Incorporating "kawaii-ness" into your life may increase gray matter volume in the putamen and frontal gyrus.

Interest in kawaii-ness is growing day by day around the world. However, the relationship between the brain and kawaii-ness remains unclear. Previous studies have revealed how adults' brains respond to infants, but there is little research into the relationship between non-infant objects that have kawaii-ness and the brain, particularly its structure.

Brain Healthcare Quotient as a Tool for Standardized Approach in Brain Healthcare Interventions.

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.

Smartphone app for lifestyle improvement improves brain health and boosts the vitality and cognitive function of healthy middle-aged adults.

Introduction: The number of smartphone apps for brain training is increasing, and the number of people who are working on brain training is also increasing. However, researchers disagree about the effectiveness of brain training.

Methods: Therefore, in this study, we conducted an intervention test with the participation of 70 healthy middle-aged men and women and measured the effect of smartphone apps on lifestyle improvement using brain healthcare quotient calculated from brain imaging data.

Continuous inhalation of essential oil increases gray matter volume.

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 Association between Lifestyles (Walking/Diet) and Cultural Intelligence: A New Attempt to Apply Health Science to Cross-Cultural Research.

A growing amount of research is being conducted on cultural intelligence (CQ), which is the ability to adjust and adapt successfully to a variety of surroundings. CQ is a vital quality for people in diversified societies, as are seen today. However, it is still unclear how an individual can develop or strengthen CQ because previous studies have shown that variables such as foreign experience and personality are not exclusively sufficient as CQ antecedents.

Altered Grey Matter-Brain Healthcare Quotient: Interventions of Olfactory Training and Learning of Neuroplasticity.

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.

Dark Chocolate Intake May Reduce Fatigue and Mediate Cognitive Function and Gray Matter Volume in Healthy Middle-Aged Adults.

Background: Dark chocolate has attracted attention for its potential for cognitive improvement. Though some reports indicate that dark chocolate is good for cognitive function, others raise doubts. This inconsistency in past results reflecting the relationship between dark chocolate and cognitive function indicates the potential existence of factors that mediate between dark chocolate intake and cognitive function.

The Personal Trait of Spiritual Growth Is Correlated With the White Matter Integrity of the Brain.

Determining the relationship between the entire brain structure and individual differences is important in extending healthy life expectancy, which can be affected by brain atrophy. The entire brain structure has been gradually known to be correlated not only with age but also with individual differences, such as quality of life, general intelligence, and lifestyle. However, little attention has been paid to the relationship between the entire brain structure and personal traits.

Brain conditions mediate the association between aging and happiness.

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.

Grey-matter brain healthcare quotient and cognitive function: A large cohort study of an MRI brain screening system in Japan.

There is sometimes a divergence between brain atrophy and impairments in cognitive function. The present study aimed to assess the relationship between cognitive function and the grey-matter brain healthcare quotient (GM-BHQ), which represents brain volume as a deviation value. In addition, we aimed to investigate lifestyle factors that can help maintain cognitive function despite brain atrophy.

Unhealthy lifestyles and brain condition: Examining the relations of BMI, living alone, alcohol intake, short sleep, smoking, and lack of exercise with gray matter volume.

Unhealthy lifestyles are damaging to the brain. Previous studies have indicated that body mass index (BMI), alcohol intake, short sleep, smoking, and lack of exercise are negatively associated with gray matter volume (GMV). Living alone has also been found to be related to GMV through lowered subjective happiness.

Housing quality and behavior affect brain health and anxiety in healthy Japanese adults.

Countless studies in animals have shown how housing environments and behaviors can significantly affect anxiety and brain health, giving valuable insight as to whether this is applicable in the human context. The relationship between housing, behavior, brain health, and mental wellbeing in humans remains poorly understood. We therefore explored the interaction of housing quality, weekend/holiday sedentary behavior, brain structure, and anxiety in healthy Japanese adults.

The Impact of Work Characteristics on Social Distancing: Implications at the Time of COVID-19.

The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) continues to spread globally. While social distancing has attracted attention as a measure to prevent the spread of infection, some occupations find it difficult to implement. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the relationship between work characteristics and social distancing using data available on O*NET, an occupational information site.

Social Capital Mediates the Relationship between Social Distancing and COVID-19 Prevalence in Japan.

