Project Gnosis: the Neurophysical and Psychosocial Health Outcomes of Tai Chi for Older Adults with Cognitive Concerns or Mild Cognitive Impairment
Trial Parameters
Eligibility Fast-Check
Enter your details for a quick preliminary check. This does not replace medical advice.
Brief Summary
Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) in older adults is linked to muscle loss (sarcopenia) and can lead to dementia, with pain further impacting cognitive and physical performance. Tai Chi, a mind-body exercise, is recommended for managing MCI as it supports cognitive function, mood, and physical health. The investigators' first goal is to characterize the correlation of heart rate variability and cortical activity on cognitive function and the psychosocial correlates of pain interference and social isolation on cognitive function at baseline and post-intervention (8 weeks of Tai Chi). The second goal is to explain the role of sarcopenia and obesity in the relationship between pain interference and cognitive function. The investigators also want to examine the index of the predictive capacity regarding sarcopenia and obesity on cognitive function outcomes.
Eligibility Criteria
Inclusion Criteria: 1. Participants who are older adults, defined as ≥60 years old. 2. Participants must have the ability to independently stand without the use of an assistive device for 20 minutes. 3. People with Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) (initial cohort) and without MCI (age-gender matched healthy controls). A score of between \>18 and ≤26 on the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) will be used to classify MCI. A score above 26 is considered normal. Exclusion Criteria: 1. Participants with significant uncontrolled medication, and cardiovascular, respiratory, and metabolic symptoms will be excluded from participation in the study, as these symptoms could impact their engagement with the engagement of Tai Chi. 2. Investigators will administer a brief screening questionnaire to assess (a) hypotension symptoms related to intensive treatment of hypertension and (b) hypoglycemia related to intensive treatment of diabetes, as these conditions are associated with cognitive decline. 3