| Research purpose:Attention switching function is an important part of executive function and the most basic way of human cognitive activity,which is manifested the process of cognitive resource conversion when performing multiple tasks or situations.The attention switching function plays an important role in daily learning life,with the prolongation of human life expectancy,it shows obvious decline in the whole middle and old age,which will seriously affect the physical and mental health of the elderly and decrease their quality of life.This study adopt horizontal comparison and longitudinal tracking experiment method to observe the behavioral changes of TaiChi exercise on the attention switching function of the elderly,and using functional magnetic resonance imaging to compare and analyze the activation of the related brain regions in the elderly under the task of attention switching,in order to reveal the effect of Taijiquan exercise on the attention-switching function and its brain mechanism in old adults.This study provides experimental proof and theoretical basis for delaying the cognitive decline of the elderly and the formulation of exercise prescription for cognitive exercise.It’s also social significance and practical value for the realization of the new health management mode of "combination of physical education and medicine" and the popularization of TaiChi sport.Research objects and methods:This study includes two aspects:(1)In Shanghai Yangpu neighborhood community and national fitness activity center,15 long-term taijiquan practitioners were recruited as the TaiChi group(TaiChi exercise years ≥ 2 years),and 15 irregular sports habitual persons served as control group,to conducte cross sectional study between the two groups.The executive function was evaluated with the Montreal Cognitive Assessment scale(MoCA),the attention switching function was evaluated with More odd shifting task.Then 10 subjects were selected from TaiChi group and 7subjects were selected from control group participated in task-state functional magnetic resonance imaging test.(2)Recruiting 30 irregular sports habitual persons randomly divided into experimental group(15 cases)and control group(15 cases)for longitudinal tracking study.The experimental group received TaiChi exercise intervention twice a week for 60 minutes for 24 weeks,the control group maintained the original habits and carried out regular stretching exercises and health education.The executive function was evaluated with the Montreal Cognitive Assessment scale(MoCA),the attention switching function was evaluated with More odd shifting task.The SPSS22.0 was used for statistical analysis,count data use chi-square test,when behavior data were in accordance with normal distribution,independent sample T test was used for comparison among groups,and paired sample T test was used for in group comparison.The non-parametric Mann-Whitney U test was used in the non-normal distribution,and the fMRI data were processed and analyzed by statistical parametric mapping software(SPM).Research results:1.MoCA scale resultThe horizontal comparison showed that the MoCA score of the TaiChi group was significantly higher than that of the control group,and there was a significant difference(P<0.05).The longitudinal tracking study found that after 6 months of TaiChi intervention,the MoCA score of the experimental group was significantly higher than that before the experiment,and there was a significant difference(P<0.05),but there was no significant change in the MoCA score before and after the experiment in the control group(P>0.05).There was no significant difference in the MoCA score between the two groups before the experiment,but the MoCA score in the experimental group was significantly higher than that in the control group after the experiment,and there was a significant difference between the two groups(P<0.05).2.More odd shifting task resultThe horizontal comparison study showed that the correct rate of more task and the response time of odd task in TaiChi group were slightly better than those in control group,but there was no significant difference(P>0.05);The correct rate of odd task,the reaction time of more task and the switching cost in TaiChi group were better than those of the control group,and there were significant differences between the two groups(P <0.05);The correct rate and reaction time of mixed task in TaiChi group were significantly better than those in control group,and there was a highly significant difference between the two groups(P<0.01).The longitudinal tracking study showed that after six months of taijiqua TaiChi intervention,the correct rate and the reaction time of more task and odd task no change significantly than that before the experiment,and there was no significant difference between the two groups(P>0.05).The correct rate of the mixed task was obviously higher than that before the experiment,and the reaction time was obviously lower than that before the experiment,especially the switch cost after the experiment obviously decreased,and there was a significant difference(P<0.05).But there were no significant differences in the correct rate,the reaction time and the switch cost of more odd shifting task before and after the experiment in the control group(P>0.05)There were no significant differences between the two groups in the correct rate,the reaction time and the switch cost of more odd shifting task before the experiment(P>0.05).After the experiment,the correct rate of more task in the experimental group was higher than that in the control group,but the difference was not significant(P>0.05),the reaction time of more task was lower than that in the control group,and there were significant differences(P<0.05);The correct rate and the reaction time of odd task were slightly better than that of the control group,but there were no significant differences(P>0.05);The correct rate was significantly improve,the reaction time was significantly decreased of mixed tasks in the experimental group than that in the control group,and there was a highly significant difference between the two groups(P<0.01);The switch cost of the experimental group was significantlylower than that in the control group,there was significant difference between the two groups(P<0.05).3.More odd shifting task brain functional imaging resultThe horizontal comparison study showed that,when the TaiChi group executes the shifting task,the activation degree of the left frontal lobe,right caudate nucleus and right middle occipital gyrus was significantly increased,and the activation degree of the left superior temporal gyrus was decreased.Conclusion:1.TaiChi practice can obviously improve the overall executive function of the elderly.2.TaiChi practice can effectively improve the attention switching function of the old adults,especially the correct rate,the reaction time of mixed task and the switch cost in the More odd shifting experimental paradigm.3.The long-term TaiChi exercise can change the activation pattern of the old adults when they perform the switching task,which shows that the activation degree of the brain area related to the attention switching function is significantly increased;Brain activation levels associated with cognitive mental states about anxiety and depression are weakened. |
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