SynthesisBMC geriatrics2023
Effects of Tai Chi and Qigong on cognitive and physical functions in older adults: systematic review, meta-analysis, and meta-regression of randomized clinical trials.
Synthesis in BMC geriatrics, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 30 papers, 12 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
30 citing papers in PubMed, 12 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 39 citations in OpenAlex.
- Effects of Health Qigong on quality of life, physical function, and mental health in older adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.Frontiers in public health · 2026Pooled it
- Effects of Baduanjin exercise on sleep quality, depressive symptoms, quality of life, and body composition in older adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.Frontiers in public health · 2026Pooled it
- The effect of exercise on cognitive function in breast cancer survivors: systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer · 2025Pooled it
- Effect of Tai Ji and/or Qigong on patients with stable chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: A meta-analysis and systematic review.Medicine · 2025Pooled it
- Effects of physical exercise interventions on multidimensional health outcomes in patients with substance use disorders: a network meta-analysis.Frontiers in psychiatry · 2025Pooled it
- Effects of Tai Chi Chuan on cognitive function in adults 60 years or older with mild cognitive impairment: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Frontiers in physiology · 2025Pooled it
- The effects of Qigong exercise on sleep quality in older adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Frontiers in public health · 2025Pooled it
- Effects of traditional fitness qigong exercise on frailty status and overall well-being in frail or pre-frail patients: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Frontiers in medicine · 2025Pooled it
- A meta-analysis of the influence of traditional Chinese exercises on cognitive function in the elderly.Frontiers in psychology · 2025Pooled it
- Effectiveness of Tai Chi exercise on balance, falls, and motor function in older adults: a meta-analysis.Frontiers in medicine · 2024Pooled it
- Effects of traditional Chinese exercises or their integration with medical treatments on cognitive impairment: a network meta-analysis based on randomized controlled trials.Frontiers in aging neuroscience · 2024Pooled it
- Effect of berberine on cognitive function and β-amyloid precursor protein in Alzheimer's disease models: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Frontiers in pharmacology · 2023Pooled it
- Effects of Neiyanggong on cancer-related fatigue in breast cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy: a randomized controlled trial.Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer · 2026Trial
- Effects of mind-body health qigong exercise on depression severity and cognitive function in older adults at a senior care center: a randomized controlled trial.Frontiers in public health · 2026Trial
- Trial
- Project HERO: a randomized trial of Tai Chi qigong versus intensity-matched exercise and usual care for fatigue in older male cancer survivors.BMC complementary medicine and therapies · 2025Trial
- Effects of Taiji Stick exercise on strength, balance, and activities of daily living in older adults: a randomized controlled trial.Frontiers in public health · 2025Trial
- Effects of Tai Chi Qigong on sleep quality in older male cancer survivors: A randomized controlled clinical trial.Brain medicine : from neurons to behavior and better health · 2026Article
- Moving Beyond Outcome-Based Exercise Studies in Cognitive Aging: A Mechanism-Informed Narrative Review of Cerebrovascular Anchors and Supportive Biological Endpoints.Life (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Review
- Table Tennis as a Sustainable Health Intervention: A Meta-Analysis of Its Effects on Balance and Cognitive Functions.Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Review
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
9 authors at 2 institutions in 2 countries.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundOlder adults experience age-related declines in physical and cognitive functions due to interactions between aging and chronic diseases. Tai Chi and Qigong (TCQ) might be beneficial in improving the physical function and delaying the cognitive decline of this population. The potential underlying mechanism was explored to determine the effects of TCQ on cognitive function via direct or indirect pathways. PURPOSE: The objective of this systematic review was to determine the effects of TCQ on cognitive and physical functions in older adults using meta-analysis, and to determine the impact of TCQ on cognitive function while controlling for physical function using a meta-regression approach.
methodsA systematic search of 13 electronic databases (in English, Korean, and Chinese languages) identified 10,292 potentially eligible studies published between inception and May 2022. The bias in individual studies was assessed using the Cochrane Risk of Bias (version 2.0) tool. The heterogeneity of the studies was evaluated using a 95% prediction interval, and the meta-analysis and meta-regression were implemented using the Comprehensive Meta-Analysis (version 3) software.
resultsOur search identified 17 randomized studies (n = 2,365, mean age = 70.3 years). The results of the meta-analysis that used a random-effects model indicated that TCQ had significant effects on both cognitive (Hedges' g = 0.29, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.17 to 0.42) and physical (Hedges' g = 0.32, 95% CI = 0.19 to 0.44) functions. We used meta-regression to explore the effect size of TCQ in association with physical function level. The regression model was significant (Q = 25.01, p = .070), and 55% of the heterogeneity was explained by physical function as a moderator variable. The effects of TCQ on cognitive function remained significant in this model when controlling for the effect of physical function (β = 0.46, p = .011).
conclusionThis meta-regression of 17 randomized studies strongly suggests that TCQ has beneficial effects on physical and cognitive functions in older adults. The effect of TCQ on cognitive function remained significant after taking into account the significant effects of physical function as a moderator. The findings imply the potential health benefits of TCQ by promoting cognitive function in older adults directly and indirectly through enhancing physical function. PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER: *PROSPERO international prospective register of systematic reviews, registration ID CRD42023394358.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.