Brisk Walking and Baduanjin Improve Inhibitory Function in Older Adults With Cognitive Impairment

This study aims to investigate the acute effects of single-session different forms of aerobic exercise (brisk walking and Baduanjin) on inhibitory function and resting-state EEG power in older adults with cognitive impairment, providing scientific evidence for developing exercise intervention programs for this population. Specifically, this study seeks to answer the following core questions: 1. Can a single session of brisk walking and a single session of Baduanjin exercise improve reaction time and accuracy on the Stroop color-word task in older adults with cognitive impairment? 2. Are there differential effects on inhibitory function between the two exercise modalities? 3. Does a single exercise session induce immediate changes in resting-state EEG power spectrum across multiple frequency bands (δ, θ, α, β)? 4. Are changes in resting-state EEG power associated with improvements in inhibitory function? Forty-five older adults with cognitive impairment will be randomly assigned to three groups (n=15 each): brisk walking group, Baduanjin group, and control group (quiet seated rest). Participants in the brisk walking and Baduanjin groups will each perform a single 30-minute moderate-intensity exercise session. All participants will complete the Stroop color-word task (assessing reaction time and accuracy under both congruent and incongruent conditions) and undergo a 5-minute eyes-closed resting-state EEG recording before and immediately after the intervention.

NCT Number	NCT07678476
Lead Sponsor	Shanghai University of Sport
Conditions	Cognition Impairment
Enrollment	45 participants
Start Date	2025-08-01
Primary Completion	2025-12-30 (estimated)
Study Completion	2026-04-10 (estimated)
Updated on ClinicalTrials.gov	2026-08-11