A secondary analysis of a randomised controlled trial to investigate the effect of Tai Chi on the instrumented timed up
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ORIGINAL ARTICLE
A secondary analysis of a randomised controlled trial to investigate the effect of Tai Chi on the instrumented timed up and go test in people with mild to moderate dementia Jonathan Williams1 · Samuel Nyman2 Received: 18 June 2020 / Accepted: 13 October 2020 © The Author(s) 2020
Abstract Background Previous research has identified that Tai Chi is effective for reducing risk of falls and improving timed up and go scores. However, our previous research identified no-significant difference in time to complete the timed up and go test following a Tai Chi intervention in people with dementia. Aim To conduct a secondary analysis to extend our understanding of the effect of Tai Chi on the instrumented Timed Up and Go test. Methods This is a secondary analysis of a randomised controlled trial set in the community. People with dementia, recruited from NHS databases, memory clinics, local charities and self-referral across the south of England, received either 20 weeks of Tai Chi plus normal care or normal care. Outcomes were assessed using the instrumented Timed Up and Go test, completed at baseline and after 6 months. Results From 83 people with dementia volunteering for the study, 67 complete datasets were available for analysis. Withingroup pairwise comparison across time revealed no-significant gains for any of the instrumented Timed Up and Go variables, and no-significant difference for between-group pairwise comparisons. Discussion This suggests that Tai Chi had no effect on the instrumented Timed Up and Go in people with dementia. This lack of effect may be due to the lack of specificity of the training stimulus to the outcome measure. Conclusion Tai Chi had no effect on any instrumented Timed Up and Go variables, suggesting Tai Chi may not be best placed to enhance the sub-elements of the instrumented Timed Up and Go to reduce fall risk among community-dwelling people with dementia. Clinical trial registration number: NCT02864056. Keywords Balance · Gait · Turning · Sit to stand · Intervention · Clinical trial Falls among older people are globally recognised as a public health issue [1]. Falls in later life can result in injuries that require hospitalisation and reduce independence [2], and subsequently reduce quality of life and increase costs on health and social services [3]. A risk factor for falling is cognitive impairment, and in particular dementia, a degenerative * Jonathan Williams [email protected] 1
Department of Rehabilitation and Sport Sciences, Faculty of Health and Social Sciences, Bournemouth University, Poole BH1 3LT, UK
Department of Psychology and Ageing & Dementia Research Centre, Faculty of Science and Technology, Bournemouth University, Poole, UK
2
neurological disease characterised by a chronic, global, and non-reversible loss of cognitive functioning [4]. People with dementia (PWD) are more than twice as likely to fall and twice as likely to experience injurious falls compared to their cognitively intact peers [5, 6]. There is robust evidence f
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