Tai chi and cognition: research overview

Not medical advice. This page lists research about tai chi and cognition. It does not say whether tai chi works for any person or condition. Talk to a qualified health professional before starting a new exercise program, especially if you have a medical condition.

Studies in PubMed

71 (tagged with “Cognition” as a major topic)

Years

2008–2026

Registered trials

0 on ClinicalTrials.gov

Types of studies

Each study is counted once, under its strongest type in this order: meta-analysis, systematic review, randomized controlled trial, clinical trial, review, observational study.

Studies, newest first

1. Comparative Effects of Traditional Chinese Mind - Body Exercises on Cognitive Function in Middle-Aged and Older Adults: A Systematic Review and Network Meta-Analysis. — Experimental aging research, 2026 · DOISystematic Review
2. Effectiveness of qigong on subjective cognitive function in cancer survivors: A systematic review and meta-analysis. — European journal of oncology nursing : the official journal of European Oncology Nursing Society, 2026 · DOISystematic ReviewMeta-Analysis
3. Effects of acupuncture and exercise on EEG characteristics and cognitive control in college students with high procrastination tendency. — Frontiers in public health, 2026 · DOI
4. Effects of mind-body health qigong exercise on depression severity and cognitive function in older adults at a senior care center: a randomized controlled trial. — Frontiers in public health, 2026 · DOIRandomized Controlled Trial
5. Feasibility and exploratory cognitive outcomes of three exercise modalities in oldest-old adults in assisted living facilities: A 24-week pilot randomized controlled trial. — Journal of affective disorders, 2026 · DOIRandomized Controlled Trial
6. Muscle-brain axis mechanisms linking community-based exercise to cognitive function in older adults: A five-arm randomized controlled trial. — Experimental gerontology, 2026 · DOIRandomized Controlled Trial
7. Potential Benefits of Tai Chi Chuan Exercise on the Cognitive Functions, Aerobic Capacity and Mood States of Older Adults: A Cross-Sectional Study. — Experimental aging research, 2026 · DOI
8. Tai Chi modulating multimodal connectivity patterns and cognitive function in cerebral small vessel disease. — GeroScience, 2026 · DOIRandomized Controlled Trial
9. The Effect of Multimodal Sensory Feedback in Tai Chi on Cognitive Function in Older Adults. — Journal of aging and physical activity, 2026 · DOI
10. The effects of structured aerobic exercise and mind-body exercise on cognitive function in older adults with MCI: Systematic review and meta-analysis. — Medicine, 2026 · DOISystematic ReviewMeta-Analysis
11. The effects of traditional mind-body exercises on cognitive function in neurodegenerative diseases or prodromal cognitive decline: a meta-analysis. — Frontiers in public health, 2026 · DOIMeta-AnalysisSystematic Review
12. A Meta-Analysis of Studies of the Effect of Mind Body Exercise on Various Domains of Cognitive Function in Older People With or Without Mild Cognitive Impairment. — Journal of evidence-based integrative medicine, 2025 · DOIMeta-Analysis
13. Combined mind-body physical exercise, cognitive training, and nurse-led risk factor modification to enhance cognition among older adults with mild cognitive impairment in primary care: a three-arm randomised controlled trial. — The lancet. Healthy longevity, 2025 · DOIRandomized Controlled Trial
14. Comparing Tai Chi, Baduanjin, square dance, and Latin dance for cognitive and physical benefits in older adults: a randomized controlled trial. — European geriatric medicine, 2025 · DOIRandomized Controlled Trial
15. Dual-channel mechanism of groove music fused with Tai Chi to improve cognitive-emotional abilities in older adults based on a coupled fNIRS-EMG analysis: a randomized controlled study. — GeroScience, 2025 · DOIRandomized Controlled Trial
16. Effect of Dual-Task Training on Cognitive Function in Community-Dwelling Older Adults With Mild Cognitive Impairment: Sequential Multiple Assignment Randomized Trial. — Journal of medical Internet research, 2025 · DOIRandomized Controlled Trial
17. Effect of Tai Chi combined with music therapy on the cognitive function in older adult individuals with mild cognitive impairment. — Frontiers in public health, 2025 · DOIRandomized Controlled Trial
18. Effect of Tai Chi combined with visual-action-sensory rehabilitation therapies on cognitive function in acute ischemic stroke: a study protocol for a randomized controlled trial. — Annals of medicine, 2025 · DOI
19. Effects of Tai Chi on Cognitive Function in Older Adults With Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: Randomized Controlled Trial Using Wearable Devices in a Mobile Health Model. — Journal of medical Internet research, 2025 · DOIRandomized Controlled Trial
