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Yoshida K, Nemoto K, Hamano A, Kawamori M, Arai T, Yamakawa Y. Brain Healthcare Quotient as a Tool for Standardized Approach in Brain Healthcare Interventions. Life (Basel) 2024; 14:560. [PMID: 38792582 PMCID: PMC11122122 DOI: 10.3390/life14050560] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2024] [Revised: 04/21/2024] [Accepted: 04/25/2024] [Indexed: 05/26/2024] Open
Abstract
In addressing the challenge of assessing healthy brain aging across diverse interventions, this study introduces the use of MRI-derived Brain Healthcare Quotients (BHQ) for comprehensive evaluation. We analyzed BHQ changes in 319 participants aged 24-69, who were allocated into dietary (collagen peptide, euglena, matcha, isohumulone, xanthophyll) and physical activity (hand massage with lavender oil, handwriting, office stretching, pink lens, clinical art) groups, alongside a control group, over a month. These interventions were specifically chosen to test the efficacy of varying health strategies on brain health, measured through BHQ indices: GM-BHQ for gray matter volume, and FA-BHQ for white matter integrity. Notably, significant improvements in FA-BHQ were observed in the collagen peptide group, with marginal increases in the hand massage and office stretching groups. These findings highlight BHQ's potential as a sensitive tool for detecting brain health changes, offering evidence that low-intensity, easily implemented interventions can have beneficial effects on brain health. Moreover, BHQ allows for the systematic evaluation of such interventions using standard statistical approaches, suggesting its value in future brain healthcare research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Keitaro Yoshida
- Department of Psychiatry, Division of Clinical Medicine, Institute of Medicine, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba 305-8575, Japan; (K.Y.); (A.H.); (T.A.)
| | - Kiyotaka Nemoto
- Department of Psychiatry, Division of Clinical Medicine, Institute of Medicine, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba 305-8575, Japan; (K.Y.); (A.H.); (T.A.)
| | - Ami Hamano
- Department of Psychiatry, Division of Clinical Medicine, Institute of Medicine, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba 305-8575, Japan; (K.Y.); (A.H.); (T.A.)
| | - Masahito Kawamori
- Graduate School of Media and Governance, Keio University, Fujisawa 252-0882, Japan;
- ImPACT Program of Council for Science, Technology and Innovation (Cabinet Office, Government of Japan), Chiyoda, Tokyo 102-0076, Japan;
- BRAIN IMPACT General Incorporated Association, Kyoto 606-8501, Japan
| | - Tetsuaki Arai
- Department of Psychiatry, Division of Clinical Medicine, Institute of Medicine, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba 305-8575, Japan; (K.Y.); (A.H.); (T.A.)
| | - Yoshinori Yamakawa
- ImPACT Program of Council for Science, Technology and Innovation (Cabinet Office, Government of Japan), Chiyoda, Tokyo 102-0076, Japan;
- BRAIN IMPACT General Incorporated Association, Kyoto 606-8501, Japan
- Office of Society-Academia Collaboration for Innovation, Kyoto University, Kyoto 606-8501, Japan
- Institute of Innovative Research, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Meguro, Tokyo 152-8550, Japan
- Office for Academic and Industrial Innovation, Kobe University, Kobe 657-8501, Japan
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Kokubun K, Nemoto K, Yamakawa Y. Continuous inhalation of essential oil increases gray matter volume. Brain Res Bull 2024; 208:110896. [PMID: 38331299 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainresbull.2024.110896] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2023] [Revised: 12/22/2023] [Accepted: 02/05/2024] [Indexed: 02/10/2024]
Abstract
Research into the health benefits of scents is on the rise. However, little is known about the effects of continuous inhalation, such as wearing scents on clothing, on brain structure. Therefore, in this study, an intervention study was conducted on a total of 50 healthy female people, 28 in the intervention group and 22 in the control group, asking them to wear a designated rose scent on their clothes for a month. The effect of continuous inhalation of essential oil on the gray matter of the brain was measured by calculating changes in brain images of participants taken before and after the intervention using Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI). The results showed that the intervention increased the gray matter volume (GMV) of the whole brain and posterior cingulate cortex (PCC) subregion. On the other hand, the GMV of the amygdala and orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) did not change. This study is the first to show that continuous scent inhalation changes brain structure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Keisuke Kokubun
- Open Innovation Institute, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan; Graduate School of Management, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan.
