The First Use of the Washington Group Short Set in a National Survey of Japan: Characteristics of the New Disability Measure in Comparison to an Existing Disability Measure.

A Japanese national representative survey-the comprehensive survey of living conditions (CSLC)-included the Washington Group Short Set (WGSS) in 2022. This study aimed to characterize the WGSS in comparison to an existing disability measure (EDM), regarding the difference between disability prevalence defined by these two measures and the factors attributable to disagreements between them. A cross-sectional analysis using secondary data from the CSLC ( = 32,212) was conducted.

Investigation of brain volume changes associated with aging: Results from the fourth research on osteoarthritis/osteoporosis against disability survey.

Aim: This study aims to investigate the impact of aging on brain volume among community residents in Japan, focusing on trends over time and specific brain structures.

Methods: We analyzed data from the fourth survey (2015-2016) of the Research on Osteoarthritis/Osteoporosis Against Disability project, encompassing 2146 community residents from Japan's mountainous and coastal regions. A total of 1755 participants (81.

Helicobacter pylori-Related Chronic Gastritis as a Risk Factor for Lower Bone Mineral Density.

We evaluated the role of Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori)-related chronic gastritis in the development of osteoporosis in a population-based study. A total of 1690 subjects in the cohort of the Research on Osteoarthritis/ osteoporosis Against Disability (ROAD) were investigated, and the association between gastritis and osteoporosis was evaluated by the presence of serologically assessed H.

Dissecting the Causal Role of Early Inferior Frontal Activation in Reading.

Cognitive models of reading assume that speech production occurs after visual and phonological processing of written words. This traditional view is at odds with more recent magnetoencephalography studies showing that the left posterior inferior frontal cortex (pIFC) classically associated with spoken production responds to print at 100-150 ms after word-onset, almost simultaneously with posterior brain regions for visual and phonological processing. Yet the theoretical significance of this fast neural response remains open to date.

An fMRI study examining the role of the extended amygdala and amygdala in emotion and inhibitory control in native versus second language processing.

The role of the extended amygdala and amygdala in mediating emotion and inhibitory control in native language versus second language processing is currently not well understood. The current study examined activity in the extended amygdala and amygdala when twelve healthy young adults were exposed to emotional-linguistic stimuli in either their native language (i.e.

Phonology facilitates deeply opaque logographic writing.

Phonological knowledge plays a pivotal role in many aspects of language processing, but it remains controversial whether it is required for writing. In the present study, we examined the issue by focusing on written production in an opaque logographic script (kanji) with highly irregular pronunciation rules, which allowed for a rigorous test of whether or not phonology contributes to writing. Using a phonological priming paradigm in two experiments, we measured response latency while participants orally named target pictures or wrote down their names in kanji.

Classification of windswept posture in daily life using tri-axial accelerometers.

An asymmetric windswept posture is often seen in children with severe cerebral palsy (CP). However, it is still unclear how long children with CP remain in the windswept posture in daily life. Thus, we developed a triple-accelerometer system for detecting windswept posture.

People with higher systemizing traits have wider right hands.

Introduction: Various genetic mutations have been implicated in autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Some candidate genes for ASD are known to be related to signal transduction and may be involved in hand development as well as neurodevelopment. Therefore, although subtle, anatomical variations in hand configurations may be observed in individuals with ASD.

Ten-Year Incidence of Sarcopenia in a Population-Based Cohort: Results from the Research on Osteoarthritis/Osteoporosis Against Disability Study.

Objectives: To investigate the prevalence and incidence rates of sarcopenia in Japanese community-dwelling people according to the criteria of the Asian Working Group for Sarcopenia 2019 recommendations, using a large-scale population-based cohort over a 10-year follow-up period.

Design: Prospective cohort study.

Setting And Participants: This study was conducted using data from the Research on Osteoarthritis/Osteoporosis Against Disability (ROAD) study.

Orthotic treatment for unstable hip joints in children with congenital insensitivity to pain with anhidrosis: A case series with follow-up until skeletal maturity.

