Association between psychological distress and schizotypy in adults: A cross-sectional study.

Background: Schizotypy refers to a personality type characterized by behavioral and cognitive abnormalities similar in nature but less severe than those of schizophrenia. Schizotypy often progresses to schizophrenia, so identifying risk factors may facilitate early schizophrenia diagnosis and improve treatment. Psychological distress may be associated with schizotypy, highlighting its importance.

Effects of structured positive feedback intervention on standing reach ability among older adults admitted to a convalescent rehabilitation ward: a small-sample pilot randomized controlled trial.

Purpose: Interventions to improve the standing reach ability of older adults are essential for full functional independence, and structured positive feedback (PF) may be an effective intervention strategy. The purposes of this pilot randomized controlled trial (RCT) are to investigate the preliminary efficacy of structured PF for improving the standing reach ability of older patients admitted to a convalescent rehabilitation ward and evaluate the feasibility of a future full-scale RCT.

Methods: Thirty-two eligible older adults (83.

Effects of a video-viewing intervention with positive word stimulation on the depressive symptoms of older patients with cardiac disease and subthreshold depression: a pilot randomized controlled trial protocol.

Background: Intervention for older patients with cardiac disease and subthreshold depression (StD) may be an effective strategy to prevent the development of major depressive disorder. The subliminal priming with supraliminal reward stimulation (SPSRS) website developed by us is an advanced intervention that can improve depressive symptoms in individuals with StD by presenting positive word stimuli in videos. However, its efficacy for treating depressive symptoms in older patients with cardiac disease and StD has not been investigated.

Reliability of the Two-dimensional Mood Scale for self-reported mood assessment by older adults with dementia.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the reliability of the Two-dimensional Mood Scale (TDMS) for mood assessment among older adults with dementia. The study included 100 elderly patients with dementia admitted to two hospitals. For each mood state measured by the TDMS, the intraclass correlation coefficient of agreement (ICC) was calculated to evaluate test-retest reliability.

Escalation on Kihon Checklist Scores Preceding the Certification of Long-Term Care Need in the Older Population in Japan. A 9-Year Retrospective Study.

Objectives: The Kihon Checklist (KCL) is valuable for predicting long-term care (LTC) certification. However, the precise association between KCL scores and the temporal dynamics of LTC need certification remains unclear. This study clarified the characteristic trajectory of KCL scores in individuals certified for LTC need.

Habituation of Brain Activity with Repetition in Color and Picture-Word Stroop Tests.

As a widely used mental task for functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS), the original color-word Stroop task has the advantage of being difficult to habituate, but also the disadvantage of being difficult to understand, especially for children. While the introduction of derived Stroop tasks offers highly promising countermeasures, changes in brain activity during these tests have not been well tested. We investigated the degree of habituation between the original and a derived Stroop task by measuring brain activity to obtain a better fNIRS task design.

Effectiveness of Comprehensive Environmental Support for Community-Dwelling Older Adults: A Single-Blind Randomized Controlled Trial.

Importance: The importance of developing age-friendly environments is globally recognized. However, few clinical trials have comprehensively evaluated physical and social components of environments and examined the effects of offering support.

Objective: To clarify the effectiveness of occupational therapy-based comprehensive environmental support for community-dwelling older adults.

Immediate Effects of Mobile Phone App for Depressed Mood in Young Adults with Subthreshold Depression: A Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial.

Background: Preventive interventions for subthreshold depression (StD) are essential to reduce the incidence of major depressive disorder. Our smartphone application presenting positive word stimulation in video (ie, Subliminal Priming with Supraliminal Reward Stimulation, SPSRS) was suggested to improve depressive symptoms in people with StD, although it is unclear whether it can immediately improve depressed mood. This pilot randomized controlled trial (RCT) aimed to investigate the preliminary efficacy of SPSRS application intervention on depressive mood in people with StD.

Differences in Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale, Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 and Kessler Screening Scale for Psychological Distress Scores between Smartphone Version versus Paper Version Administration: Evidence of Equivalence.

The use of electronic patient-reported outcomes has increased recently, and smartphones offer distinct advantages over other devices. However, previous systematic reviews have not investigated the reliability of the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D), Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7), and Kessler Screening Scale for Psychological Distress (K6) when used with smartphones, and this has not been fully explored. This study aimed to evaluate the equivalence of the paper and smartphone versions of the CES-D, GAD-7, and K6, which were compared following a randomized crossover design method in 100 adults in Gunma, Japan.

Performing One-Session Cognitive Stimulation to Interact with Patients with Dementia in a Hospital for Mood Improvement: A Retrospective Single-Arm Cohort Study.

Developing support and an environment for patients with dementia in hospitals is important. This study aims to assess the immediate effect of one-session cognitive stimulation intervention on the mood of patients with dementia in a hospital as preliminary evidence. This study included 33 female patients.

Effects of Smartphone-Delivered Positive-Word Stimulation on Depressed Mood in People with Subthreshold Depression: Protocol for a Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial.

Background: Major depressive disorder (MDD) is an important public health problem. Thus, preventive interventions against subthreshold depression (StD), which is one of the key risk factors for the development of MDD, are important. The study developed a smartphone application (SPSRS) that improves depressive symptoms in people with StD by automatically presenting positive word stimuli during videos.

