A study led by Dr. Samuel Nyman, a Principal Academic at Bournemouth University, found that Tai Chi is beneficial to the health of older people with dementia.
The TACIT Trial was conducted to see if Tai Chi could improve the quality of life for people with dementia. The researchers especially wanted to know if it could prevent falls as well. The study has been published in Clinical Interventions in Aging.
Dr. Nyman said:
We were really interested to see if Tai Chi improves balance and prevents falls among people with dementia. This is an important issue because people with dementia are twice as likely to fall and twice as likely to have injuries as a result of falls.
The Study
- A group of elderly people with dementia participated.
- They were split into two groups, a control group, and a Tai Chi group. The control group carried out normal activities. The Tai Chi group undertook a 6-month Tai Chi program.
- The 6-month study was conducted across the South of England. The Tai Chi sessions took place in Southampton, Dorset, and Portsmouth.
The Results
- Those in the Tai Chi group maintained a good quality of life.
- Those in the control group saw a decline in quality of life.
Dr. Nyman explained:
We found that those who did Tai Chi really enjoyed the classes and meeting up with others who have dementia and their family carers. We found Tai Chi to be an incredibly safe and gentle exercise, and family carers were happy to support their loved ones with the classes and home practice. Although we found no improvements in scores on balance tests, there was a strong trend for those in the Tai Chi group to have fewer falls.
Future Plans
The researchers would like to continue the study with a larger cohort and more intensive analysis. They want to prove that Tai Chi reduces falls in people with dementia and gain an understanding of how/why it does. Another recent study showed that exercise can boost memory and may be able to help fight dementia too, however, it suggested that high-intensity exercise works best.
