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In patients with cardiac diseases, lifestyle changes such as an increase in physical activity are recommended to prevent further cardiac events. In Germany this is possible by attending outpatient heart groups. A problem inherent in these programs is the lack of adherence since more than two thirds of patients stop attending cardiac rehabilitation programs after six months. An alternative to the conventional implementation of heart groups is Tai Chi, which was found to improve adherence to cardiac rehabilitation programs in international studies.Patients were randomly assigned to a conventional heart group or a heart group with Tai Chi exercises. At the beginning of the study, a medical history was taken and physical and instrumental tests were carried out, including an assessment of anxiety/depression (HADS questionnaire) and physical well-being (SD-12). Follow-up tests were performed every three months.Patients were 62.6 ± 8.5 years old, the mean BMI was 28.6 ± 62 kg/m(2), and the proportion of women was 29.8 %. The groups were different in terms of age (conventional heart group: 65.0 ± 7.5; Tai Chi group: 59.9 ± 8.9 years). Therefore, age-adjusted analyses were performed in addition to the planned analyses. Regarding the primary endpoint of the study, there was no difference between the groups. After twelve months, 50 % of subjects were active in the Tai Chi group and 48 % in the conventional heart group (odds ratio 0.92, p = 0.891). After adjustment for age by logistic regression, the odds ratio was 0.47 (p = 0.285). Furthermore, both the participation period in weeks (Tai Chi group: 43.3 ± 26.0; conventional group: 45.5 ± 24.2, p = 0.766) and the participation rate (Tai Chi group: 66.8 ± 19.2 % Tai Chi, conventional group: 76.3 ± 16.5 %, p = 0.074) did not differ between the two groups. A further analysis showed a non-significant trend for improvement of anxiety, depression and physical well-being in the Tai Chi group compared with the conventional group.The insight gained in international studies regarding a better adherence to Tai Chi-guided prevention programs was not transferable to heart group participants from Germany. However, there was a trend regarding a better mental condition in the Tai Chi group.

Examining gait characteristics in older adults enhances our understanding of movement control in this population and helps to better target preventive interventions. Walking is a highly automated, regular motor behavior that is mostly controlled by subcortical locomotor brain regions. With increasing age, walking requires higher levels of attention and thus more cortical involvement in motor control. This can affect gait regularity by increasing stride-to-stride variability that is characteristically high among fallers. A growing number of clinical gait analysis systems is now available to determine gait variability and thus the falling risk in older adults. Interventions targeting high gait variability in older adults need to consider basic principles of motor learning. Previously common and automatic gait patterns have to be relearned and again brought up to a highly automated level of motor control. Regular walking exercise, and particularly T'ai Chi with its emphasis on sequenced, slow, and highly controlled movements, might be helpful in this relearning process. Further research is needed to explore other interventions that could favorably affect stride-to-stride variability of older adults.

The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a special sensorimotor exercise rehabilitation program on shoulder function. In a prospective intervention study we evaluated 32 patients with subacromial pain syndrome, all of whom took part in a conservative rehabilitation program. No patient had surgery on the shoulder involved prior to the study. All patients performed a standardised sensorimotor training for the glenohumeral joint, which involved, in particular, the glenohumeral and scapulothoracal stabilisers. In this rehabilitation program special proprioceptive exercise tools (body-blade, BOING) were used as well as Tai Chi and aquatic gymnastics. The entire program lasted 4 weeks and was performed and supervised by the same physiotherapist. Prior to and after the program all patients underwent a standardised series of tests. These included the Constant- and the UCLA-Score tests and sensorimotor functions with an angle reproduction test, a threshold to motion test as well as isometric strength testing with a Cybex unit. Prior to the rehabilitation program all subjects showed decreased proprioceptive capabilities. This was particularly evident in the threshold to motion test. After 4 weeks of rehabilitation, significant increases in the Constant- and UCLA-Score tests were found. The sensorimotor test also showed an increased proprioceptive capability especially in the threshold to motion test. The angle reproduction test showed only moderate improvement, whereas the isokinetic strength test showed no improvement at all. The present study shows that patients with subacromial pathology suffer from a proprioceptive deficit which can be improved by a special rehabilitation program within only 4 weeks.