# A Mobile Tai Chi Platform for Fall Prevention in Older Adults

> **NIH NIH R42** · BIOSENSICS, LLC · 2021 · $311,035

## Abstract

Project Summary
Exercise-based interventions have been recently shown to have great potential for preserving and restoring
cognitive function in older adults. In this context, Tai Chi has gained the interest of researchers and clinicians
because it incorporates physical, cognitive, social, and meditative components within the same activity. Such
multimodal exercise modality is expected to have a positive effect on older adults’ executive and global cognitive
function, including attentional control, planning, response to inhibition, and working memory. Hence, Tai Chi-
based interventions could help researchers and clinicians to address cognitive decline and dementia in older
adults. In the proposed study, we will recruit a small cohort of older adults, 65-85 years of age, with mild cognitive
impairments, and ask them to participate in a 12-week home-based Tai Chi program. The study will rely on a
tele-health system that our team recently developed as part of the parent award (#R42AG059491). Subjects will
be evaluated pre- and post-intervention using a battery of tests chosen to assess the impact of the intervention
on executive and global cognitive function, physical function, and quality of life. This battery of tests will include,
as primary outcome measures, the Trail Making Test (to assess the impact of the tele-Tai Chi intervention on
cognitive function) and the Dual task Stride Time Variability (DSTV) test (to assess the impact of the tele-Tai Chi
intervention on combined physical and cognitive function). In addition, this battery of tests will include, as
secondary outcome measures, standard assessments of physical function such as the Timed Up-and-Go test,
handgrip strength, the Physical Activity Scale for the Elderly, and the Activities Specific Balance Confidence
(ABC) questionnaire. Health-related quality-of-life will be assessed using the SF-12. Depressive symptoms will
be assessed with the Center of Epidemiology Studies-Depression Scale Revised. Self-reported functional
capacity will be assessed with the Instrumental Activities of Daily Living. These data will be compared pre- vs.
post-intervention to derive effect size estimates and power a future, larger scale study.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10287865
- **Project number:** 3R42AG059491-03S1
- **Recipient organization:** BIOSENSICS, LLC
- **Principal Investigator:** Paolo Bonato
- **Activity code:** R42 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $311,035
- **Award type:** 3
- **Project period:** 2018-09-15 → 2023-08-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10287865

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10287865, A Mobile Tai Chi Platform for Fall Prevention in Older Adults (3R42AG059491-03S1). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10287865. Licensed CC0.

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