Table 2 Characteristics of included systematic reviews

Farhang et al. (2019) [14]

Chile

Mild cognitive impairment

4 about Tai Chi (3 RCTs, 1 PNRCT)

529

2–3 × 30–90 min/week for 4–24 weeks

Stretching and relaxation exercise, no intervention, no TC practice, psychoeducation

1) Cognitive function: CDR, ADAS-cog

2) Executive function: DSF and DSB, TMT

3) Memory: The Logical Memory—delayed recall, HVLT, RBMT, RBMT-II, TEA

4) Visuospatial ability: Block Design Test

Zhang et al. (2020) [16]

China

Mild cognitive impairment

7 RCTs

1068

3 × 30–50 min/week for 12–52 weeks

Stretching, daily activity, health education

1) Global cognitive function: MMSE

2) Memory: Logical Memory Delayed Recall Test

3) Executive function: Digit Span Test (DST) Forward & Backward

4) Verbal fluency: CVFT

5) Visual span: Visual Span Test Forward and Backward or Block Design Test

6) Depressive symptoms: CSDD or GDS

Lim et al. (2019) [22]

Canada

Early-stage dementia

9 (6 RCTs, 2 NRCTs, 1 PNCT)

11–238

1–4 × 20–60 min/week for 8–52 weeks

Health talk group, handicraft, adapted physical group activity and education on health, no intervention, stretching and relaxation exercises, education group on cognitive impairment, health and cultural information class

1) Global cognition: MMSE, ADAS-Cog, CDR

2) Working memory and executive function: DSB, DSC, DSF, 15-Word immediate recall and/or TMT-B

3) Attention and concentration: Stroop Colour and Word, DSB

4) Verbal learning and memory: HVLT-R, 15-Word 30-Min Delayed Recall, RBMT

5) Self-perception of memory: MIC, SMC

6) Semantic memory: CVF

7) Visuospatial ability: Block Design Test

Wang et al. (2018) [23]

China

Cognitive impairment, mild cognitive impairment or dementia

7 about Tai Chi (2 RCTs, 2 CCS, 3 CCT)

808

2–3 × 30–90 min/week for 8–48 weeks

Health talk, handicraft, memory intervention program, muscle-stretching and toning exercise, usual lifestyle, usual care

1) Global cognition: MMSE, ADAS-cog, MoCA

2) Memory: MIC, immediate verbal recall, delayed verbal recall, HVLT, RBMT

3) Executive function: CVF, DSF, forward digit sequence, DSB, backward digit sequence, TMT-A and B

Wei et al. (2020) [2]

China

Mild cognitive impairment

12 (4 RCTs, 7 quasi-experimental studies, 1 nonrandomized control group pretest–posttest design)

981

2–5 × 30–60 min/week for 12–52 weeks

Maintain usual daily physical activities, related health education, stretching and toning exercise

1) Global cognitive ability: MMSE, MoCA, ADAS-Cog, CDR

2) Memory: AVLT-long-term delayed recall

3) Attention: DSB, DSF

4) Executive ability: TMT

5) Language domain of cognition: CVF

6) Visual-spatial cognition: block design test, visual span test

7) IADL: Lawton’s instrumental activities of daily living and functional activities questionnaire (FAQ)

8) Quality of life: SF-12, PD-39

Yang et al. (2020) [4]

China

Mild cognitive impairment

11 RCTs

1061

1–6 × 30–120 min/week for 10–48 weeks

Stretching and toning exercise, escitalopram plus health education, maintain routine daily activities, no intervention, nonathletic activities, educational information related to cognition, memory training

1) Global cognitive function: MMSE, MoCA, ADAS-Cog, MDRS, CDR-SOB

2) Memory and learning: delayed recall, DSF, DSB, California Verbal Learning Test, Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test (immediate and delayed recall), Mattis memory score, logical memory-delayed recall score, and Wechsler Memory Scale

3) Mental speed and attention: visual span (forward), visual span (backward), Stroop Colour and Word Test, Mattis attention score, FAB, Chinese Trail A (seconds), Chinese Trail B (seconds), Trail Making Test A (errors), Stroop Colour and Word Test, Trails A Time (seconds), Trails B Time (seconds), TMT Part A, TMT Part B

4) Ideas, Abstraction, Figural Creations, and Mental Flexibility: CVF, Mattis conceptualization score, Mattis initiation score, category verbal fluency (animals), WAIS, and Trail-Making Test Part B-A score

5) Visuospatial perception: Rey Figure Test (recall), block design score, clock drawing test, bell cancellation test, Mattis construction score, and Rey Figure Test (copying)

Zheng et al. (2017) [3]

China

Mild cognitive impairment

3 RCTs

455

2–3 × 30–90 min/week for 20–48 weeks

Usual daily activities; stretching and relaxation exercises, memory intervention program

WAIS, RBMT, SMC, ADAS-cog, BBS, CSDD, CDR, CVF, DAD, DR, NPI, MMSE, VS, DTC, HVLT, RAPA, RBMT, SF-36, TEA, UG

Zou et al. (2019) [24]

China

Mild cognitive impairment

6 about Tai Chi (3 RCTs, 3 NRCTs)

789

2–4 × 30–90 min/week for 12–52 weeks

Stretching exercise, memory training, unaltered lifestyle, educational class

1) Global cognition: MMSE, CDR, MoCA

2) Executive function: TMT-B, DST-FB

3) Short-term memory: Delayed Recall Test, RBMT, RBMT-delayed

4) Cognitive processing speed: DST-F, DSST

5) Visuospatial ability: block design test