Stress is one of the most potent of many factors that can cause expression of behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD). Stress can also increase autonomic nervous activity. This study aimed to examine ...Stress is one of the most potent of many factors that can cause expression of behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD). Stress can also increase autonomic nervous activity. This study aimed to examine the relationships between BPSD and autonomic function in the elderly with dementia. We recruited 35 participants diagnosed with dementia from nearby geriatric health service facilities. The Neuropsychiatric Inventory was used for the evaluation of BPSD, and a TAS 9 VIEW (manufactured by YKC) was used for the heart rate variability analysis to measure autonomic nervous system activity. We constructed a model in which the autonomic nervous system comprised a category and performed a structural equation modeling analysis to calculate the standardization coefficient and correlation coefficient for each factor. The results showed that the influence of BPSD resulted in suppression of sympathetic and enhancement of parasympathetic nervous system activity.展开更多
The Trail Making Test A (TMT-A) is a task related to visual search. Therefore, performance in the TMT-A has a high possibility of being influenced by visual information, such as the arrangement of numbers. The purpose...The Trail Making Test A (TMT-A) is a task related to visual search. Therefore, performance in the TMT-A has a high possibility of being influenced by visual information, such as the arrangement of numbers. The purpose of this study was to measure eye movements during the TMT-A using an eye tracker, to analyze differences in enforcement and trace execution, and to examine appropriate inspection drawings as visual search tasks. Study 1 was performed in 14 young healthy subjects and Study 2 was performed in 6 young healthy subjects. The English and Japanese versions of the TMT-A were administered as usual and the subjects performed the traces in a sitting position. The eye movements of the subjects were measured during the task. We analyzed the combined motion angles of both eyes. We compared the average values (30 Hz/s) of movement in the horizontal (X-axis) and vertical (Y-axis) directions during the normal administration of the English and Japanese version of the TMT-A. We also compared the traces performed by the subjects. There were no differences in tracing or enforcement in the English version of the TMT-A. Especially in the vertical visualization operation, it was shown that the normal enforcement was fewer than the tracing, and almost no up-to-down search was performed. In contrast, the subjects performed visual searches in all directions during the Japanese version of the TMT-A.展开更多
Unilateral spatial neglect (USN) is characterized by neglect in peripersonal and extrapersonal space, the disparity of which is unknown. We assessed these forms of neglect in a patient with USN. We promoted sight scan...Unilateral spatial neglect (USN) is characterized by neglect in peripersonal and extrapersonal space, the disparity of which is unknown. We assessed these forms of neglect in a patient with USN. We promoted sight scanning in extrapersonal space and used an eye camera to measure gaze movement. We found left-sided sight scanning in peripersonal space, but right-side-biased sight scanning in extrapersonal space. Additionally, line of sight was corrected when the patient was instructed to look left in extrapersonal space and to focus the line of sight at the center. Gaze measurement thus helped to assess disparities in spatial neglect in USN.展开更多
文摘Stress is one of the most potent of many factors that can cause expression of behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD). Stress can also increase autonomic nervous activity. This study aimed to examine the relationships between BPSD and autonomic function in the elderly with dementia. We recruited 35 participants diagnosed with dementia from nearby geriatric health service facilities. The Neuropsychiatric Inventory was used for the evaluation of BPSD, and a TAS 9 VIEW (manufactured by YKC) was used for the heart rate variability analysis to measure autonomic nervous system activity. We constructed a model in which the autonomic nervous system comprised a category and performed a structural equation modeling analysis to calculate the standardization coefficient and correlation coefficient for each factor. The results showed that the influence of BPSD resulted in suppression of sympathetic and enhancement of parasympathetic nervous system activity.
文摘The Trail Making Test A (TMT-A) is a task related to visual search. Therefore, performance in the TMT-A has a high possibility of being influenced by visual information, such as the arrangement of numbers. The purpose of this study was to measure eye movements during the TMT-A using an eye tracker, to analyze differences in enforcement and trace execution, and to examine appropriate inspection drawings as visual search tasks. Study 1 was performed in 14 young healthy subjects and Study 2 was performed in 6 young healthy subjects. The English and Japanese versions of the TMT-A were administered as usual and the subjects performed the traces in a sitting position. The eye movements of the subjects were measured during the task. We analyzed the combined motion angles of both eyes. We compared the average values (30 Hz/s) of movement in the horizontal (X-axis) and vertical (Y-axis) directions during the normal administration of the English and Japanese version of the TMT-A. We also compared the traces performed by the subjects. There were no differences in tracing or enforcement in the English version of the TMT-A. Especially in the vertical visualization operation, it was shown that the normal enforcement was fewer than the tracing, and almost no up-to-down search was performed. In contrast, the subjects performed visual searches in all directions during the Japanese version of the TMT-A.
文摘Unilateral spatial neglect (USN) is characterized by neglect in peripersonal and extrapersonal space, the disparity of which is unknown. We assessed these forms of neglect in a patient with USN. We promoted sight scanning in extrapersonal space and used an eye camera to measure gaze movement. We found left-sided sight scanning in peripersonal space, but right-side-biased sight scanning in extrapersonal space. Additionally, line of sight was corrected when the patient was instructed to look left in extrapersonal space and to focus the line of sight at the center. Gaze measurement thus helped to assess disparities in spatial neglect in USN.