Characterizing Tai Chi’s Compensatory Response on the Functional Architecture of the Aging Brain

Abstract Tai Chi (TC) practice has demonstrated cognitive, motor, and emotional benefits for older adults which are thought to be underlied by neuroprotective mechanisms; however, the nature of such neuroprotective mechanisms remains insufficiently characterized and thus, poorly understood. The current study sought to characterize the compensatory and/or detrimental neural connectivity patterns associated with TC practice, using dynamic functional connectivity (FC) derived from resting-state, source-localized EEG data. We examined three participant groups: younger adults (YACs, n=15), older adult controls (OACs, n=15), and older adults practicing Tai Chi (TCOAs, n=15) from which aging effects (OACs vs YACs) and TC effects (OACs vs TCOAs) were quantified. Our analysis revealed TC practitioners demonstrated specific compensatory connectivity patterns, predominantly through preservation mechanisms that maintained youthful connectivity profiles and alternative mechanisms diverging beneficially from age-matched controls. Although numerical analyses of FC mechanisms suggested a predominantly detrimental connectivity pattern for certain FC subcategories, correlational analysis indicated that many of these connections provided cognitive, motor, and emotional regulation benefits, thereby clarifying their compensatory role. Notably, interactions within and between attention-related (ventral/dorsal) and frontoparietal networks emerged as pivotal compensatory neural networks, aligning with previous mind-body literature. These findings highlight TC’s potential to enhance neural resilience against age-related functional decline. Future research should employ simultaneous and temporally aligned neuroimaging, physiological, and behavioral assessments to validate and expand upon these results, as well as further elucidating the organizing principles by which reorganizational network changes exert their neuroprotective effects.