Abstract
Objectives : Gum chewing might increase blood circulation of cerebral microvessels and might activate serotonergic neurons. We investigated the impact of gum chewing on mental health in patients with depression treated in the outpatient clinics of psychiatric hospitals. Methods : Between October, 2011 and November, 2011, 12 patients diagnosed with depression and treated regularly in the outpatient clinics of psychiatric hospitals located in rural area in Japan, were enrolled in the present study. Interventions of gum chewing for participants were approximately 3 minutes immediately after daily meal and usually 3 times per day for 7 days, following 7 days of non-intervention (control) period for taking the reference of individual mental health. All brain waves were recorded using a portable specific device with a single-channel electroencephalogram recording device. Changes in individual mental health were assessed by the 30-item general health questionnaire (GHQ-30). Results : A frequency of alpha waves significantly increased during 7 days of intervention period in each individual. Total GHQ-30 scores fluctuated during 14 days. Conclusions : According to the preliminary results in the present study, intervention of gum chewing for patients with depression may be of some roles in maintaining their mental health. Further objective assessment would be necessary to confirm the impact of gum chewing on mental health in patients with depression.
