Objective: Music therapy has not been actively adopted in Japan since its scientific basis must be further verified. Therefore, we compared frontal lobe activation, using near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS), and stress biomarkers between patients with mood disorders and healthy individuals in an experimental model using active and passive music tasks.
Methods: The control group comprised 15 healthy volunteers, and the mood disorder group comprised 12 patients with persistent depressive disorder. NIRS was performed under two active music tasks (playing and singing music) and one passive music task (listening to music), with a resting baseline. Blood and saliva samples were collected before and after the music sessions.
Results: Relative to baseline, oxy-hemoglobin levels during the playing music task were increased in all channels in the control group, but tended to be significantly decreased or show less change in the mood disorder group. Oxy-hemoglobin levels during the listening to music task were decreased in all channels in the control group, but tended to be significantly increased in the mood disorder group. Oxy-hemoglobin levels during the singing music task were increased in many channels in the control group but not in the mood disorder group, without significant differences. In the mood disorder group, blood and saliva cortisol levels were significantly decreased after the music therapy session, while the control group showed no significant changes.
Conclusion: The results suggest that music therapy can positively impact stress relief, and that active and passive music tasks have differing effects on frontal lobe activation.

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Objective: We conducted a two-way crossover trial to investigate the effects of a personal air-conditioning system on fatigue induced by mental load.
Design: Sixteen healthy volunteers performed mental fatigue-inducing tasks that consisted of a 2-back task for 30 min and the A, B, and C tasks of the advanced trail making test (ATMT) for 30 min on four occasions (4-hour mental load) with or without the personal air-conditioning system with a 1-week interval. We evaluated work performance by mean reaction time, number of errors, total trial number, and reaction time from the previous task to the next task in the ATMT and subjective fatigue sensation by the visual analogue scale (VAS).
Results: The mean reaction time, the number of errors, and reaction time from the previous task to the next task were significantly lower, and the total trial number was significantly higher when the personal air-conditioning system was used. On the other hand, the personal air-conditioning system did not affect fatigue sensation in VAS.
Conclusion: We found that the personal air-conditioning system attenuated mental fatigue and increased the subjects’ motivation.

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Objective: In this practical study, mindfulness-based “Loving-Kindness and Mindfulness Meditation” was carried out for breast cancer patients.
Methods: 60-minute meditation sessions were carried out every two weeks for a total of four sessions. At Month 1 and in the period up to Month 3 after intervention, changes in quality of life (QOL) were assessed using SF-36 v2 for a total of five times. Participants were taught to practice meditation at home, and their daily meditation experiences were written down as records.
Results: Participants were divided into two groups, with two subjects in the intervention group and one subject in the non-intervention group. RCS based on SF-36 v2 were in the intervention group, and could be maintained or improved even one month after completion of intervention compared to before intervention. The records were divided into “Introduction phase” (for meditation in the first intervention); “Acquisition phase” (in and after the second); “Stable phase” (in and after the third); and “Establishment phase” (in and after the fourth). Correspondence analysis was performed for the fourth term by Text Mining.
Conclusion: During early intervention at the “Introduction phase,” intentional concentration on what is occurring is carried out. As meditations continue, a change in the sense of self-consciousness, which cannot be experienced in daily life, is thought to occur.

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Behavioral and psychological symptoms were examined by psychiatric and cognitive functional evaluation in cognitive dysfunction patients who received weak ultrasound stimulation and drugs. We found great improving effects on motor symptoms for the first time in this study.

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