Tai Chi modulates resting alpha and theta EEG rhythms in female individuals with amphetamine-type stimulant dependence during compulsory detoxification

Vollständiger Abstract

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Background Amphetamine-type stimulants (ATS), primarily methamphetamine, are currently the most frequently abused illicit drugs in China, causing profound neurotoxicity and cognitive impairment, particularly in women. While exercise-based rehabilitation such as Tai Chi has shown benefits for sleep, mood, and executive function, its specific neurophysiological mechanisms in addiction recovery remain unclear. Methods Thirty-two female individuals with ATS dependence from a compulsory rehabilitation center were randomly assigned to a Tai Chi group (n=16) or a matched-intensity control group (routine physical rehabilitation; n=16). The intervention lasted 6 months (three 60-min sessions/week). Resting-state electroencephalography (EEG) was recorded pre-intervention, post-intervention, and immediately after a 20-min acute exercise bout. Alpha (7.5–12.5 Hz) and theta (4–7.5 Hz) power were analyzed across 15 scalp electrodes. Of the 32 randomized participants, 25 completed the full 6-month intervention (Tai Chi: n=14; Control: n=11), and 24 participants (Tai Chi: n=13; Control: n=11) provided usable EEG data at all assessment points and were included in the primary neurophysiological analyses. Results After the 6-month intervention, both groups exhibited significant reductions in resting alpha and theta power across multiple cortical regions (p<0.05), indicating a general modulation and reduction of cortical oscillatory activity. Acutely, however, Tai Chi elicited significantly higher alpha and theta power in widespread frontal, parietal, temporal, and occipital regions compared to treadmill exercise (p ≤ 0.05). Notably, these acute comparisons reflect post-exercise group differences rather than within-group changes from an acute pre-exercise baseline, as no pre-exercise EEG was recorded immediately before the acute bout. Conclusion Long-term moderate-intensity exercise effectively modulates resting EEG rhythms among female individuals with ATS dependence. Furthermore, an acute bout of Tai Chi is associated with a distinct pattern of EEG changes consistent with greater cortical relaxation and internal focus compared to conventional exercise. These findings suggest that Tai Chi serves as a neurophysiologically meaningful, low-cost adjunctive therapy for cognitive and emotional rehabilitation in compulsory detoxification settings. However, the absence of a non-exercise control group, healthy normative data, and immediate pre-exercise EEG recordings precludes causal attribution of these changes solely to Tai Chi or definitive claims of physiological ‘normalization’.