Brisk Walking and Baduanjin Improve Inhibitory Function in Older Adults With Cognitive Impairment

NCT07678476 | Completed

• 1 other identifier: 2026A122
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 45
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

This study aims to investigate the acute effects of single-session different forms of aerobic exercise (brisk walking and Baduanjin) on inhibitory function and resting-state EEG power in older adults with cognitive impairment, providing scientific evidence for developing exercise intervention programs for this population. Specifically, this study seeks to answer the following core questions:

1. 1.Can a single session of brisk walking and a single session of Baduanjin exercise improve reaction time and accuracy on the Stroop color-word task in older adults with cognitive impairment?
2. 2.Are there differential effects on inhibitory function between the two exercise modalities?
3. 3.Does a single exercise session induce immediate changes in resting-state EEG power spectrum across multiple frequency bands (δ, θ, α, β)?
4. 4.Are changes in resting-state EEG power associated with improvements in inhibitory function?

Conditions

Cognition Impairment

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (2)

• Change in Inhibitory Function Assessed by the Stroop Color-Word Test

  Inhibitory function will be assessed using the Stroop color-word test. Participants are required to name the color of the ink while inhibiting the automatic tendency to read the word. The outcome measure is the change from baseline in accuracy rate (%) under both congruent and incongruent conditions immediately post-intervention.

  Baseline and immediately post-intervention (approximately 30 minutes after the exercise session)

• Change in Inhibitory Function Assessed by the Stroop Color-Word Test

  Inhibitory function will be assessed using the Stroop color-word test. Participants are required to name the color of the ink while inhibiting the automatic tendency to read the word. The outcome measure is the change from baseline in reaction time (milliseconds) under both congruent and incongruent conditions immediately post-intervention.

  Baseline and immediately post-intervention (approximately 30 minutes after the exercise session

Secondary Outcomes (1)

• Change in Resting-State EEG Power Spectrum

  Baseline and immediately post-intervention (approximately 30 minutes after the exercise session)

Study Arms (3)

brisk walking group

EXPERIMENTAL

Single exercise session, duration 30 minutes

Behavioral: exercise intervention

Baduanjin group

EXPERIMENTAL

Single exercise session, duration 30 minutes

Behavioral: exercise intervention

control group

NO INTERVENTION

Interventions

exercise intervention BEHAVIORAL

The brisk walking protocol was designed in accordance with the standards promulgated by the General Administration of Sport of China in 2017. The Baduanjin exercise was based on the "Health Qigong · Baduanjin" protocol promulgated by the General Administration of Sport of China in 2003.

Baduanjin group; brisk walking group

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 60 Years+
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: No
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

• Age ≥ 60 years, regardless of gender;
• Right-handed;
• Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) score ≤ 25;
• Normal or corrected-to-normal vision;
• Normal hearing;
• Signed informed consent.

You may not qualify if:

• Presence of severe cognitive impairment or other neurodegenerative diseases;
• Presence of psychiatric disorders, or current or long-term use of psychotropic medications;
• Presence of severe cardiovascular diseases (e.g., heart failure, atherosclerosis, myocardial infarction, etc.);
• Presence of severe muscle diseases, or a history of lower limb injury within the past six months that would preclude the ability to stand for extended periods.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Shanghai University of Sport: lead

Study Sites (1)

Shanghai University of Sport

Shanghai, China

Location

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: TRIPLE
• Who Masked: PARTICIPANT, INVESTIGATOR, OUTCOMES ASSESSOR
• Purpose: TREATMENT
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Director

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: June 25, 2026
• First Posted: July 1, 2026
• Study Start: August 1, 2025
• Primary Completion: December 30, 2025
• Study Completion: April 10, 2026
• Last Updated: July 2, 2026

Record last verified: 2026-07

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

CN (1)