Brain Functional Connectivity Changes in Middle-Aged Hong Chuan Tai Chi Players

Abstract Tai Chi has been shown an effective strategy to improve cognitive function in older populations while the underlying mechanism remains unclear. This cross-sectional study was performed to examine the brain functional connectivity changes in middle-aged Hong Chuan Tai Chi practitioners. The changes in cerebral oxygenation were measured by functional near-infrared spectroscopy. NIRS signals were obtained from left and right prefrontal cortex, motor cortex and occipital cortex in 18 Hong chuan Tai Chi practitioners (age:55.78 ± 2.64y) and 22 demographically matched healthy Tai Chi-naïve controls (age:54.69 ± 3.10y). Global cognition was measured by the Montreal Cognitive Assessment Scale, and spontaneous oscillations in cerebral oxygenation between three cortexes in five frequency intervals (I, 0.6-2Hz; II, 0.145-0.6Hz; III, 0.052-0.145Hz; IV, 0.021-0.052Hz; V, 0.0095-0.021Hz) was analyzed by wavelet phase coherence. Compared with age-matched Tai Chi-naïve controls, Hong Chuan Tai Chi practitioners had better global cognition, showed higher functional connectivity between left and right prefrontal cortex, motor cortex, occipital cortex in intervals I, III, VI and V. These findings showed that middle-aged Hong Chuan Tai Chi practitioners had higher functional connectivity between prefrontal cortex, motor cortex and occipital cortex, as well as the coordination of left and right brain, which maybe the contributing factors to higher global cognition.