Hu Yang, Hsiao-Wecksler Elizabeth T, Hernandez Manuel E
Department of Kinesiology, San Jose State University, San Jose, CA, United States.
Department of Mechanical Science and Engineering, Grainger College of Engineering, University of Illinois Urbana Champaign, Urbana, IL, United States.
Front Aging Neurosci. 2025 Jun 23;17:1554000. doi: 10.3389/fnagi.2025.1554000. eCollection 2025.
Tai Chi practice has been widely adopted to improve balance and prevent falls in older adults. However, the neural mechanisms underlying the benefits of Tai Chi are difficult to evaluate during traditional balance assessments. The goal of this study was to evaluate the effects of Tai Chi and healthy aging on corticomuscular coherence (CMC) while standing in virtual balance-demanding environments. We recorded neural, muscular, and behavioral data in an immersive virtual reality environment while implementing sensory and mechanical perturbations to introduce high postural threats. Through the acquisition of electroencephalography and electromyography signals, we examined β and γ CMC changes in frontal, central, parietal, and occipital cortical areas and ankle plantar- and dorsi-flexors in older adults ( = 10), older adults with Tai Chi practice ( = 10), and young adults ( = 10). The results showed that older adults have higher γ CMC in comparison with Tai Chi practitioners and young adults as evaluated by the magnitude square coherence. Increased β and γ CMC correlated with decreased mediolateral postural sway in older adults, while young adults demonstrated the opposite relationship. Furthermore, lower tibialis anterior and soleus β CMC were found in older adults during ground conditions compared to Tai Chi practitioners and young adults. The results demonstrate the effects of aging and Tai Chi on CMC during balance-demanding standing tasks, and the potential application of the novel system to quantify cortical and muscular adaptation after rehabilitation.
太极拳练习已被广泛用于改善老年人的平衡能力和预防跌倒。然而，在传统的平衡评估中，很难评估太极拳益处背后的神经机制。本研究的目的是在虚拟的高要求平衡环境中站立时，评估太极拳和健康衰老对皮质-肌肉相干性（CMC）的影响。我们在沉浸式虚拟现实环境中记录神经、肌肉和行为数据，同时施加感觉和机械扰动以引入高姿势威胁。通过采集脑电图和肌电图信号，我们检查了老年人（n = 10）、练习太极拳的老年人（n = 10）和年轻人（n = 10）在额叶、中央、顶叶和枕叶皮质区域以及踝跖屈肌和背屈肌中的β和γ CMC变化。结果表明，通过幅度平方相干性评估，与太极拳练习者和年轻人相比，老年人具有更高的γ CMC。老年人中β和γ CMC的增加与中外侧姿势摆动的减少相关，而年轻人则呈现相反的关系。此外，与太极拳练习者和年轻人相比，在地面条件下老年人的胫骨前肌和比目鱼肌β CMC较低。结果证明了衰老和太极拳对高要求站立平衡任务期间CMC的影响，以及该新系统在量化康复后皮质和肌肉适应性方面的潜在应用。
