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Exergaming-based Sitting Tai Chi for Sarcopenia and/or Frailty

NCT07616219 · Status: ENROLLING_BY_INVITATION · Phase: NA · Type: INTERVENTIONAL · Enrollment: 152

Last updated 2026-06-01

No results posted yet for this study

Summary

This randomized controlled trial will evaluate the effects of an exergaming-based sitting Tai Chi program on muscle strength, physical function, cognition, and psychosocial outcomes in older adults living in residential care facilities who are at risk of sarcopenia and/or prefrailty. Eligible participants aged 65 years or older will be identified using simple screening criteria for sarcopenia and prefrailty and will not meet full diagnostic criteria for sarcopenia or frailty. A total of 152 participants will be randomly assigned to either an individually supervised exergaming-based sitting Tai Chi intervention or a group-based general health education control, each delivered twice weekly for 12 weeks. The primary outcome is dominant-hand grip strength, a core indicator of sarcopenia-related muscle weakness. Key secondary outcomes include sitting balance and functional reach assessed by the Modified Functional Reach Test, with additional secondary measures of muscle mass, lower-extremity function, activities of daily living, upper-limb dexterity, cognitive performance, reaction time, mood, and health-related quality of life. Outcomes will be assessed at baseline, mid-intervention, post-intervention, and 3-month follow-up. The findings will provide preliminary evidence on whether chair-based exergaming Tai Chi can be integrated into routine residential care to support healthy aging and functional independence.

Conditions

  • Sarcopenia in Elderly
  • Frailty at Older Adults

Interventions

BEHAVIORAL

Exergaming-based sitting Tai Chi

The structure and content of the 12-form seated Tai Chi routine build on earlier sitting Tai Chi programs developed by Tsang and colleagues for frail older adults and neurological populations. The program targets three domains: (i) balance control, (ii) eye-hand coordination, and (iii) limb flexibility. Training is organized into progressive phases (learning, skill-specific training, and game modes). Each session begins with a 5-minute warm-up and ends with cool-down stretching and breathing exercises.

BEHAVIORAL

General health education

Health education will be delivered using audio visual materials, brief talks and interactive discussion to provide engaging but non specific information about daily health management.

Sponsors & Collaborators

  • Hong Kong Metropolitan University

    lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

  • Tai Wa Liu, PhD · Hong Kong Metropolitan University

Study Design

Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
SINGLE
Model
PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age
65 Years
Sex
ALL
Healthy Volunteers
No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start
2026-02-01
Primary Completion
2027-08-31
Completion
2027-12-31

Countries

  • Hong Kong

Study Locations

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Read the full study record

This page highlights key information. For complete eligibility criteria, study locations, investigator contacts, and the full protocol, visit the original record on ClinicalTrials.gov.

View NCT07616219 on ClinicalTrials.gov