We surveyed the influence of exercise habits on physical, cognitive and psychological functions in 181 elderly inhabitants in the community, and evaluated their association. Physical, cognitive and psychological functions were compared by analysis of covariance with adjustment for gender and age between 81 subjects with and 100 without exercise habits. Physical functions (such as lower limb muscle strength and walking ability), cognitive functions (such as intellectual function and attentional function), and psychological functions (such as subjective well-being and the degree of satisfaction with life) were significantly better in the group with exercise habits than in the group without. These results suggest an association between regular exercise and health promotion in the elderly. In particular, regular exercise may improve physical functions such as lower limb muscle strength and walking ability and inhibit an age-associated decrease in attentive function, which is useful for the prevention of falling. Regular exercise, which may also have inhibitory effects on the development of dementia and increase the mental health state, is expected to be an effective measure for care prevention.

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The purpose of the present study was to develop program of therapy to control BPSD (Behavioral and Psychological Symptoms of Dementia) which is the major cause of the reduction in QOL with patients with AD (Dementia of Alzheimer's Type). The previous findings of our study demonstrated that this relaxation program was effective in controlling anxiety for healthy people and patients with cognitive dysfunction (Dodo et al., 2003; Dodo & Sakano, 2007). This study conducted the randomized phase III trial of 3 groups (Control group, Relaxation group, and Video group). As results, participants of the relaxation group significantly controlled anxiety after sessions. These results demonstrated that this relaxation program help patient with AD succeed in maintaining QOL.

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The purpose of this study was to examine the influence of pre-sleep selective attention on sleep onset insomnia in daily life using a two-week homework procedure. Thirteen university students with sleep onset insomnia were divided into experimental group and control group. For the latter week, the experimental group performed Breath Counting Exercise as training to control their attention before sleep every night. To investigate the differences in the Pre-sleep Selective Attention Scale (PSAS), Pre-Sleep Cognitive Activity Scale (PCAS) score and mean Sleep Onset Latency (SOL) between experimental group and control group, two way MANOVAs (2 Condition × 2 Times) were performed. The analysis of PSAS score indicated significant interaction effect for Condition by Time (F(1,11)=6.24, p=.030). The analysis of PCAS Factor 2 (Anxiety for Sleep Onset Insomnia) score indicated marginally significant interaction effect (F(1,11)=3.78, p=.078). The analysis of mean SOL indicated marginally significant interaction effect (F(1.11)=3.35, p=.095). The results of this study suggested that attentional bias contributes to maintenance of sleep onset insomnia. And attention control by the Breath Counting Exercise is effective in treating sleep onset insomnia.

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The present study was to assess the relationship between sleeping time and the health of mind-body. Both subjective and objective outcome measurements such as General Health Questionnaire (GHQ)-28 and Psychoneuroimmunological (PNI) responses [3-methoxy-4-hydroxyphenylglychol(MHPG), immunoglobulin(Ig)-A] were used to assess the state of health and stress. Subjects were 205 healthy university students (110 males and 95 females). These subjects were divided by habitual sleeping time: adequate sleepers (AS) (6–8 hour sleep per night regularly) (n=35), short sleepers (SS) (less than 5 hour sleep per night regularly) (n=33) and long sleepers (LS) (more than 8 hour sleep per night regularly) (n=28). Subjects completed the questionnaire of GHQ-28 while the saliva samples were collected by chewing cotton swab, SALIVETTE, in the mouth during a lecture. Subscale scores of Social Dysfunction and Depression on GHQ-28 in LS were significantly higher than those in AS and SS. In addition to those, the scores of Somatic Symptoms on GHQ-28 in SS and LS were higher than AS. Levels of free-MHPG in SS were higher than those in LS, although free-MHPG levels in AS did not differ from SS and LS. The levels of s-IgA in SS were significantly lower than those in AS. The results of the logistic regression analysis indicated that both shorter sleep and longer sleep was associated with high scores of Somatic Symptoms, Social Dysfunction and Depression. These results demonstrated that sleeping time relates to perceived health and change in PNI function. Moreover, the results of PNI responses and GHQ-28 suggest that sleeping time is very important factor for prevention of stress disease and health promotion for university students.

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