-Making Test A Trail-Making Test B |
| Mortimer et al., 2012 [23] | 60 (10.8%) 20 M/40 W |
67.8 | TG: Tai Chi (n = 30) CG: no-intervention control (n = 30) |
3 × 50 min/week for 40 weeks | Group | China | WAIS digit span (forward); WAIS digit span (backward); bell cancellation test; Rey Figure (copying); Rey Figure (recall); Stroop test (word). Stroop test (color); Stroop test (color-word); Auditory Verbal Learning Test (immediate. recall); Auditory Verbal Learning Test (delayed recall); Auditory Verbal Learning Test (delayed recognition); Category verbal fluency (animals); WAIS similarities; Trails A Time (seconds). Trails B Time (seconds); clock drawing test; Boston Naming Test (correct names); Mattis Dementing Rating Scale (total score); Mattis attention score; Mattis initiation score; Mattis construction score; Mattis conceptualization score; Mattis memory score |
| Sun et al., 2015 [24] | 150 (8%) NR |
69.2 | TG: 24-form Yang-style Tai Chi (n = 72) CG: nonathletic activities (playing cards or singing) (n = 66) |
2 × 60 min/week for 6 months | NR | China | MMSE Frontal Assessment Battery (FAB) |
| Sungkarat et al., 2017 [26] | 66 (10.6) 9 M/57 W |
67.9 | TG: 10-form Tai Chi (n = 33) CG: educational information related to cognition (n = 33) |
3-week center-based 12-week home-based Tai Chi (50 minutes per session, 3 times per week) | Both | Thailand | LM-delayed recall DS-forward/backward Block design Trail-Making Test Part B–A |
| Tao et al., 2017 [27] | 61 (41.3%) 20 M/41 W |
61.5 | TG: Tai Chi (n = 21) Baduanjin (n = 15) CG: Control (n = 25) |
a 60-minute practice session 5 days per week for 12 weeks | NR | China | Wechsler Memory Scale |
| Sungkarat et al., 2018 [28] | 66(15.2%) 9 M/57 W |
67.9 | TG: 10-form Tai Chi (n = 33) CG: received educational material that covered information related to cognition (n = 33) |
Practiced at home for 50 min/session, 3 times/week for 6 months | Both | Thailand | Logical memory-delayed recall Digit span-forward/backward Block design Trail-Making Test Part B–A |
| Bao et al., 2019 [29] | 62 (0%) 29 M/33 W |
NR | TG: 24-form Yang-style Tai Chi Tai Chi (n = 31) CG: educational (n = 31) |
30 min/session, 2 times/week for 6 months | NR | China | MMSE MoCA |
| Fogarty et al., 2016 [25] | 40 (0%) 19 M/21 W |
72 y | TG: Tai Chi plus memory training CG: memory training |
2 × 90 min for 22 weeks | Group | England | Hopkins verbal learning test; digit span and digit Symbol; Trail-Making Test (TMT) A and B; Rivermead Behavioral memory test; second Edition Everyday attention |
Abbreviations: ADAS-Cog, Alzheimer's Disease Assessment Scale-Cognitive subscale; AT, attrition rate; CDR, Clinical Dementia Rating; CG, control group; DS, digit span; LM, logical memory; MMSE, Mini-Mental State Examination; MoCA, Montreal Cognitive Assessment Scale; TG, treatment group; M/W, men/women; NR, not reported; TG, treatment group.