The effectiveness of Tai Chi on the depressive symptom of young adults with subthreshold depression: a study protocol for a randomized controlled trial

Relationship between physical activity and risk of depression in a married group

BACKGROUND

Currently, there are many different findings on the relationship between physical activity and depression, and there may be differences between genders. This study therefore focused on gender differences to understand the relationship between physical activity behaviour and the risk of depression in married individuals.

METHODS

15607 married people in the China Family Panel Studies 2020 (CFPS 2020) were used to understand the relationship between physical activity and depression risk in different populations, and the chi-square test, Mann-Whitney U-test, and binary logistic regression were used to explore the relationship between physical activity and depression risk in the married population.

RESULTS

527 (6.64%) women were at high risk of depression and 365 (4.76%) men were at high risk of depression; physical activity was associated with the risk of depression in the married population, but after incorporating demographic and relevant cognitive variables, physical activity was negatively associated with the risk of depression in women (OR = 0.94, P < 0.01) but not statistically significant with the risk of depression in men (OR = 0.96, P > 0.05).

CONCLUSION

Physical activity was directly related to the risk of depression in married women, but not in married men.

Lifestyle intervention Tai Chi for adult patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus: a PRIO-harms based overview of 17 systematic reviews

Objective

To systematically summarize current evidence and determine the clinical effectiveness and safety of Tai Chi for type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) in adults by conducting an overview of systematic reviews (SRs).

Methods

A systematic search encompassing five electronic databases was conducted until July 30, 2023, to identify relevant systematic reviews (SRs) based on randomized controlled trials (RCTs) concerning Tai Chi for T2DM. The methodological quality of the included SRs was assessed using the A MeaSurement Tool to Assess systematic Reviews (AMSTAR 2) and the Risk of Bias in Systematic Reviews (ROBIS) tool. The Preferred Reporting Items for Overview of Systematic Review (PRIO-harms) checklist was used to promote a more balanced reporting of benefits and harms in this overview. Corrected covered area (CCA) was used to calculate the degree of overlapping primary studies. Primary outcome measures were glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) and fasting blood glucose (FBG), while secondary outcomes encompassed health-related quality measures. The GRADE (Grades of Recommendations, Assessment, Development, and Evaluation) framework was utilized to assess the quality of evidence for the outcome measures.

Results

A total of 17 eligible SRs were included in this overview. One SR reported negative conclusions, while the remaining 16 reported positive ones on different outcomes. A total of 4 SRs reported adverse events, either absent or minor. Most of the SRs exhibited critically low quality (15/17) and a high risk of bias (14/17), as indicated by AMSTAR2 and ROBIS, respectively. The CCA was 12.14%, indicating a high degree of primary study overlapping. Evidence from 135 results for 24 outcomes concerning Tai Chi for T2DM was evaluated using the GRADE approach, most of which were rated very low.

Conclusion

Tai Chi shows promise as a potentially effective and safe lifestyle intervention for adults with T2DM, particularly in improving HbA1c, FBG, BMI, and overall quality of life (QoL). However, these results should be cautiously interpreted due to methodological flaws observed in the current SRs and the low quality of the SRs based on GRADE. Furthermore, there is a compelling need for additional well-designed, high-quality RCTs and SRs to establish robust and conclusive evidence regarding the efficacy of Tai Chi for managing T2DM in the future.

Systematic Review Registration

https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/, identifier CRD 42019140988.

Effect of Tai Chi on Young Adults with Subthreshold Depression via a Stress-Reward Complex: A Randomized Controlled Trial

BACKGROUND

Subthreshold depression is a highly prevalent mood disorder in young adults. Mind-body exercises, such as Tai Chi, have been adopted as interventions for clinical depressive symptoms. However, the possible effect and underlying mechanism of Tai Chi on subthreshold depression of young individuals remain unclear. This randomized controlled study aimed to evaluate the effects of Tai Chi training and tested the combined stress and reward circuitry model for subthreshold depression.

