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Updated: May 12, 2026
Working Memory Training for Older Participants: A Control Group Training Regimen and Initial Intellectual Functioning Assessment
Published on: September 20, 2020
Effects of Baduanjin exercise on working memory in mild cognitive impairment: an fNIRS-based randomized controlled
Can Duan1,2,3,4, Yufei Chong3,5, Chanjuan Zheng1,2,3
1Department of Rehabilitation, Hubei Provincial Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Wuhan, China.
Objective:
This study utilized functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) technology to investigate the effects of Baduanjin exercise on activation levels in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC), frontal eye field (FEF), and somatosensory cortex (SSC) during working memory tasks in patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI).
Methods:
A total of 46 MCI patients were randomly assigned to either a Baduanjin group (n = 23) or a control group (n = 23). The Baduanjin group underwent a 12-week Baduanjin exercise intervention, while the control group received only health education. Before and after the 12-week intervention, fNIRS was used to measure changes in oxygenated hemoglobin (HbO) levels in 67 channels across the bilateral frontal lobes, temporal lobes, parietal lobes during 1-back tasks. Cognitive function was assessed using the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) and the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE). Attention, executive function, and visual search ability were evaluated using the Shape Trail Test A and B (STT-A and STT-B). Psychological status was assessed with the Symptom Checklist-90 (SCL-90), and sleep quality was measured using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI).
Results:
Compared to the control group, the Baduanjin group showed significant improvements in MoCA and MMSE scores after 12 weeks of training, along with significant reductions in STT-B completion time, SCL-90 scores, and PSQI scores. Our fNIRS findings demonstrated a significantly greater recruitment of the right somatosensory cortex (SSC-R) in the Baduanjin group at week 12, which coupled positively with improvements in MoCA scores. Notably, such between-group divergence was absent in the DLPFC and FEF, where activation levels remained comparable between the two groups.
Conclusion:
These findings suggest that Baduanjin training can improve cognitive function in MCI patients, particularly in executive function, which may be associated with increased activation in the SSC-R.
