30 minutes of walking or baduanjin may sharpen the aging brain
NCT ID NCT07678476
First seen Jul 01, 2026 · Last updated Aug 12, 2026 · Updated 3 times
Summary
This study investigates whether a single 30-minute session of brisk walking or Baduanjin (a gentle Chinese exercise) can improve inhibitory control—the ability to ignore distractions—in older adults with mild cognitive impairment. Forty-five participants will be randomly assigned to walk, do Baduanjin, or rest quietly. Before and after, they will take a Stroop test (a measure of attention and inhibition) and have their brain waves recorded via EEG. The goal is to see if either exercise leads to immediate improvements and what brain changes might explain them.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- exercise intervention (brisk walking or Baduanjin)
- What this could lead to
- If it works, this could point toward simple, non-drug ways to boost brain function in older adults with cognitive decline.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small, early study with only 45 participants, so results may not apply to everyone. It tests only immediate effects, not long-term benefits.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
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Not a phased trial
Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.
- Participants
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45 people
The number who actually took part.
- Started
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Aug 2025
- Finished
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Apr 2026
- Lead sponsor
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Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
- Ages
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60 years and older
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Not accepted
This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.
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Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: * Age ≥ 60 years, regardless of gender; * Right-handed; * Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) score ≤ 25; * Normal or corrected-to-normal vision; * Normal hearing; * Signed informed consent. Exclusion Criteria: * Presence of severe cognitive impairment or other neurodegenerative diseases; * Presence of psychiatric disorders, or current or long-term use of psychotropic medications; * Presence of severe cardiovascular diseases (e.g., heart failure, atherosclerosis, myocardial infarction, etc.); * Presence of severe muscle diseases, or a history of lower limb injury within the past six months that would preclude the ability to stand for extended periods.
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As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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Shanghai University of Sport
Shanghai, China