The threat of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is increasing. Regarding the differences in the infection rate observed in each region, additionally to studies investigating the causes of differences in population density as a proxy for social distancing, an increasing trend of studies investigating the causes of differences in social capital has also been seen (ie, value sharing, acceptance of norms, unity, and trust through reciprocity). However, studies investigating whether social capital that controls the effects of population density also influences the infection rate are limited.

A Smart Tendon Hammer System for Remote Neurological Examination.

The deep tendon reflex exam is an important part of neurological assessment of patients consisting of two components, reflex elicitation and reflex grading. While this exam has traditionally been performed in person, with trained clinicians both eliciting and grading the reflex, this work seeks to enable the exam by novices. The COVID-19 pandemic has motivated greater utilization of telemedicine and other remote healthcare delivery tools.

Brain condition may mediate the association between training and work engagement.

Over the past two decades, the number of studies on work engagement has increased rapidly. Work engagement refers to a positive, affective-motivational state of high energy combined with high levels of dedication and a strong focus on work, leading to various work-related outcomes, including higher work performance. Several studies have indicated that training or coaching may increase work engagement, but other studies have shown contradicting results.

Fish Intake May Affect Brain Structure and Improve Cognitive Ability in Healthy People.

As the population ages worldwide, the prevalence of cognitive disorders including mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is increasing. MCI appears in 10-20% of adults aged 65 years and older and is generally referred to as an intermediate stage between normal cognitive aging and dementia. To develop timely prevention and early treatment strategies by identifying biological factors, we investigated the relationship between dietary consumption of fish, brain structure, and MCI in cognitively normal subjects.

Association between Behavioral Ambidexterity and Brain Health.

Appropriately handling and switching exploration of novel knowledge and exploitation of existing knowledge is a fundamental element of genuine innovation in society. Moreover, a mounting number of studies have suggested that such "ambidexterity" is associated not only with organizational performance but also with the human brain. Among these reports, however, there have not been any definitive MRI-based parameters that objectively and easily evaluate such ambidexterity.

Association Between Food Patterns and Gray Matter Volume.

Diet and nutrition play a key role in the promotion and maintenance of good health, as they are important modifiable risk factors for chronic diseases. A growing number of studies indicate that optimal food intake and optimal physical activity are essential for the gray matter volume (GMV). However, the precise definition of "optimal" is extremely difficult and a topic of several studies.

Cerebral White Matter Hyperintensity as a Healthcare Quotient.

To better understand the risk factors and optimal therapeutic strategies of cerebral white matter hyperintensity (WMH), we examined a large population of adults with and without various vascular risk factors (VRFs) or vascular risk conditions (VRCs), such as hypertension (HT), diabetes mellitus (DM), and dyslipidemia (DLP), including the comorbidities. We assessed two participant groups having no medical history of stroke or dementia that underwent brain checkup using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI): 5541 participants (2760 men, 2781 women) without VRCs and 1969 participants (1169 men, 800 women) who had received drug treatments for VRCs and the combination of comorbidities. For data analysis, we constructed WMH-brain healthcare quotient (WMH-BHQ) based on the percentile rank of WMH volume.

Effects of iso-α-acids, the hop-derived bitter components in beer, on the MRI-based Brain Healthcare Quotient in healthy middle-aged to older adults.

Aim: Neurological disorders are a major public health issue worldwide and are often associated with structural changes in the brain. We have previously demonstrated that iso-α-acids (IAAs), the hop-derived bitter components in beer, improve memory impairment in aged and Alzheimer's disease mouse models. In this study, we evaluated the effects of IAA intake on the brain structure in healthy middle-aged to older adults.

Association of Fatigue and Stress With Gray Matter Volume.

Stress is associated with a greater risk for various health problems including reduced gray matter volume (GMV) and density in a number of brain regions. Previous studies show that neuroimaging could be a means to objectively evaluate stress. However, to date, no definite neuroimaging-derived measures are available to detect stress.

MRI-based Brain Healthcare Quotients: A bridge between neural and behavioral analyses for keeping the brain healthy.

Neurological and psychiatric disorders are a burden on social and economic resources. Therefore, maintaining brain health and preventing these disorders are important. While the physiological functions of the brain are well studied, few studies have focused on keeping the brain healthy from a neuroscientific viewpoint.

Social distance evaluation in human parietal cortex.

Across cultures, social relationships are often thought of, described, and acted out in terms of physical space (e.g. "close friends" "high lord").