Tai chi and cognitive dysfunction: research overview

Not medical advice. This page lists research about tai chi and cognitive dysfunction. 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

86 (tagged with “Cognitive Dysfunction” as a major topic)

Years

2014–2026

Registered trials

37 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. Additional Effects of 1-Hz rTMS Combined With Tai Chi Chuan on Dual-Task Performance Among Older Adults With Sleep Disorders and MCI: An fNIRS-Based Randomized Controlled Trial. — Brain and behavior, 2026 · DOIRandomized Controlled Trial
2. Assessment and Management of Cancer-Related Cognitive Impairment. — American Society of Clinical Oncology educational book. American Society of Clinical Oncology. Annual Meeting, 2026 · DOIReview
3. Augmented reality-assisted Tai Chi for adults with diabetes-associated cognitive impairment: study protocol for a randomised controlled trial. — BMJ open, 2026 · DOI
4. Dose- and modality-specific effects of exercise on BDNF and depression in middle-aged and older adults with mild cognitive impairment: A Bayesian network meta-analysis. — PloS one, 2026 · DOI
5. Effect of Tai Chi and transcranial direct current stimulation on spontaneous neural activity in patients with mild cognitive impairment: An exploratory resting-state fMRI study. — Complementary therapies in medicine, 2026 · DOIRandomized Controlled Trial
6. 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
7. Effects of non-invasive brain stimulation combined with Tai Chi on the physical, cognitive, emotional, sleep, and quality-of-life outcomes in older adults: A systematic review and meta-analysis. — Experimental gerontology, 2026 · DOISystematic ReviewMeta-Analysis
8. Fall Prevention Interventions for Cognitively Impaired Older Adults: A Systematic Literature Review and Meta-Analysis. — Western journal of nursing research, 2026 · DOISystematic ReviewMeta-Analysis
9. Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation combined with Tai Chi improves working memory in older adults with sleep disorders and mild cognitive impairment: An fMRI-based randomized controlled trial. — International psychogeriatrics, 2026 · DOIRandomized Controlled Trial
10. Summary of the evidence on TCM nonpharmacological interventions for cognitive impairment in patients with Alzheimer's disease. — Geriatric nursing (New York, N.Y.), 2026 · DOIReview
11. Tai Chi modulating multimodal connectivity patterns and cognitive function in cerebral small vessel disease. — GeroScience, 2026 · DOIRandomized Controlled Trial
12. 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
13. 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
14. 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
15. Body-mind exercise for cancer-related cognitive impairment in breast cancer patients: a network meta-analysis. — Breast cancer research and treatment, 2025 · DOI
16. 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
17. Comparative effect of Tai Chi and aerobic exercise on cognitive function in advanced lung cancer survivors with perceived cognitive impairment: a three-arm randomized controlled trial with mediation analysis. — Journal of cancer survivorship : research and practice, 2025 · DOIRandomized Controlled Trial
18. Comparative effectiveness of various nonpharmacological interventions, including traditional Chinese medicine-based interventions for cancer-related cognitive impairment: a comprehensive network meta-analysis. — Journal of the National Cancer Institute, 2025 · DOI
19. 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
20. 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
21. Effect of eight-form Tai Chi combined with olfactory stimulation on working memory in older adults with mild cognitive impairment. — Frontiers in public health, 2025 · DOIRandomized Controlled Trial
22. Effects of Physical Activity on Health Among Informal Caregivers of People With Cognitive Decline: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. — Western journal of nursing research, 2025 · DOIMeta-AnalysisSystematic Review
23. Effects of Tai Chi Chuan on balance function in adults 60 years or older with type 2 diabetes and mild cognitive impairment in China: A secondary analysis of a multi-center randomized clinical trial. — Journal of diabetes investigation, 2025 · DOIRandomized Controlled Trial
24. Effects of non-pharmacological interventions on cancer-related cognitive impairment in patients with breast cancer: A systematic review and network meta-analysis. — European journal of oncology nursing : the official journal of European Oncology Nursing Society, 2025 · DOISystematic Review
25. Lifestyle-based interventions targeting neurocognition in bipolar disorders - a systematic review of randomized controlled trials. — Psychiatry research, 2025 · DOISystematic Review
26. Multi-domain Online Therapeutic Investigation Of Neurocognition (MOTION) - A randomized comparative-effectiveness study of two remotely delivered mind-body interventions for older adults with cognitive decline. — Contemporary clinical trials, 2025 · DOIRandomized Controlled Trial
27. 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
28. Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation and Tai Chi Chuan for Older Adults With Sleep Disorders and Mild Cognitive Impairment: A Randomized Clinical Trial. — JAMA network open, 2025 · DOIRandomized Controlled Trial
29. The adjunctive efficacy of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation with non-pharmacological interventions in cognitive disorders: A meta-analysis of randomized sham-controlled trials. — Asian journal of psychiatry, 2025 · DOIMeta-AnalysisSystematic Review
30. 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
31. A systematic review of the effect and mechanism of Daoyin therapy on improving mild cognitive impairment in older adults. — Ageing research reviews, 2024 · DOISystematic Review
32. Cognitively enhanced tai chi improved cognition vs. tai chi or stretching at 24 wk in older adults with MCI or memory concerns. — Annals of internal medicine, 2024 · DOI
33. Complementary and Integrative Medicine in Treating Headaches, Cognitive Dysfunction, Mental Fatigue, Insomnia, and Mood Disorders Following Traumatic Brain Injury: A Comprehensive Review. — Physical medicine and rehabilitation clinics of North America, 2024 · DOIReview
34. Effectiveness of Tai Chi as a non-invasive intervention for mild cognitive impairment in the elderly: A comprehensive review and meta-analysis. — Narra J, 2024 · DOIMeta-AnalysisSystematic Review
35. Effectiveness of Tai Chi on cognitive function among older adults with mild cognitive impairment: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. — Aging & mental health, 2024 · DOIMeta-AnalysisSystematic Review
36. Effectiveness of traditional chinese medicine (TCM) exercise therapy intervention on the cognitive function in the elderly: A systematic review and meta-analysis. — Geriatric nursing (New York, N.Y.), 2024 · DOISystematic ReviewMeta-Analysis
37. Effects of Tai Chi on physical performance, sleep, and quality of life in older adults with mild to moderate cognitive impairment. — BMC complementary medicine and therapies, 2024 · DOIRandomized Controlled Trial
38. 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
39. Efficacy of Nonpharmacological Interventions in Cognitive Impairment: Systematic Review And Network Meta-Analysis. — The American journal of geriatric psychiatry : official journal of the American Association for Geriatric Psychiatry, 2024 · DOISystematic Review
40. Multicomponent Intervention on Improving the Cognitive Ability of Older Adults with Mild Cognitive Impairment: A Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial. — Journal of gerontological social work, 2024 · DOIRandomized Controlled Trial

46 more studies on PubMed

Registered clinical trials

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.