Effects of Hand Care Therapy on Reducing the Conversion Rate from MCI to Dementia and Role of COVID-19 as Non-Pharmacotherapy

Dementia needs to be addressed by various researchers to reduce the risk of morbidity and progression. And dementia was regarded as one of lifestyle-related diseases, and it is estimated that about 10% of MCI (Mild cognitive impairment) progresses to dementia in one year. In this study, we examined whether hand care therapy (HCT) as one of passive horticultural therapy was effective in preventing dementia/MCI. In result, the use of HCT was shown to be effective in preventing dementia and MCI illness and slowing progression. The elderly people tended to decrease iADL year by year, but the HCT group did not. In addition, the senile depressive tendency, which is said to be increasing year by year, tended to be reduced in the HCT-treated group. This is thought to be due to not only the healing effect of the massage by HCT treatment and the effect of transmitting the pleasant stimulus from the tactile sense to the frontal lobe, but also the true communication effect created by sitting gently and touching the hand. This HCT technique can improve the euphoria of the treated side and the treated side. Therefore, it can be expected that the autoimmunity of all people involved can be improved, and it can be judged to be promising as a preventive technique and non-pharmacotherapy for lifestyle-related diseases and various infectious diseases like COVID-19.