Effects of mind-body health qigong exercise on depression severity and cognitive function in older adults at a senior care center: a randomized controlled trial
In brief
Qigong lowers depression scores and lifts memory test results in senior care residents
In an 11-week randomized trial of 35 older adults, thrice-weekly mind-body Health Qigong reduced Geriatric Depression Scale scores and increased Mini-Mental State Examination scores, especially orientation and immediate memory, compared with usual care. The control group showed no cognitive gains and a rise in depressive symptoms. Larger studies are needed to confirm the clinical relevance of these improvements.
- Journal
- Frontiers in public health (Q1)
- Published
- 7 July 2026
- Study design
- Randomized controlled trial
- Evidence level
- Level 1, High (CEBM 1b)
- Authors
- Longfei Cao, Kai Qi, Xiaoxiao Dong, Chunhui Zhou, Yifan Xu, Aiguo Chen
- PMID
- 42483049
- DOI
- 10.3389/fpubh.2026.1853313
Why clinicians should know about it
- Picked for Geriatrics and Gerontology (paper of the day, 23 July 2026).
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: This study was conducted to assess the impacts of mind-body Health Qigong exercise performed regularly over a period of 11 weeks upon depression severity and cognitive function among older people. METHODS: A 2 × 2 two-factor structural design was incorporated into this research to carry out a randomized controlled trial. 35 participants underwent random allocation to the intervention arm (n = 17) and the control arm (n = 18). A regular mind-body Health Qigong exercise intervention carried out over 11 weeks was administered to the experimental group, with a 45-min session performed 3 times each week. The control group was instructed to retain their habitual lifestyle without any intervention. The depression severity and cognitive function of older adults in the experimental and control groups were assessed by means of the 15-item Geriatric Depression Scale and the Chinese version of the Mini-Mental State Examination before and after the exercise intervention. RESULTS: Compared with baseline, the total scores of C-MMSE in the experimental group were significantly higher at post-intervention (p < 0.001), and the scores of its subdomains (orientation and immediate memory) were also significantly elevated (p < 0.05); meanwhile, the post-test total scores of GDS-15 in the experimental group was significantly reduced (p < 0.01). In contrast, the pretest and posttest total scores of C-MMSE in the control group did not differ notably (p > 0.05), but the scores of its subdomain (delayed recall) were significantly decreased (p < 0.05); furthermore, the control group exhibited a notable rise in the post-test total scores of GDS-15 (p < 0.01). CONCLUSION: The results indicated that engaging in mind-body Health Qigong Taiji Stick exercise for 11 weeks yielded statistically significant improvements in cognitive subdomains, including orientation and immediate memory, as well as a statistically significant reduction in depression severity among older adults. The clinical significance of these beneficial effects remains uncertain and should be confirmed by future studies with larger sample sizes. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION: This study was approved for registration by the Chinese Clinical Trial Registry on April 24, 2024 (ChiCTR2400083424).
Abstract as published, via PubMed.
For healthcare professionals. The summary is generated by AI from the published abstract, and the evidence level is assigned automatically from the study design on the Oxford CEBM hierarchy. Neither is medical advice. Read the full paper before changing practice.