Objective: To describe the baseline characteristics of participants enrolled in a pilot randomised controlled study evaluating Enhanced Tai Chi for Parkinson’s disease (NCT07297368).

Background: Exercise-based interventions are increasingly recognised as important adjunct therapies in Parkinson’s disease (PD), particularly for balance impairment and postural instability that respond poorly to pharmacological treatment [1]. Tai Chi has demonstrated potential benefits for gait and balance in PD [2,3]. Enhanced Tai Chi is a structured intervention integrating Tai Chi, Qigong, and balance training tailored for individuals with PD.

Method: This single site randomised controlled pilot study recruited individuals with idiopathic PD at King’s College Hospital, London (UK). Participants are randomised to Enhanced Tai Chi training plus usual care or usual care alone. The intervention consists of supervised Tai Chi sessions three times weekly (one onsite, and two virtual) for 12 weeks. Baseline assessments included motor and non-motor symptom measures prior to intervention.

Results: Twenty-nine participants were enrolled, randomised to 1:1 in either active arm or control arm. Mean age was 62.6 ± 8.4 years, with 16.6% male participants. Mean disease duration was 5.0 ± 3.8 years, and majority of participants were Hoehn and Yahr stage 2 (85.7%), with Mean MDS-UPDRS total score 18.2 ± 8.6 (mild-moderate score). MDS-NMS score of 52.21 ± 53.72 (moderate burden), and with MoCA score of 27.48 ± 2.31 (good cognition). Functional mobility demonstrated moderate impairment with a mean Timed Up and Go time of 21.4 ± 3.5 seconds. Mean gait velocity during the 10-metre walk test was 0.61 ± 0.13 m/s, with mean fast gait velocity 0.82 ± 0.12 m/s. Balance performance measured by the Berg Balance Scale demonstrated a mean score of 54.2 ± 2.3.

Conclusion: Participants enrolled in this pilot trial demonstrate measurable impairments in gait and functional mobility despite relatively preserved balance scores and UPDRS Part III scores. These findings support the potential role of targeted balance-based exercise interventions such as Enhanced Tai Chi in individuals with mild-to-moderate Parkinson’s disease.

References: [1] Giardini M, Nardone A, Godi M, Guglielmetti S, Arcolin I, Pisano F, Schieppati M. Instrumental or Physical-Exercise Rehabilitation of Balance Improves Both Balance and Gait in Parkinson’s Disease. Neural Plast. 2018 Mar 7;2018:5614242. doi: 10.1155/2018/5614242. PMID: 29706993; PMCID: PMC5863303.
[2] Li G, Huang P, Cui S, He Y, Jiang Q, Li B, Li Y, Xu J, Wang Z, Tan Y, Chen S. Tai Chi improves non-motor symptoms of Parkinson’s disease: One-year randomized controlled study with the investigation of mechanisms. Parkinsonism Relat Disord. 2024 Mar;120:105978. doi: 10.1016/j.parkreldis.2023.105978. Epub 2024 Jan 12. PMID: 38244460.
[3] Li G, Huang P, Cui SS, Tan YY, He YC, Shen X, Jiang QY, Huang P, He GY, Li BY, Li YX, Xu J, Wang Z, Chen SD. Mechanisms of motor symptom improvement by long-term Tai Chi training in Parkinson’s disease patients. Transl Neurodegener. 2022 Feb 7;11(1):6. doi: 10.1186/s40035-022-00280-7. PMID: 35125106; PMCID: PMC8819852.

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MDS Abstracts - https://www.mdsabstracts.org/abstract/baseline-characteristics-of-participants-enrolled-in-a-randomised-pilot-study-of-enhanced-tai-chi-for-parkinsons-disease/