Ba Duan Jin on the Intelligence Level to Physiological Age of the Old and Middle-Aged

Intellectual deterioration is a progressive physiological aging process and an important aging sign of the human body. Our country has already entered the aging society. Therefore it is a research topic of far-reaching significance and wide application prospect to find an effective method to slow down the intellectual deterioration of the old and middle-aged people and prevent it from changing into pathological aging.

Qigong is a unique traditional health-preserving method of our country. It has many curing and health-preserving effects on the organism of the old people. And it has been proved in practice that Qigong is an effective method to control and treat intellectual decline of the old and middle-aged people. In order to verify the health-preserving effect of Health Qigong, we selected old and middle-aged test objects and made them learn and practice Health Qigong•Ba Duan Jin, tested their intelligence-physiological age at the beginning of the exercise and 3 months and 6 months after the exercise, and analyzed the health-preserving value of Health Qigong Ba Duan Jin in slowing down intellectual aging.

3.2.1 Objects and methodology

3.2.1.1 Experimental objects

Research objects are chosen with the layer-by-layer random cluster sampling method and health examination screening from Fengtai District and ShijingshanDistrict of Beijing. Basic requirements are: a. Normal heart and lung functions and normal blood glucose level; b. Normal or slight high blood pressure (blood pressure≤160/95mmHg); c. No extremity disability; d. No eyesight or hearing disorder; e. No habit of fitness exercise; The test objects are randomly divided into an experimental group and a control group. See Table 1 for the basic information of the research objects. Since educational level has a major influence on the intellectual functions and aging speed, the literacy levels of the experimental group and the control group are matched in the research.

Table 3.2-1 Basic information about research objects

GroupnAge (years)Body Height (cm)Body Weight (Kg)Years of education (years)

MaleControl group2062.4±1.8169.8±4.276.3±10.89.02±4.9

Experimental group2363.0±2.0168.1±4.675.2±7.710.01±3.7

FemaleControl group3556.9±1.5156.6±5.866.8±7.610.70±3.8

Experimental group3857.8±1.6155.5±4.365.6±8.08.90±3.3

3.2.1.2 Intelligence-physiological age test

(1) Test contents

Intelligence-physiological age test software is supplied by Scientific and Technological Research Department of Health Qigong Administration Center[1]. A man-microcomputer conversation pattern is used in the test. Test contents include: mental arithmetic speed, digit symbols, physical response, counting, 2-digit span, follow-up operation, and meaningless image recognition. The first four items are made of 10-component tests. The mean value of the time needed for completing the test contents, variance, and number of errors are respectively calculated. The latter three items are used to test the number of random numerals that the object is able to memorize, the number of operation error when both hands follow up a sine curve for a whole day, and the memory storage capacity exhibited in the recognition of 14 meaningless geometric images.

(2) Test method

All test objects are put to intelligence-physiological age tests respectively before the experiment, 3 months after the experiment, and 6 months after the experiment. To eliminate the influence by circadian rhythm, all three tests are completed between 8:00 AM and 11:30 AM. During the test, the contents of items are displayed on a computer screen one after another. Every item is explained and exercised by an instructor before the test object independently answer questions via a keyboard according to the test content. After the test, a microcomputer will automatically analyze and print out the test results.

3.2.1.3 Qigong exercise

Test objects of the experimental group practice Health Qigong•Ba Duan Jin 5~7 days a week for 6 months. They repeat the exercise 3 times every morning (for about 1h) together under the guidance of an instructor. During the experiment, they have similar activities and activity amounts to those before the experiment. Their dietary intake remains the same and adverse mental stimulation is avoided. Test objects keep training diaries throughout the entire experiment.

3.2.1.4 Data processing

Spss10.0 software is sued for statistical analysis of data. Multi-factor variance analysis method is used to determine the significance of differences.

3.2.2 Research results

Table 2 shows that the mental arithmetic speed and digit symbol identification speed of the male experimental group are significantly increased after 3 months of practice (P<0.05). After 6 months of practice, the mental arithmetic speed, digit symbol identification speed, and physical response are significantly increased (P<0.05); the time consumed in counting test is significantly reduced to a level lower than that of the control group (P<0.05).

