Efficacy of Tai Chi/Qigong for Subsyndromal Depression and Cognition in Older Age Bipolar Disorder: A Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial With an Active Control

It is expected that by 2030, the percentage of patients with bipolar disorder (BD) in Canada over 60 years of age will exceed 50%. In this population, poor cognition and persistent sub-threshold depressive symptoms are particularly common, difficult to treat, associated with increased mood episodes, and poor daily functioning. Mind-body interventions have increasingly been found to be effective in treating several psychiatric condition including BD. A few pilot studies examining mindfulness-based intervention in younger adult BD have been promising for depressive symptoms, but some pilot research suggest that patients with older age bipolar disorder (OABD) may benefit more from moving mindfulness. The investigators will conduct a 12-week randomized controlled trial to assess whether tai-chi/qigong will be associated with 1) greater reduction in depressive symptoms, and 2) greater improved cognition, in comparison to a light exercise active control condition, 12- and 24-weeks from baseline, in BD patients aged 40+.