20. Effects of long-term Tai Chi vs. aerobic exercise on antioxidant activity and cognitive function in individuals with Parkinson's disease. — Behavioural brain research, 2025 · DOIRandomized Controlled Trial
21. Efficacy of Tai Chi and Roliball Exercise on Balance, Mobility, and Cognitive Function in Community-Dwelling Older Adults: A Randomized Controlled Trial. — Clinical interventions in aging, 2025 · DOIRandomized Controlled Trial
22. Exercise, APOE Genotype, and Testosterone Modulate Gut Microbiome-Cognition Associations in Prostate Cancer Survivors. — Genes, 2025 · DOIRandomized Controlled Trial
23. Impact of Tai Chi Therapy on Fatigue and Cognitive Function in Individuals With Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: Protocol for a Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial. — JMIR research protocols, 2025 · DOI
24. Optimal dose and type of exercise to improve cognitive function in adults with major depressive disorder: a systematic review and Bayesian model-based network meta-analysis. — Frontiers in public health, 2025 · DOISystematic Review
25. Sensory-emotional-cognitive effects of resistance exercise and Tai Chi exercise in Japanese community-dwelling older adults with chronic pain: a non-randomized controlled trial. — BMC complementary medicine and therapies, 2025 · DOI
26. Two-year follow-up assessment of a randomized controlled trial evaluating the durability of Tai Chi on cognitive function in older adults with type 2 diabetes and mild cognitive impairment. — Aging clinical and experimental research, 2025 · DOIRandomized Controlled Trial
27. Assessment of cognitive-motor functions in adults with perceived neuropsychological problems using NIH toolbox after remote biofield energy treatment as non-pharmacological intervention: A randomized double-blind placebo controlled trial. — Neuropsychopharmacology reports, 2024 · DOIRandomized Controlled Trial
28. Effects of tai chi based on information and communication technology for patients with mild cognitive impairment on cognitive and physical function: a systematic review and meta-analysis. — Frontiers in public health, 2024 · DOISystematic ReviewMeta-Analysis
29. A Multimodal Intervention to Improve Cognition in Community-dwelling Older Adults. — The American journal of geriatric psychiatry : official journal of the American Association for Geriatric Psychiatry, 2022 · DOI
30. Tai Chi versus conventional exercise for improving cognitive function in older adults: a pilot randomized controlled trial. — Scientific reports, 2022 · DOIRandomized Controlled Trial
31. Trends in Research on Traditional Chinese Health Exercises for Improving Cognitive Function: A Bibliometric Analysis of the Literature From 2001 to 2020. — Frontiers in public health, 2021 · DOI
32. An exploratory randomized sub-study of light-to-moderate intensity exercise on cognitive function, depression symptoms and inflammation in older adults with heart failure. — Journal of psychosomatic research, 2020 · DOIRandomized Controlled Trial
33. Brain Functional Specialization Is Enhanced Among Tai Chi Chuan Practitioners. — Archives of physical medicine and rehabilitation, 2020 · DOI
34. Effects of Computerized Cognitive Training and Tai Chi on Cognitive Performance in Older Adults With Traumatic Brain Injury. — The Journal of head trauma rehabilitation, 2020 · DOIRandomized Controlled Trial
35. Effects of Exercise Training Interventions on Executive Function in Older Adults: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. — Sports medicine (Auckland, N.Z.), 2020 · DOIMeta-AnalysisSystematic Review
36. A Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial Examining the Effects of Tai Chi and Electronic Tablet Use on Older Adults' Cognition and Health. — Journal of holistic nursing : official journal of the American Holistic Nurses' Association, 2019 · DOIRandomized Controlled Trial
37. Dual-Task Walking Capacity Mediates Tai Ji Quan Impact on Physical and Cognitive Function. — Medicine and science in sports and exercise, 2019 · DOIRandomized Controlled Trial
38. Effects of Meditation and Mind-Body Exercises on Older Adults' Cognitive Performance: A Meta-analysis. — The Gerontologist, 2019 · DOIMeta-Analysis
39. Effects of Mind-Body Exercises on Cognitive Function in Older Adults: A Meta-Analysis. — Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, 2019 · DOIMeta-AnalysisSystematic Review
40. Exercise and cognitive function in people living with HIV: a scoping review. — Disability and rehabilitation, 2019 · DOI

31 more studies on PubMed

Government health information

The U.S. National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health summarizes the evidence on tai chi.

Study list: PubMed (U.S. National Library of Medicine), citation data only. Trials: ClinicalTrials.gov. Retrieved 2026-10-22.

Data: PubMed (NLM citation data, free to use (abstracts not reproduced)); ClinicalTrials.gov (Public domain (U.S. Government work)); NCCIH (Public domain (U.S. Government work)). Retrieved 2026-10-22.