Positive-word stimuli via a smartphone application have no immediate-term effects on multi-directional reach ability in standing position: a randomized controlled trial.

Objectives: The purpose of the study was to examine the immediate-term effect of positive-word stimuli via a smartphone application on the multi-directional reach ability in standing position in young adults.

Methods: This study was an immediate-term, assessor-blinded, two-arm, parallel-group, randomized controlled trial among young adults recruited from one university in Japan. Participants were randomly assigned to the experimental group or control group using a computer-based random number-generating programme.

Effects of video viewing smartphone application intervention involving positive word stimulation in people with subthreshold depression: A pilot randomized controlled trial.

Background: A smartphone application (i.e., SPSRS) was developed to help people with subthreshold depression (StD) improve depressive symptoms by presenting positive word stimuli in videos.

An iPad application-based intervention for improving post-stroke depression symptoms in a convalescent rehabilitation ward: A pilot randomized controlled clinical trial protocol.

Background: Post-stroke depression (PSD) is a neuropsychiatric sequela that causes serious adverse effects on the prognosis of stroke patients. Our developed iPad application is a very innovative approach designed to improve participants' depressive symptoms by presenting positive words stimuli in a video. Although this application has fewer side effects than existing pharmacological and non-pharmacological interventions and is likely less burdensome for patients and caregivers, its efficacy for PSD has not been investigated.

Prefrontal cortex hypoactivity distinguishes severe from mild-to-moderate social anxiety as revealed by a palm-sized near-infrared spectroscopy system.

The purpose of this study was to compare prefrontal cortex (PFC) activity among subjects with differing social anxiety (SA) severity levels to identify a possible biomarker for severe SA. Further, SA is generally under-diagnosed, so we examined if such measurements could be acquired conveniently, non-invasively, and at low cost using a portable near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) system. We classified 96 participants into three groups based on Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale (LSAS) total score: Low SA (LSA, n = 40), Moderate SA (MSA, n = 39), and High SA (HSA, n = 17).

Study protocol for a pilot randomized controlled trial on a smartphone application-based intervention for subthreshold depression: Study protocol clinical trial (SPIRIT Compliant).

Introduction: Interventions aimed at addressing subthreshold depression (StD) are important to prevent the onset of major depressive disorder. Our video playback application (SPSRS) is designed to reduce depressive symptoms by presenting positive words in videos, shedding new light on the treatment of StD. However, no randomized controlled trial (RCT) has utilized this video playback application for the treatment of individuals with StD.

The effect on subjective quality of life of occupational therapy based on adjusting the challenge-skill balance: a randomized controlled trial.

Objective: To verify the effect of adjusting the challenge-skill balance with respect to rehabilitation process.

Design: A single-blind, two-arm, parallel-group, randomized controlled trial.

Setting: Recovery rehabilitation unit of Harue Hospital, Japan.

Effect of adjusting the challenge-skill balance for occupational therapy: study protocol for a randomised controlled trial.

Introduction: Occupational therapy (OT) is defined as the promotion of client health and well-being through a client-centred practice. However, there is a tendency to rely on the therapist's experiences and values, and there is a difference between the client's and therapist's perceptions regarding the current activity that the client is engaged in. In previous studies that have applied 'flow', activities supported by OT in elderly people were analysed, indicating a difference in recognition.

Low sense of coherence is associated with anxiety among adults: Results based on data from all 47 prefectures of Japan.

Background: Anxiety disorder is a major societal, economic, and healthcare burden, so it is essential to identify underlying risk factors. Sense of coherence (SOC), defined as an individual's perceived ability to control events and cope with challenges, is strongly associated with healthcare outcomes.

Methods: This study investigated the association between SOC and anxiety among adults in all 47 prefectures of Japan using a cross-sectional online panel survey.

Feasibility and preliminary efficacy of a smartphone application intervention for subthreshold depression.

Aim: We developed a motion picture-reproducing smartphone application (app) designed to improve self-confidence in individuals with subthreshold depression (StD) and examined the feasibility and preliminary efficacy of an app intervention for individuals with StD.

Methods: We conducted an open-label, single-arm pre-post study of 22 young adults with StD. Our intervention involved app usage for at least 70 min/wk for 5 weeks.

Measurement error in the Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale: results from a general adult population in Japan.

Although the self-report version of Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale (LSAS) is frequently used to measure social anxiety, data is lacking on the smallest detectable change (SDC), an important index of measurement error. We therefore aimed to determine the SDC of LSAS. Japanese adults aged 20-69 years were invited from a panel managed by a nationwide internet research agency.

Adjusting Challenge-Skill Balance to Improve Quality of Life in Older Adults: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

Objective: We sought to investigate whether occupational therapy that includes adjusting the challenge-skill balance improves health-related quality of life (HRQOL) for older adults in comparison with standard occupational therapy.

Method: In this single-blind, randomized controlled trial, 56 older adults were assigned to two groups that received 10 sessions of occupational therapy with and without adjustment of challenge-skill balance. The primary outcome was change in HRQOL after 10 sessions of occupational therapy.