Dementia is a syndrome of impairments of cortical functions caused by brain diseases. More than 55 million people worldwide are currently living with dementia, with nearly 10 million new cases each year. Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common form of dementia and may account for 60-70% of patients with dementia. Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is an intermediate state between normal cognitive aging and dementia. About 10% to 15% of patients with MCI progress to dementia each year. In recent years, studies have found that there is an earlier stage before MCI, that is, the stage of subjective cognitive impairment (SCI). SCI is a stage between normal aging and MCI, which is manifested by the self-reported experience of worsening or more frequent memory loss but not supported by objective evidence. Subjects with SCI are more likely to develop AD. According to the US CDC data, the prevalence of SCI among adults aged 65 years and older is 11.7%. Therefore, it is crucial to find intervention strategies to prevent the progression of SCI to MCI and dementia. However, drug interventions are currently ineffective in the prevention and treatment of such diseases. Based on the synaptic plasticity, more and more studies focus on non-drug interventions. Our research group previously found non-drug interventions (cognitive training, exercise therapy) can effectively delay cognitive decline in the elderly. Therefore, this project plans to conduct a multi-site, randomized, parallel-controlled clinical trial to examine the effect of 3 years-Tai Chi exercise intervention on cognitive function in SCI subjects and to provide a new clinical basis for the prevention and treatment of cognitive disorders.
This study evaluates the effects of 3 years-Tai Chi exercise intervention on cognitive function in subjects with subjective cognitive impairment (SCI). Participants will be randomized into the Tai chi training group and the control group.