Effects of Long-Term Tai Chi Ball Practice on Balance Performance in Older Adults

Abstract Tele-technologies may be able to increase access to evidence-based exercise interventions for adults aging with long-term mobility disabilities. This population experiences substantial barriers in attending such programs in person, including lack of transportation to classes, inaccessible buildings where classes are held, and lack of appropriate modifications offered for this population of older adults. It is critical to overcome such barriers to ensure this population has an opportunity to receive the benefits of evidence-based programs. In this study we are translating an in-person evidence-based tai chi intervention, Tai Chi for Arthritis, to an online platform using videoconferencing software for those aging with long-term mobility disabilities. We will describe our approach of including users from the target population and industry representatives (videoconferencing software developer, Tai Chi for Arthritis program developer as well as local master trainer) in the adaptation of the intervention and present the key findings from doing so.

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UTILIZING TECHNOLOGY NETWORKS TO SUPPORT SOCIAL NETWORKS FOR PEOPLE AGING WITH DISABILITY

Innovation in Aging ◽

10.1093/geroni/igz038.2787 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽

pp. S758-S759

Author(s):

Elena T Remillard ◽

Wendy Rogers ◽

Sarah Ruiz

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Successful Aging ◽

Independent Living ◽

Large Scale ◽

Tai Chi ◽

New Technologies ◽

Great Promise ◽

Ongoing Research ◽

Engineering Research

Abstract A growing number of new smart, internet-enabled technologies from smart phone applications, to teleconferencing, to the Internet of Things (IoT), provide great promise and potential to support successful aging-in-place for people with long-term disabilities. This symposium highlights ongoing research at the TechSAge Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center to identify technology needs and develop/adapt new technologies to promote independence, health, and participation of this population. To understand user needs, Harris et al. will present findings from a large-scale interview study with older adults with long-term vision and mobility disabilities (N=120) that explored specific task-based challenges with community activities (e.g., going to entertainment events, volunteering) as well as solutions and strategies to overcome them. Koon et al. will present findings on perceived facilitators and barriers to using digital assistants (e.g., Amazon Alexa) to facilitate a variety of everyday tasks at home, from shopping to communicating with others, among adults aging with mobility disabilities. Levy et al. will discuss findings from research driving the creation of augmented reality tools that can enable individuals to experience how IoT devices, such as smart thermostats and lightbulbs, could be used within the context of one’s own abilities and home. Mitzner et al., will describe the development of a Tele Tai Chi intervention for older adults with long-term mobility disabilities that employs teleconferencing software to translate an in-person, evidence-based class to an online, social experience. TechSAge Program Officer, Sarah Ruiz (National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research), will serve as the discussant.

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The underlying mechanisms of improved balance after short- and long-term training in older adults

10.1101/2020.10.01.322313 ◽

2020 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Leila Alizadehsaravi ◽

Ruud Koster ◽

Wouter Muijres ◽

Huub Maas ◽

Sjoerd M. Bruijn ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Time Course ◽

Balance Control ◽

H Reflex ◽

Balance Performance ◽

Unipedal Standing ◽

Ankle Muscles ◽

Reflex Gain ◽

And Performance

AbstractWith training older adults can improve balance control, but the time course and neural mechanisms underlying these improvements are unclear. We studied changes in balance (robustness and performance), as well as in H-reflex gains, paired reflex depression (PRD) and co-contraction duration (CCI) in ankle muscles after short-term (1 session; STT) and long-term (3 weeks; LTT) balance training in 22 older adults. Mediolateral balance robustness during unipedal stance (time to balance loss in unipedal standing on a robotic platform with decreasing rotational stiffness) improved (33%) after STT, with no further improvement after LTT. Balance performance (mean absolute mediolateral center of mass velocity) improved (18.75%) after STT in perturbed unipedal standing and after LTT (18.18%) in unperturbed unipedal standing. CCI of soleus/tibialis anterior did not change after STT but increased (16%) after LTT. H-reflex gain and PRD excitability did not change with training. Cross-correlations showed that H-reflex gains in unipedal stance were lower and CCI was higher in participants with a more robust balance at the last time-point measurement and, CCI was higher in participants with better balance performance at several time-points. However, changes in robustness and performance were uncorrelated with changes in CCI, H-reflex gain, or PRD. Our results indicate that balance robustness improves over a single session, while balance performance improves more gradually over multiple sessions. Changes in co-contraction and motor neuron excitability of ankle muscles are not exclusive causes of improved balance performance and robustness.

