{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,5,7]],"date-time":"2026-05-07T05:13:06Z","timestamp":1778130786937,"version":"3.51.4"},"reference-count":42,"publisher":"Frontiers Media SA","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,5,7]],"date-time":"2026-05-07T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1778112000000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["frontiersin.org"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Front. Neurol."],"abstract":"\n Background<\/jats:title>\n Many people experience balance problems after a stroke. It remains unclear how a short Tai Chi Cloud Hands programme affects resting-state connectivity within the prefrontal\u2013motor network.<\/jats:p>\n <\/jats:sec>\n \n Methods<\/jats:title>\n This study included 52 inpatients with post-stroke balance problems. Participants were randomly assigned to receive either standard rehabilitation alone or standard rehabilitation plus Tai Chi Cloud Hands. Both groups completed 30\u202fmin of rehabilitation per day, 5\u202fdays per week, for 2\u202fweeks. Additionally, the experimental group completed 30\u202fmin of Cloud Hands training daily for 2\u202fweeks. Outcome measures were collected before and after the intervention by assessors blinded to group allocation. The primary outcome was the Berg Balance Scale (BBS), and secondary outcomes included the Modified Barthel Index (MBI). Static balance was assessed using the PROKIN system, which measured centre-of-pressure (COP) path length and sway area. Resting-state brain connectivity was assessed using functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) to monitor oxygenated haemoglobin. Group differences were analysed using ANCOVA, with false discovery rate (FDR) correction applied to 28 predefined brain region pairs.<\/jats:p>\n <\/jats:sec>\n \n Results<\/jats:title>\n \n The experimental group showed greater improvements in BBS (partial \u03b7\n 2<\/jats:sup>\n \u202f=\u202f0.420; adjusted difference\u202f=\u202f3.215 points) and MBI (partial \u03b7\n 2<\/jats:sup>\n \u202f=\u202f0.363; adjusted difference\u202f=\u202f6.056 points) than the control group. Notable reductions were also observed in COP path length (partial \u03b7\n 2<\/jats:sup>\n \u202f=\u202f0.295; adjusted difference\u202f=\u202f\u2212115.816\u202fmm) and sway area (partial \u03b7\n 2<\/jats:sup>\n \u202f=\u202f0.112; adjusted difference\u202f=\u202f\u221279.480\u202fmm\n 2<\/jats:sup>\n ). After FDR correction, significant group differences in connectivity included stronger DLPFC\u2013PreM and PreM\u2013M1 coupling, stronger interhemispheric M1\u2013M1 connectivity, and reduced SMA\u2013SMA coupling (all\n q<\/jats:italic>\n \u202f\u2264\u202f0.047).\n <\/jats:p>\n <\/jats:sec>\n \n Conclusion<\/jats:title>\n Adding a 2-week, high-frequency Tai Chi Cloud Hands programme to standard rehabilitation, delivered at a higher total therapy dose, was associated with greater improvements in balance, daily function, and static postural stability. These improvements were observed alongside regionally specific changes in prefrontal\u2013motor connectivity, including enhanced DLPFC\u2013PreM and PreM\u2013M1 coupling and reduced interhemispheric SMA connectivity. These connectivity findings should be interpreted cautiously as associative rather than mechanistic.<\/jats:p>\n <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.3389\/fneur.2026.1791157","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,5,7]],"date-time":"2026-05-07T04:47:07Z","timestamp":1778129227000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/crossmark-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Effects of Tai Chi Cloud Hands on balance and resting-state functional connectivity after stroke: an fNIRS study"],"prefix":"10.3389","volume":"17","author":[{"given":"Jincheng","family":"Li","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Xuzhou Rehabilitation Hospital Affiliated to Xuzhou Medical University","place":["Xuzhou, China"]},{"name":"The Second Clinical College, Xuzhou Medical University","place":["Xuzhou, China"]}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Zhenghao","family":"Dong","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Xuzhou Rehabilitation Hospital Affiliated to Xuzhou Medical University","place":["Xuzhou, China"]},{"name":"The Second Clinical College, Xuzhou Medical University","place":["Xuzhou, China"]}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Mingxue","family":"Fan","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Xuzhou Rehabilitation Hospital Affiliated to Xuzhou Medical University","place":["Xuzhou, China"]},{"name":"The Second Clinical College, Xuzhou Medical University","place":["Xuzhou, China"]}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Xiang","family":"Wang","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Xuzhou Rehabilitation Hospital Affiliated to Xuzhou Medical University","place":["Xuzhou, China"]},{"name":"Xuzhou Rehabilitation Hospital","place":["Xuzhou, China"]}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Yingli","family":"Bi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Xuzhou Rehabilitation Hospital Affiliated to Xuzhou Medical University","place":["Xuzhou, China"]},{"name":"Xuzhou Rehabilitation Hospital","place":["Xuzhou, China"]}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Zhezhe","family":"Ma","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Xuzhou Rehabilitation Hospital Affiliated to Xuzhou Medical University","place":["Xuzhou, China"]},{"name":"Xuzhou Rehabilitation Hospital","place":["Xuzhou, China"]}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Shiyan","family":"Wang","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Xuzhou Rehabilitation Hospital Affiliated to Xuzhou Medical University","place":["Xuzhou, China"]},{"name":"The Second Clinical College, Xuzhou Medical University","place":["Xuzhou, China"]},{"name":"Xuzhou Rehabilitation Hospital","place":["Xuzhou, China"]},{"name":"Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Xuzhou Central Hospital","place":["Xuzhou, China"]}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Jin","family":"Wang","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Pizhou Hospital Affiliated to Xuzhou Medical University","place":["Xuzhou, China"]}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Zunke","family":"Gong","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Xuzhou Rehabilitation Hospital Affiliated to Xuzhou Medical University","place":["Xuzhou, China"]},{"name":"The Second Clinical College, Xuzhou Medical University","place":["Xuzhou, China"]},{"name":"Xuzhou Rehabilitation Hospital","place":["Xuzhou, China"]},{"name":"Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Xuzhou Central Hospital","place":["Xuzhou, China"]}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"1965","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,5,7]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"387","DOI":"10.1186\/s12883-024-03885-9","article-title":"Balance impairment and associated 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