| | - Kiyotaka Nemoto
- Department of Psychiatry, Institute of Medicine, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Japan
| | - Yoshinori Yamakawa
- Open Innovation Institute, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan; Graduate School of Management, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan; Institute of Innovative Research, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Meguro, Tokyo, Japan; ImPACT Program of Council for Science, Technology and Innovation (Cabinet Office, Government of Japan), Chiyoda, Tokyo, Japan; Office for Academic and Industrial Innovation, Kobe University, Kobe, Japan; Brain Impact, Kyoto, Japan
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Watanabe K, Kokubun K, Yamakawa Y. Altered Grey Matter-Brain Healthcare Quotient: Interventions of Olfactory Training and Learning of Neuroplasticity. Life (Basel) 2023; 13:life13030667. [PMID: 36983823 PMCID: PMC10052964 DOI: 10.3390/life13030667] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2023] [Revised: 02/09/2023] [Accepted: 02/24/2023] [Indexed: 03/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Recent studies revealed that grey matter (GM) changes due to various training and learning experiences, using magnetic resonance imaging. In this study, we investigate the effect of psychological characteristics and attitudes toward training and learning on GM changes. Ninety participants were recruited and distributed into three groups: an olfactory training group that underwent 40 olfactory training sessions designed for odour classification tasks, a group classified for learning of neuroplasticity and brain healthcare using a TED Talk video and 28 daily brain healthcare messages, and a control group. Further, we assessed psychological characteristics, such as curiosity and personal growth initiatives. In the olfactory training group, we conducted a questionnaire survey on olfactory training regarding their interests and sense of accomplishment. In the olfactory training group, the GM change was significantly correlated with the sense of achievement and interest in training. The learning of neuroplasticity and brain healthcare group showed a significantly smaller 2-month GM decline than did the control group. The Curiosity and Exploration Inventory-II scores were significantly correlated with GM changes in both intervention groups only. In conclusion, our result suggested that training or learning with a sense of accomplishment, interest, and curiosity would lead to greater GM changes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Keita Watanabe
- Institution of Open Innovation, Kyoto University, Kyoto 606-8501, Japan
- Correspondence:
| | - Keisuke Kokubun
- Smart-Aging Research Center, Tohoku University, Sendai 980-8575, Japan
| | - Yoshinori Yamakawa
- Institution of Open Innovation, Kyoto University, Kyoto 606-8501, Japan
- Institute of Innovative Research, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Tokyo 152-8550, Japan
- Academic and Industrial Innovation, Kobe University, Kobe 657-8501, Japan
- ImPACT Program of Council for Science, Technology, and Innovation (Cabinet Office, Government of Japan), Tokyo 100-8914, Japan
- BRAIN IMPACT General Incorporated Association, Kyoto 606-8501, Japan
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Kokubun K, Nemoto K, Yamakawa Y. Brain conditions mediate the association between aging and happiness. Sci Rep 2022; 12:4290. [PMID: 35277535 PMCID: PMC8915763 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-07748-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2021] [Accepted: 02/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
As the population ages, the realization of a long and happy life is becoming an increasingly important issue in many societies. Therefore, it is important to clarify how happiness and the brain change with aging. In this study, which was conducted with 417 healthy adults in Japan, the analysis showed that fractional anisotropy (FA) correlated with happiness, especially in the internal capsule, corona radiata, posterior thalamic radiation, cingulum, and superior longitudinal fasciculus. According to previous neuroscience studies, these regions are involved in emotional regulation. In psychological studies, emotional regulation has been associated with improvement in happiness. Therefore, this study is the first to show that FA mediates the relationship between age and subjective happiness in a way that bridges these different fields.
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Affiliation(s)
- Keisuke Kokubun
- Open Innovation Institute, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan. .,Smart-Aging Research Center, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan.
| | - Kiyotaka Nemoto
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Japan
| | - Yoshinori Yamakawa
- Open Innovation Institute, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan.,ImPACT Program of Council for Science, Technology and Innovation (Cabinet Office, Government of Japan), Chiyoda, Tokyo, Japan.,Institute of Innovative Research, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Meguro, Tokyo, Japan.,Office for Academic and Industrial Innovation, Kobe University, Kobe, Japan.,Brain Impact, Kyoto, Japan
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