Congenital insensitivity to pain with anhidrosis is an extremely rare disorder characterized by congenital generalized loss of pain and thermal sensation, decreased sweating, intellectual disability, and self-mutilating behavior. Skeletal complications can develop even after minor trauma or an unknown cause, and management is difficult and sometimes unsuccessful, leading to the development of Charcot joints. We report 3 patients whose hip instability was treated with a hip action brace (HAB) that allowed for free abduction but prevented adduction.

Temporal resolution relates to sensory hyperreactivity independently of stimulus detection sensitivity in individuals with autism spectrum disorder.

Researchers have been focusing on perceptual characteristics of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in terms of sensory hyperreactivity. Previously, we demonstrated that temporal resolution, which is the accuracy to differentiate the order of two successive vibrotactile stimuli, is associated with the severity of sensory hyperreactivity. We currently examined whether an increase in the perceptual intensity of a tactile stimulus, despite its short duration, is derived from high temporal resolution and high frequency of sensory temporal summation.

Influence of aging on the relation between head control and hip joint kinematics during crossover stepping.

Falls in older individuals are a serious health issue in super-aged societies. The stepping reaction is an important postural strategy for preventing falls. This study aimed to reveal the characteristics of lateral stepping in response to mechanical disturbance by means of an analysis of the hip joint kinematics in the stepping leg and head stability during crossover steps.

Effects of focal cortical cooling on somatosensory evoked potentials in rats.

Although the focal brain cooling technique is widely used to examine brain function, the effects of cortical temperature at various levels on sensory information processing and neural mechanisms remain underexplored. To elucidate the mechanisms of temperature modulation in somatosensory processing, this study aimed to examine how P1 and N1 deflections of somatosensory evoked potentials (SEPs) depend on cortical temperature and how excitatory and inhibitory inputs contribute to this temperature dependency. SEPs were generated through electrical stimulation of the contralateral forepaw in anesthetized rats.

Investigating the Link Between Subjective Depth Perception Deficits and Objective Stereoscopic Vision Deficits in Individuals With Acquired Brain Injury.

Individuals with acquired brain injury have reported subjective complaints of depth perception deficits, but few have undergone objective assessments to confirm these deficits. As a result, the literature currently lacks reports detailing the correlation between subjective depth perception deficits and objective stereoscopic vision deficits in individuals with acquired brain injury, particularly those cases that are characterized by a clearly defined lesion. To investigate this relationship, we recruited three individuals with acquired brain injury who experienced depth perception deficits and related difficulties in their daily lives.

A comprehensive multivariate analysis of the center of pressure during quiet standing in patients with Parkinson's disease.

Background: We hypothesized that postural instability observed in individuals with Parkinson's disease (PD) can be classified as distinct subtypes based on comprehensive analyses of various evaluated parameters obtained from time-series of center of pressure (CoP) data during quiet standing. The aim of this study was to characterize the postural control patterns in PD patients by performing an exploratory factor analysis and subsequent cluster analysis using CoP time-series data during quiet standing.

Methods: 127 PD patients, 47 aged 65 years or older healthy older adults, and 71 healthy young adults participated in this study.

An easily attachable measurement system of joystick angle in a power wheelchair using IMUs for maneuvering logger.

Monitoring joystick operations in power wheelchairs (PWCs) is promising for investigating user-wheelchair interaction and providing quantitative measures to assess the user's driving performance. In this paper, an add-on measurement system, Power Wheelchair Maneuvering Logger (PWhML), is developed to provide an easy-to-implement and cost-effective solution for monitoring the user's joystick operations in PWCs. The proposed system uses two compact inertial measurement units (IMUs), which are respectively attached to the joystick and wheelchair armrest for movement sensing.

Relative contribution of sensory and motor deficits on grip force control in patients with chronic stroke.

Objective: This study aimed to characterize grasping behavior in static (weight-dependent modulation and stability of control) and dynamic (predictive control) aspects specifically focusing on the relative contribution of sensory and motor deficits to grip force control in patients with chronic stroke.

Methods: Twenty-four chronic stroke patients performed three manipulative tasks: five trials of 5-s grasp-lift-holding, 30-s static holding, and vertical dynamic/cyclic oscillation of holding the object.

Results: Exerted static grip force on the paretic side exhibited statistically greater than that on the non-paretic side.