Abstract

Objective: To examine the effectiveness of Baduanjin exercise in community-based rehabilitation for patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and mild cognitive impairment (MCI).

Methods: Forty-five COPD patients with MCIwere assigned to either a control group (n = 25) or an intervention group (n = 20). Both groups received standard care, while the intervention group received additional on-site Baduanjin exercise instruction. The instruction lasted for 2 weeks, followed by 10  weeks of home-based practice and follow-up. After 12 weeks, the two groups were compared based on pulmonary function tests and Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) scores. COPD Assessment Test (CAT) scores and exercise adherence rateswere also assessed. Adverse eventsweremonitored for both groups.

Results: After the intervention, the intervention group exhibited greater improvements in FVC (p = 0.020, 95% CI (-0.37, -0.03)) and FEV1 (p = 0.027, 95% CI  (-0.83, -0.05)) compared to the control group. The intervention group showed improvements from baseline in FVC (p = 0.002), FEV1 (p < 0.001), FEV1/FVC (p = 0.037), and CAT scores (p = 0.027). The intervention group also demonstrated greater improvement in language (p = 0.002, 95% CI (-1.29, -0.33)),  orientation (p = 0.020, 95% CI (-0.65, -0.06)), and total MoCA score (p = 0.001, 95% CI (-3.42, -1.02)) compared to the control group. Adherence to the exercise regimen was reported by 71.43% of participants in the intervention group during the homebased period. No adverse events were observed in the intervention group throughout the study.

Conclusion: A 12-week Baduanjin exercise program effectively improves both cognitive and pulmonary function in COPD patients with MCI.