Dynamic changes on brain function during early stage of Tai Chi training: A motor imagery-based fMRI study

doi:10.3724/SP.J.1041.2023.01243

Abstract

Abstract:

Accumulating evidence suggests that regular participation in physical exercise, especially structured exercise with complex movement patterns like Tai Chi, is linked to change in brain function as measured by spontaneous and task-evoked neural activities. Understanding the changes in neurological activities during the early stages of motor skill learning would facilitate more effective teaching and coaching, but research on brain function during the early stages of Tai Chi training has not been conducted. Based on this, we conducted a longitudinal study in which functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) was used to collect data on brain function and behavioral measures during the early stage of Tai Chi training at multiple time points.

Nineteen college students with no prior Tai Chi experience were recruited for this study and were placed in a 14-week Tai Chi training program Of note, Tai Chi training session was recorded in order to evaluate the quality of Tai Chi form and its skill level (conducted by professor specializing in Tai Chi). Outcome measures were conducted at Week 2, Week 8, and Week 14. Meanwhile, 10 age- and sex-matched college students were considered as controls, who were asked to maintain normal lifestyle and schedule the same outcome measurements at baseline and Week 14. A Siemens 3.0 T MRI scanner was used to synchronously collect data on brain function while participants performed a motor imagery task. Group differences on Tai Chi skill level, temporal congruence, and functional activations were investigated using ANOVA while Pearson product-moment correlation was performed to examine relationships between them.

Behavioral results showed a learning curve on Tai Chi skill level from slow (Week 2 to Week 8) to fast (after Week 8) as the quality of motor imagery gradually improved. fMRI results showed a similar pattern of change on brain activity, which changed slowly (Week 2 to Week 8) and increased fastly (after Week 8). Such behavioral changes on skill level were significantly linked to functional activation of the left superior temporal gyrus and the left precuneus.

The learning of motor skills follows a pattern of “slow first, fast later”, which is supported by changes on brain activity in the left superior temporal gyrus and the left precuneus. In addition, Tai Chi is a type of a motor-cognitive exercise with relatively complex movement and its unique routine provides learners with the opportunity to optimize brain function.

Key words: Tai Chi, motor skill learning, motor imagery, fMRI

LI Lin, ZHANG Xiaoyou, XU Yakui, ZONG Boyi, ZHAO Wenrui, ZHAO Ge, YAO Meng, ZHAN Zhuxuan, YIN Dazhi, FAN Mingxia. (2023). Dynamic changes on brain function during early stage of Tai Chi training: A motor imagery-based fMRI study. Acta Psychologica Sinica, 55(8), 1243-1254.

Figures/Tables 17

References 54

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Variables	Experimental group	Control group	t(χ²)	p
Gender (M/F)	9/10	4/6	0.14	0.705
Age (years)	23.37 ± 0.90	23.00 ± 0.82	1.08	0.288
Height (m)	1.69 ± 0.08	1.66 ± 0.09	0.93	0.362
Weight (kg)	62.69 ± 6.79	58.00 ± 8.40	1.63	0.114
Years of education (years)	16.32 ± 0.48	16.50 ± 0.71	?0.84	0.411
Kinaesthetic imagery score	6.20 ± 0.71	5.63 ± 0.76	2.03	0.053

Variables	Experimental group	Control group	t(χ²)	p
Gender (M/F)	9/10	4/6	0.14	0.705
Age (years)	23.37 ± 0.90	23.00 ± 0.82	1.08	0.288
Height (m)	1.69 ± 0.08	1.66 ± 0.09	0.93	0.362
Weight (kg)	62.69 ± 6.79	58.00 ± 8.40	1.63	0.114
Years of education (years)	16.32 ± 0.48	16.50 ± 0.71	?0.84	0.411
Kinaesthetic imagery score	6.20 ± 0.71	5.63 ± 0.76	2.03	0.053

Variables	Group	2 weeks	14 weeks
Tai Chi skill level	Experimental group (n = 19)	5.84 ± 0.50	7.55 ± 0.58
Tai Chi skill level	Control group (n = 10)	3.25 ± 0.92	3.20 ± 0.79
Time consistency (ms)	Experimental group (n = 19)	2045.81 ± 719.99	1641.70 ± 915.47
Time consistency (ms)	Control group (n = 10)	2276.24 ± 1116.19	2799.13 ± 1601.13

Variables	Group	2 weeks	14 weeks
Tai Chi skill level	Experimental group (n = 19)	5.84 ± 0.50	7.55 ± 0.58
Tai Chi skill level	Control group (n = 10)	3.25 ± 0.92	3.20 ± 0.79
Time consistency (ms)	Experimental group (n = 19)	2045.81 ± 719.99	1641.70 ± 915.47
Time consistency (ms)	Control group (n = 10)	2276.24 ± 1116.19	2799.13 ± 1601.13

Activating brain areas	Hemispheres	Number of voxels	Coordinates of peak point MNI			t-value
Activating brain areas	Hemispheres	Number of voxels	X	Y	Z	t-value
First collection (2 weeks)
Supplementary motor area/precentral gyrus/inferior parietal lobule/postcentral gyrus/superior temporal gyrus	Left	2542	?9	?3	63	8.92
Inferior frontal gyrus	Right	203	39	15	6	6.76
Middle frontal gyrus	Left	148	?33	36	27	7.80
Postcentral gyrus/inferior parietal lobule	Right	231	42	?36	45	7.75
Calcarine fissure/precuneus	left/right	4360	27	?27	?6	?11.07
Middle temporal gyrus	Right	376	24	15	?21	?7.43
Middle temporal gyrus	Left	329	?48	6	?33	?8.01
Medial superior frontal gyrus	left/right	1579	3	63	3	?8.43
Second collection (8 weeks)
Insula/precentral gyrus/superior temporal gyrus	Left	120	?45	0	3	6.17
Inferior parietal lobule / posterior central gyrus	Left	398	?57	?27	39	7.07
Supplementary motor area/precentral gyrus	Left	1010	?6	?3	60	9.99
Inferior parietal lobule/posterior central gyrus	Right	157	39	?39	42	7.27
Cerebellar area 9	Right	296	3	?54	?45	?8.93
Calcarine fissure/precuneus	left/right	5804	9	?45	39	?11.79
Middle temporal gyrus	Right	222	51	3	?39	?7.11
Middle temporal gyrus	Left	640	?54	3	?30	?6.60
Medial superior frontal gyrus	left/right	1918	30	63	9	?9.75
Third collection (14 weeks)
Superior temporal gyrus	Right	414	63	?21	9	8.81
Postcentral gyrus/precentral gyrus/superior temporal gyrus/supplementary motor area	Left	3352	?51	?21	0	10.28
Inferior frontal gyrus	Right	144	57	9	24	7.94
Postcentral gyrus	Right	511	42	?36	57	8.30
Cerebellar area 6	Right	56	30	?48	?33	6.02
Calcarine fissure / precuneus	left/right	2240	?6	?75	6	?7.64
Cerebellar area 9	Right	81	15	?45	?48	?7.22
Parahippocampal gyrus	left/right	100	27	?27	?6	?8.11
Medial cingulate gyrus	Left	359	?9	?39	39	?8.28
Middle frontal gyrus	Right	233	24	42	45	?6.02