Brain structure variation and individual differences in theory of mind among older adults.

The theory of mind (ToM) is not substantially influenced by aging, suggesting the emergence of various compensatory mechanisms. To identify brain regions subserving ToM in older adults, we investigated the associations of individual differences in brain structure with performance on the Reading the Mind in the Eyes Test (RMET), a widely used measure of ToM, using voxel-based morphometry (VBM) and tract-based spatial statistics (TBSS). In contrast to findings obtained from young adults, where multiple cortical regions are implicated in ToM, VBM analysis revealed a significant positive correlation between RMET score and gray matter (GM) volume only in the right middle temporal gyrus, a region implicated in social cognition.

The role of executive functions in older adults' affective theory of mind.

Purpose: Executive function (EF) has three subsystems: inhibition, updating, and shifting. Of these three, only inhibition is considered to be involved in affective theory of mind (ToM). This study investigated whether inhibition remains the sole driver for affective ToM in the three EF subsystems in older adults as well as in young people without functional reorganization via aging within EF.

What lifestyles are risk factors for low well-being of healthy elderlies dwelled in a local city in super-aging Japan? -Kizugawa cohort study.

The purpose of this cohort study is to clarify the risk factors of low well-being of elderly people who residing in a local city of a super-aging country, Japan. Subjects are people, who have selected randomly from healthy elderly people resided in Kizugawa City, Kyoto Prefecture, in 2010, followed until 2015. Question survey was conducted in both year, and questionnaire consisted of items such as basic attributes, lifestyles (health practices, consultation behaviors, social activities and so on) and well-being (WHO-5).

The relationship between the houseboundedness and frailty of community-dwelling elderly persons.

This study aimed to verify whether the incidence of frailty in elderly individuals is higher among those who are housebound than those who are not. This study found no correlation between elderly people's houseboundedeness and physical, mental, social, and overall frailty. However, the Tilburg Frailty Indicator (TFI) frailty score and grip strength value were higher in non-housebound elderly persons than in housebound elderly ones.

[Factors related to eating behaviors in early childhood: Relationships between autistic tendency, sensory characteristics, and childcare environment].

Objective　The objective of this study was to examine the influence of environmental factors on eating behaviors of children.Method　The participants were the caregivers of 1,678 children attending nursery schools or kindergartens in two different cities of a prefecture. We distributed several self-administered questionnaires to the caregivers in conjunction with collaborating organizations.

A cohort study on elderly individuals newly certified as requiring long-term care: comparison of rates of care-needs certifications between basic checklist respondents/specific health examinees and non-respondents/non-examinees of 37,000 elderlies in a city.

The rates of care-needs certification were mainly compared between two cohorts: 7,820 specific health checkup examinees/basic checklist respondents and 29,234 non-examinees/non-respondents. Among approximately 37,000 elderly citizens of X City, the number of individuals newly certified as requiring long-term care were observed from the date of the first specific health checkup in 2008 to March 31, 2013. The aggregated totals of these individuals and associated factors were evaluated.

A retrospective cohort study on the risk assessment of newly certificated long-term care need of elderly individuals in a community: Basic checklist and specific health checkup.

This study aimed to examine the factors influencing the requirement of a certificate of long-term care using a basic checklist and items listed in the Special Health Checkup. This study included 7,820 individuals living in Uji city, who were selected from among 8,000 elderly individuals who, in 2008, underwent a specific health checkup (hereafter referred to as the 'specific health checkup for the old-old elderly individuals') for those aged 75 years and above. They answered questions from basic checklists at the time, and 180 individuals were excluded as they had already qualified for requiring the certificate of long-term care at the time of the checkup.

Relations of mother's sense of coherence and childrearing style with child's social skills in preschoolers.

Background: We examined the relationships between mothers' sense of coherence (SOC) and their child's social skills development among preschool children, and how this relationship is mediated by mother's childrearing style.

Methods: Mothers of 1341 Japanese children, aged 4-5 years, completed a self-report questionnaire on their SOC and childrearing style. The children's teachers evaluated their social skills using the social skills scale (SSS), which comprises three factors: cooperation, self-control, and assertion.