RESULTS

A total of 103 participants completed this trial, with 49 in the 12-week 24-style Tai Chi group and 54 participants in control group. Our results showed significantly lower scores on depressive symptoms (P = 0.002) and anxiety symptoms (P = 0.009) and higher scores on quality of life (P = 0.002) after Tai Chi training. There were significant reductions in salivary cortisol levels (P = 0.007) and putamen gray matter volume (P < 0.001) in the Tai Chi group. The changes in cortisol levels and putamen gray matter volume had direct (bootstrapping confidence interval [- 0.91, - 0.11]) and indirect effects (bootstrapping confidence interval [- 0.65, - 0.19]) on the changes induced by Tai Chi training on depressive symptoms, respectively.

CONCLUSION

The stress-reward complex results indicated an interaction between lowering stress levels and increasing reward circuitry activity associated with the alleviation of depressive symptoms among participants. The 12-week Tai Chi training was effective in improving the symptoms and quality of life of young adults with subthreshold depression. Trial Registration Chinese Registry of Clinical Trials (Registration Number: ChiCTR1900028289, Registered December 12, 2019).

The therapeutic effect of Taijiquan combined with acupoint pressing on the treatment of anxiety insomnia in college students: A study protocol for a randomized controlled trial

INTRODUCTION

Sleep health is an important part of health and has become a common concern of society. For anxiety insomnia, the commonly used clinical therapies have limitations. Alternative and complementary therapy is gradually rising and showing remarkable effect in clinical practice. This is the first study to evaluate the therapeutic effect of Taijiquan combined with acupoint pressing in the treatment of anxiety insomnia in college students and to compare the difference in intervention before and after sleep, to choose the best treatment time.

METHODS AND ANALYSIS

This is a multicenter, single-blind, randomized controlled trial. A total of 126 eligible subjects who have passed the psychological evaluation and met inclusion criteria by completing a psychometric scale will be randomly divided into treatment group A (treat before sleep), treatment group B (treat after sleep) and control group C (waiting list group) in a ratio of 1:1:1. All the three groups will receive regular psychological counseling during the trial, and the treatment groups will practice 24-style Taijiquan and do meridian acupuncture at Baihui (DU20), Shenting (DU24), Yintang (EX-HN3), Shenmen (HT7) and Sanyinjiao (SP6). This RCT includes a 2-week baseline period, a 12-week intervention period, and a 12-week follow-up period. The main results will be measured by changes in the Pittsburgh sleep quality index (PSQI) and Hamilton anxiety scale (HAMA). The secondary results will be measured by the generalized anxiety scale (GAD-7) and insomnia severity index (ISI). The safety of the intervention will be evaluated at each assessment. The statistical analysis of data will be carried out by SPSSV.26.0 software.

DISCUSSION

We expect this trial to explore the effectiveness of Taijiquan combined with acupoint pressing in the treatment of anxiety insomnia in college students and choose the best treatment time by comparison.

CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION

[www.ClinicalTrials.gov], identifier [ChiCTR2200057003].

The Effect of Tai Chi Chuan on Emotional Health: Potential Mechanisms and Prefrontal Cortex Hypothesis

Deep involvement in the negative mood over long periods of time likely results in emotional disturbances/disorders and poor mental health. Tai Chi Chuan (TCC) is regarded as a typical mind-body practice combining aerobic exercise and meditation to prevent and treat negative mood. Although there are an increasing number of TCC studies examining anxiety, depression, and mental stress, the mechanisms underlying these negative emotions are not fully understood. This review study examined TCC studies related to emotional health from both clinical patients and healthy individuals. Next, several potential mechanisms from physiological, psychological, and neurological perspectives were evaluated based on direct and indirect research evidence. We reviewed recent functional magnetic resonance imaging studies, which demonstrated changes in brain anatomy and function, mainly in the prefrontal cortex, following TCC practice. Finally, the effects of TCC on emotion/mental health is depicted with a prefrontal cortex hypothesis that proposed “an immune system of the mind” indicating the role of the prefrontal cortex as a flexible hub in regulating an individual's mental health. The prefrontal cortex is likely a key biomarker among the multiple complex neural correlates to help an individual manage negative emotions/mental health. Future research is needed to examine TCC effects on mental health by examining the relationship between the executive control system (mainly prefrontal cortex) and limbic network (including amygdala, insula, and hippocampal gyrus).