Effects of Baduanjin exercise on cognitive function in older adults with mild cognitive impairment: a systematic review and meta-analysis

To assess the effect of Baduanjin exercise on cognitive function in older adults with mild cognitive impairment, as measured by Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) scores. The review included three studies with 190 participants searched through Web of Science, PubMed, and Embase. The standardized mean difference (SMD) was calculated using Hedges’ g under the random-effects model, while heterogeneity was evaluated through Cochran’s Q test, I2 statistic, and tau-squared estimates. We used R 4.3.2 for statistical analysis and Risk-of-Bias Assessment. The pooled SMD indicated a significant positive impact of Baduanjin exercise on MoCA scores, with an overall SMD of 1.09 (95% CI 0.49–1.68; z = 3.59, p < 0.0003). However, substantial heterogeneity was detected among the studies (I2 = 71%, 95% CI 2.8–91.6%). This preliminary meta-analysis suggests a potential positive effect of Baduanjin exercise on global cognitive function in older adults with MCI, but the evidence is limited by the small number of studies (N = 3) and substantial heterogeneity. The primary contribution of this review is to highlight the scarcity of high-quality evidence and the urgent need for future large-scale, rigorously designed RCTs to confirm these findings and explore the effects on specific cognitive domains. Trial registration number: PROSPERO CRD42024507335.