The Effect of Multimodal Sensory Feedback in Tai Chi on Cognitive Function in Older Adults

BACKGROUND: Older adults frequently encounter barriers to exercise, including limited social support, inadequate guidance, and a fear of falling. Tai Chi is a safe, low-impact activity that can improve balance, strength, and memory. However, without professional instruction, older adults may struggle to accurately assess their movements, which can reduce exercise effectiveness and adherence. This study compared the effects of multimodal sensory feedback of Tai Chi on task performance and perceptual experience in older adults. METHODS: A Tai Chi exercise video was used as the intervention material in an experiment conducted in a senior community. Thirty-eight older adults were recruited, with 20 in the experienced group and 18 in the inexperienced group. Each person participated in an experimental task with four feedback modalities (visual, visual-auditory, visual-haptic, and visual-auditory-haptic), and the order of feedback modalities experienced by each participant was random. Measures included reaction time, number of misses, workload, and satisfaction. RESULTS: Regardless of experience, the lowest task performance scores were observed in the visual feedback modality, followed by the visual-haptic modality. Multimodal feedback did improve older adults' reaction time and number of misses. However, no significant differences in workload and satisfaction were found for participants. CONCLUSION: Designing multimodal sensory feedback in exercise is more beneficial than visual-only feedback, but haptic feedback may increase the workload of older adults. SIGNIFICANCE: This study offers valuable insights for optimizing exercise feedback modalities for older adults, providing a theoretical foundation for more effective interventions, particularly in enhancing cognitive function and exercise adherence.