Table 3.2-2 Changes in intelligence-physiological age of male research objects

Group nMental arithmetic speed (s)Digital symbol (s)Physical response (s)Counting (s)Digit spanFollow-up operationImagerecognitionIPA(Y)

Control groupStart 205.72±2.3 25.93±1.9 1.90±0.7 8.07±1.7 3.13±1.55.87±3.8 73.91±8.2 61.92±2.8

3 months 205.09±2.5 24.33±10.2 1.92±1.2 8.53±3.0 2.33±0.83.33±2.4 76.19±16.1 60.43±11.8

6 months 195.37±3.7 24.92±5.7 1.56±0.4 9.13±1.1 3.00±1.64.16±1.7 71.43±20.8 63.16±3.9

Experimental groupStart 235.85±1.9 26.26±11.3 1.96±0.4 8.47±1.9 2.80±0.95.70±6.3 70.00±14.6 62.70±7.2

3 months 234.80±1.8â–² 22.49±6.7â–² 1.80±1.0 7.38±1.8 2.91±0.94.31±2.5 73.38±16.0 60.39±7.7

6 months 234.17±0.2â—† 17.78±4.3â—† 1.33±0.3â—† 6.84±1.2*â—† 3.25±0.52.59±0.3 76.79±10.7 60.84±9.2

Note: *，P▲，P◆，P-，P

Table 3 shows that the metal arithmetic speed of the female experimental group is significantly increased and the number of errors in two-hand follow-up operation is significantly reduced (P<0.05) after 3 months of practice. After 6 months of practice, the physical response is significantly improved (P<0.05) with respect to the value before practice. The number of memorized two-digit figures is significantly increased (P<0.05) with respect to the value in the 3rd month.

Table 3.2-3 Changes in intelligence-physiological age of female research objects

Group nMental arithmetic speed (s)Digital symbol (s)Physical response (s)Counting (s)Digit spanFollow-up operationImagerecognitionIPA(Y)

Control groupStart 353.80±0.7 17.84±2.7 1.27±0.1 6.72±1.6 2.91±0.95.36±3.9 75.97±6.6 53.36±6.4

3 months 354.84±4.2 18.55±4.1 1.46±0.4 6.95±1.52.72±1.14.73±2.5 78.57±9.8 54.04±6.4

6 months 354.42±2.3 18.73±3.3 1.25±0.2 6.51±1.4 3.50±0.85.26±3.4 80.36±18.6 55.11±7.0

Experimental groupStart 384.23±1.5 18.88±3.8 1.44±0.3 6.51±0.9 2.96±0.7 5.56±3.1 78.91±13.5 54.02±5.0

3 months 383.63±0.8â–² 18.36±4.3 1.29±0.2 6.78±1.0 2.86±0.93.84±2.0â–² 77.55±9.1 53.60±5.4

6 months 383.98±1.0 18.32±5.2 1.23±0.1â—† 6.60±1.2 3.63±0.8- 4.47±1.6 82.31±16.5 54.08±6.1

3.2.3 Discussion

Through 6 months of Health Qigong•Ba Duan Jin exercise, many intellectual and mental indicators of the old and middle-aged research object are significantly improved. And the objects become younger in intelligence-physiological age. This proves that Health Qigong•Ba Duan Jin can slow down intellectual decline of the old.

In recent years, a number of clinical and fundamental researches by our research group and other researchers have proved that Qigong can strength the regulating ability of the nervous system, reinforce the functions of the endocrine system and immune system, improve the hemodynamics and hemorheology, reduce metabolic oxygen consumption, strengthen cardiac functions, and improve the body constitution. This means that through overall regulation, Qigong has a secondary effect on the aging of intellectual functions on the basis of overall improved physiological functions.

To sum up, long-term regular Health Qigong•Ba Duan Jin exercise can slow down the intellectual decline of the old and middle-aged people and therefore serve as an effective method for the old and middle-aged people to preserve health and lengthen life.

References

[1] Sun Fuli, Lei Shupin, Xu Jinghua, et. al.. Clinical method of the evaluation of declined liquid intelligence with aging and its application in TCM research [J]. Chinese Journal of Integrated Traditional and Western Medicine,1989,9 (4): 203-206.

[2] Li Deming, Shun Fuli, Jiao Yang. . Frontal egg characters in aging and its correlativity with some cognitive abilities [J]. Acta Psychologica Sinica,1996,28 (1): 76-81.

[3] Li Deming, Shun Fuli, Li Guiyun. A mathematical description on pattern of cognitive slowing in nonlexical tasks in aging [J]., Acta Psychologica Sinica 1994, 26 (3): 279-283.

[4]. Li Deming, Shun Fuli, Li Guiyun. Effect of educational factor on cognitive function in aging process [J]. Acta PsychologicaSinica,1995,27 (2): 219-224.

[5] Li Deming, Shun Fuli . Progress in elderly cognitive speed attenuation [J]. Psychological Science,1994,17 (2): 124-126,128.