Oh, B., Butow, P. N., Mullan, B. A., Clarke, S. J., Beale, P. J., Pavlakis, N., . . . Vardy, J. (2012). Effect of medical Qigong on cognitive function, quality of life, and a biomarker of inflammation in cancer patients: A randomized controlled trial. Supportive Care in Cancer, 20, 1235–1242.
To examine the effects of medical qigong on self-reported cognitive function in patients with cancer
Participants were randomized to 10 weeks of medical qigong or usual care. Self-reports of cognitive functioning were evaluated at baseline and at the conclusion of the 10-week intervention. The medical qigong program was a weekly 90-minute group class that included a 15-minute discussion of health, 30 minutes of gentle stretching and body movement in a standing position, 15 minutes of movement in a sitting position, and 30 minutes of meditation and breathing. Two sessions were offered each week; participants could attend one or both of the sessions but had to attend for a minimum of 7 of the 10 weeks. Participants also kept a diary.
The study was a stratified, randomized controlled trial of a subset of patients from a larger study.
Participants in the intervention group showed significant improvement in perceived cognitive functioning on both the EORTC QLQ-C30 (p = 0.014) and FACT-Cog (p = 0.029) compared to the control group (usual care) over time at 10 weeks' follow-up.
Results suggest that medical qigong may improve patients' perception of their cognitive functioning. However, further studies are needed with a larger sample size, objective measures, and longer follow-up to determine whether results are sustainable.
The study suggests that qigong may be beneficial in improving cognitive function in patients with cancer. However, the drop-out rate was significant at 33%. Drop outs occurred for multiple reasons, but it shows that qigong may not be a realistic intervention for some patients with cnacer. Further studies on the specific impacts qigong has on cognitive ability need to be conducted.