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Delivering a Tai Chi Intervention to Adults Aging with Mobility Disabilities Using Zoom

Innovation in Aging ◽

10.1093/geroni/igab046.1642 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 5 (Supplement_1) ◽

pp. 425-425

Author(s):

Elena Remillard ◽

Kara Cohen ◽

Lelah Cochran ◽

Tracy Mitzner

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Older Adults ◽

Tai Chi ◽

Lessons Learned ◽

Evidence Based ◽

Physical And Mental Health ◽

Virtual Group ◽

Exercise Classes ◽

Made In

Abstract Many individuals aging with mobility disabilities experience barriers to participating in physical activity, including transportation challenges and the need for specialized instruction. Since the COVID-19 pandemic began, these participation barriers have been amplified due to lockdowns and restrictions. Tele-technologies, including videoconferencing platforms like Zoom, can facilitate access to exercise classes from one’s home. Virtual group exercise classes that incorporate social interaction have particular potential to support the physical and mental health of this population. This session will highlight lessons learned from launching the ‘Tele Tai Chi’ study, in which we are delivering an evidence-based Tai Chi program (Tai Chi for Arthritis) via Zoom to small group classes of older adults with long-term mobility disabilities. We will describe adaptations made in translating the in-person program to an interactive, online class, and provide an overview of a ‘Telewellness’ Tool that provides guidelines for using Zoom to deliver exercise classes to older adults.

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Comment on “Optimal exercise parameters of tai chi for balance performance in older adults: A meta‐analysis”

Journal of the American Geriatrics Society ◽

10.1111/jgs.17612 ◽

2021 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Aoran Yang ◽

Xin Tian

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Tai Chi ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Balance Performance

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Determining Whether Tai Chi Chuan is Related to the Updating Function in Older Adults: Differences Between Experts and Novices

10.21203/rs.3.rs-783067/v1 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Yuan Yang ◽

Tingting Chen ◽

Xiaoxia Yuan ◽

Xiaoke Zhong ◽

Shoufu Yan ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Tai Chi ◽

The Elderly ◽

Elderly Subjects ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Tai Chi Chuan ◽

Novice Group ◽

Healthy Elderly ◽

Back Task

Abstract Background: Tai Chi Chuan (TCC) is one effective method used to delay cognitive decline in older adults. However, the relationship between the long-term practice of TCC and the crucial working memory updating function of the brain in the elderly has not been comprehensively researched.Objective: This cross-sectional study explores how behavioral performance in a laboratory setting is related to long term practice of TCC on the updating function in older people using reaction times (RTs) of N-back tasks. Methods: 26 healthy elderly people participated in this experiment. According to the length of time TCC was practiced, 13 subjects in the TCC group had more than 5 years’ experience of TCC exercise, and 13 elderly subjects who had not been systematically exposed to mind-body exercise were assigned to the novice group. The N-back task was administered to every participant to evaluate the updating function. Results: The TCC group had faster RTs compared to the novice group (p<0.05); For the 1-back task, the TCC group showed faster RTs than the novice group. For the 2-back task, the novice group exhibited faster RTs than the TCC group. Conclusions: TCC experts exhibit greater updating function as compared to TCC novices. Long-term TCC appears to be positive associated with the updating function of older adults, making it an effective exercise to maintain cognitive function in the elderly.

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Superior Effects of Modified Chen-Style Tai Chi versus 24-Style Tai Chi on Cognitive Function, Fitness, and Balance Performance in Adults over 55

Brain Sciences ◽

10.3390/brainsci9050102 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 9 (5) ◽

pp. 102 ◽

Cited By ~ 9

Author(s):

Liye Zou ◽

Paul D. Loprinzi ◽

Jane Jie Yu ◽

Lin Yang ◽

Chunxiao Li ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Cognitive Function ◽

