# Modulation effects of Baduanjin mind-body exercise on subjective cognitive decline

> **NIH NIH R01** · MASSACHUSETTS GENERAL HOSPITAL · 2021 · $810,269

## Abstract

Summary
Subjective cognitive decline (SCD), the self-reported perception of memory or cognitive problems, is receiving
increasing attention as a risk factor for the development of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Since SCD manifests
before the onset of clinical impairment, it might be the optimal stage/window of time at which to intervene with
preventative therapies for AD and age-related dementia before the progressive neurological loss and
irreversible cognitive impairment.
Recently, mind-body interventions have demonstrated their potential in preventing cognitive decline.
Nevertheless, these mind-body therapies encompass a family of complex practices, each with different
characteristics and focus. Therefore, they may be associated with different mechanisms and treatment effects.
Baduanjin (BDJ) is an innovative and simple mind-body exercise consisting of eight simple movements that
can be easily practiced at home with video guidance, thereby making it a more suitable option for older adults
with cognitive decline than other more complex exercises. In a previous study, we found that BDJ significantly
improved memory and executive function, resting state functional connectivity of the hippocampus and
dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, and grey matter volume of the medial temporal area and putamen in older
adults. In addition, we found that BDJ could produce significantly greater cognitive function improvement, as
measured by the Wechsler Memory Scale (WMS) sub-score, and more extensive grey matter brain volume
changes at medial temperal lobe and putamen. A more recent pilot study showed that, compared to walking
and health education, six months of BDJ significantly improved cognitive function in patients with MCI. These
findings provide a solid foundation for the current application.
This proposal aims to investigate 1) the preventative effect of longitudinal BDJ on cognitive decline, 2) the
modulation effect of BDJ on resting state functional connectivity of the hippocampus and bilateral dorsolateral
prefrontal cortex, and 3) the modulation effect of BDJ on brain morphometry in individuals with SCD as
compared to controls. We believe that this study will 1) significantly improve the prevention of MCI and AD and
directly benefit patients suffering from these highly prevalent disorders, 2) enhance our understanding of the
neurobiology through which mind-body interventions affect cognition and health, and 3) advance our
understanding of the pathophysiology and development of SCD, AD, and age-related dementia.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10224088
- **Project number:** 5R01AG063975-03
- **Recipient organization:** MASSACHUSETTS GENERAL HOSPITAL
- **Principal Investigator:** JIAN KONG
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $810,269
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2019-09-15 → 2024-06-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10224088

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10224088, Modulation effects of Baduanjin mind-body exercise on subjective cognitive decline (5R01AG063975-03). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10224088. Licensed CC0.

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