Objective: The pathophysiology of primary dysmenorrhea involves oxidative stress-induced NF‑κB activation→COX‑2 induction→ overproduction of prostaglandins which exacerbates pain through uterine and vascular smooth muscle contraction. Molecular hydrogen (H₂) exhibits excellent membrane permeability and selectively reduces cytotoxic reactive oxygen species (•OH，ONOOー), potentially suppressing inflammatory transcription and activating endogenous antioxidant responses. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of H₂ inhalation on dysmenorrhea symptoms.

Methods: A single-group, three-time-point time-series design was employed with 13 female participants. Outcomes included a dysmenorrhea score (severity, analgesic use frequency, and severity × frequency) and a pain VAS, assessed at three time points: Phase 1 (pre-intervention), Phase 2 (during intervention), and Phase 3 (post-intervention). The intervention consisted of H₂ inhalation three times per week from the end of menstruation to the end of the following menstrual cycle (15 min/session). Statistical analyses employed the Friedman and Wilcoxon tests, with a significance level of 5%.

Results: Significant improvements in all outcomes were observed from Phase 1 to Phase 2 (severity: p=0.001, frequency: p=0.003, severity × frequency: p=0.002, pain VAS: p<0.001). Improvement was partially maintained in Phase 3, with the severity × frequency index retaining significant improvement compared with Phase 1 (p=0.015). Among individual patterns, relapse in Phase 3 after improvement in Phase 2 was the most common outcome, though sustained improvement was also observed.

Discussion: H₂ inhalation, even as a short-duration, low-frequency intervention, can rapidly alleviate pain and associated symptoms of dysmenorrhea. Proposed mechanisms include oxidative stress reduction, NF-κB pathway suppression, reduced COX-2-dependent PG production, and improved autonomic function. Inter-individual variability in Phase 3 may reflect multifactorial influences including menstrual cycle variation, stress, and baseline autonomic nervous function.

Conclusion: Our results suggest that H₂ inhalation may be a promising complementary therapeutic approach for primary dysmenorrhea. However, technical limitations in our study, including a single-group design, small sample size, and reliance on subjective outcomes means that future validation with randomized controlled trials incorporating inflammatory, oxidative stress, and autonomic nervous indicators is warranted.

Objective: The use of virtual reality (VR) has expanded in clinical practice, including palliative care. During the COVID-19 pandemic, visitation restrictions intensified separation between patients and their families. This qualitative descriptive study explored healthcare professionals’ experiences providing VR-based care to terminally ill patients in a palliative care unit.

Design: This qualitative descriptive study used the Trajectory Equifinality Approach (TEA).

Methods: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with five healthcare professionals. Data were analyzed using the Trajectory Equifinality Model to identify key pathways, passage points, bifurcation points, and social influences.

Results: The experiences of physicians and nurses involved in VR-based care ollowed a five-phase trajectory: introducing VR with both doubt and hope, responding to patients’ and families’ diverse reactions, struggling implementation difficulties, examining whether VR could meet patients’ needs, and ultimately reaffirming a fundamental wish to help patients return home.

Conclusion: Physicians tended to focus on identifying family needs and seeking care approaches and technologies aligned with those needs. Nurses who directly provided the intervention experienced ethical conflict regarding care and support for patients and their families. In addition, nurses who assisted with the intervention became more proactive in supporting patients and their families, reflecting changes in both their perception and actions.

　VR-based care functioned as an alternative means of communication and connection. Future use of VR in end-of-life care will require careful attention to ethical challenges, particularly when the intervention may evoke new forms of distress, as well as collaboration with palliative care specialists and communication or media professionals.

Objective: The aim of this study is to investigate the effects of “Cocorone Rainbow Training (CRT)”, a music-based cognitive intervention program developed by the Public Interest Incorporated Association Nijinokai, on cognitive function in elderly people attending elderly care facilities.

Design: A controlled comparative study was conducted with 59 elderly people (26 in the intervention group and 33 in the control group). The intervention group received CRT for 3 months, while the control group received usual care programs only. Cognitive function was assessed using the CogEvo Brain Fitness Trainer, which evaluates five domains: spatial awareness, orientation, memory, planning, and attention. Changes in cognitive function were analyzed using a two-way mixed analysis of variance (group × time), followed by Bonferroni-adjusted post hoc tests.

Results: The intervention group showed significantly greater improvement in the overall cognitive function index than the control group (p<0.05). Significant improvements were observed in orientation (p<0.01) and memory (p<0.05), while no significant differences were found in planning, spatial awareness, or attention.

Conclusions: CRT may improve cognitive function in elderly people through reminiscence therapy and music-based dual-task activities combining singing and physical movement. These findings suggest that CRT is a promising non-pharmacological approach for maintaining cognitive function and may contribute to dementia prevention.