Tai Chi ◽

Dynamic Balance ◽

Aging Population ◽

Balance Performance ◽

Timed Up And Go ◽

Beneficial Effects ◽

Global Cognitive Function ◽

Age Related

Background: Cognitive decline and balance impairment are prevalent in the aging population. Previous studies investigated the beneficial effects of 24-style Tai Chi (TC-24) on either cognitive function or balance performance of older adults. It still remains largely unknown whether modified Chen-style TC (MTC) that includes 18 complex movements is more beneficial for these age-related health outcomes, as compared to TC-24. Objective: We investigated if MTC would show greater effects than TC-24 on global cognitive function and balance-related outcomes among older adults. Methods: We conducted a randomized trial where 80 eligible adults aged over 55 were allocated into two different styles of Tai Chi (TC) arms (sixty-minute session × three times per week, 12 weeks). Outcome assessments were performed at three time periods (baseline, Week 6, and Week 12) and included the Chinese Version of the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) for overall cognitive function, One-leg Standing Test (LST) for static balance, Timed Up and Go Test (TUGT) for dynamic balance, chair Stand Test (CST) for leg power, and the six-meter Walk Test (6MWT) for aerobic exercise capacity. Results: Compared to TC-24 arm, MTC arm demonstrated significantly greater improvements in MoCA, LST, TUGT, CST, and 6MWT (all p < 0.05). Conclusions: Both forms of TC were effective in enhancing global cognitive function, balance, and fitness. Furthermore, MTC was more effective than TC-24 in enhancing these health-related parameters in an aging population.

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Balance training improves feedback control of perturbed balance in older adults

10.1101/2021.03.31.437824 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Leila Alizadehsaravi ◽

Sjoerd M. Bruijn ◽

Jaap H. van Dieen

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Angular Momentum ◽

Feedback Control ◽

Center Of Mass ◽

Balance Training ◽

Rate Of Change ◽

The Body ◽

Balance Performance ◽

Short Term

Recovering balance after perturbations becomes challenging with aging, but an effective balance training could reduce such challenges. In this study, we examined the effect of balance training on feedback control after unpredictable perturbations by investigating balance performance, recovery strategy, and muscle synergies. We assessed the effect of balance training on unipedal perturbed balance in twenty older adults (>65 years) after short-term (one session) and long-term (3-weeks) training. Participants were exposed to random medial and lateral perturbations consisting of 8-degree rotations of a robot-controlled balance platform. We measured full-body 3D kinematics and activation of 9 muscles (8 stance leg muscles, one trunk muscle) during 2.5 s after the onset of perturbation. The perturbation was divided into 3 phases: phase1 from the onset to maximum rotation of the platform, phase 2 from the maximum rotation angle to the 0-degree angle and phase 3 after platform movement. Balance performance improved after long-term training as evidenced by decreased amplitudes of center of mass acceleration and rate of change of body angular momentum. The rate of change of angular momentum did not directly contribute to return of the center of mass within the base of support, but it reoriented the body to an aligned and vertical position. The improved performance coincided with altered activation of synergies depending on the direction and phase of the perturbation. We concluded that balance training improves control of perturbed balance, and reorganizes feedback responses, by changing temporal patterns of muscle activation. These effects were more pronounced after long-term than short-term training.

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Technology is the New Normal for Individuals Aging-In-Place With Disabilities

Innovation in Aging ◽

10.1093/geroni/igab046.1640 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 5 (Supplement_1) ◽

pp. 425-425

Author(s):

Travis Kadylak ◽

Susy Stark

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Independent Living ◽

Tai Chi ◽

Exercise Intervention ◽

Interdisciplinary Collaboration ◽

Aging In Place ◽

Sensor Data ◽

Engineering Research ◽

Solution Strategies

Abstract Technology designers often exclude individuals aging with diverse needs, capabilities, and disabilities from engaging in the design process, which can hinder the usability and usefulness of emerging technologies. In this symposium, investigators report on research and development efforts aimed at understanding the needs of, and developing supportive technologies for, people aging with long-term disabilities. This symposium features projects from the Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center on Technologies to Support Aging-in-Place for People with Long-Term Disabilities (RERC TechSAge), which is an interdisciplinary collaboration between Georgia Tech and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. First, Bayles et al. will discuss findings from the Aging Concerns, Challenges, and Everyday Solution Strategies II study, focused on Deaf older adults’ use of technologies as solution strategies for common everyday challenges. Next, Mitzner et al. will highlight the development of an evidence-based group exercise intervention (Tellewellness Tai Chi for Arthritis) aimed at promoting both physical exercise and social interaction for older adults with long-term mobility disabilities. Kadylak et al. will describe how voice-activated digital assistants can support older adults aging with mobility disabilities by reporting on findings from a longitudinal demonstration project with older adults in assisted and independent living communities. Exploring the potential for smartbathroom technology to promote aging in place, Sanford et al. will discuss how smartbathroom sensor data can be analyzed and vizualized to identify ways to communicate insight from sensor data to improve training of occupational therapy practitioners. Susy Stark from Washington University will serve as the discussant for the symposium.

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