In this special issue, the purpose and outcomes of the Research Group on the Living Environment for the Elderly are mentioned. This research group has acted since April, 2000 to obtain new findings concerning the residence environment in an aged society. In November, 2000, the seminar was held to discuss various problems which came round in the elderly and to share knowledge. About 150 persons participated in this seminar. As the schedule of this research group for the future, we want to obtain the participation of more members and work on making the publications.

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With the aging of society and the spread of a universal design philosophy, knowledge of the physiological characteristics of the elderly is indispensable in the design of environments or consumer products. Knowledge of human characteristics alone, however, will enable us successfully to realize such human-centered design. The most fundamental steps for these applications are not only acquiring the human characteristics data that are needed for the design, but also translating these data into design values. Such a translation is generally difficult, and the method for it must be systematized. In upgrading the translation method, it is important that information related to various good and bad design examples is accumulated in addition to citing data obtained in the laboratory.

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The characteristic of postural change with aging is to increase thoracic curve such as round back. Standing posture in round back needs much strength of the back muscles and leg muscles, becaues, spinal mobility is poorly and center of gravity exists backward.It is difficult to perform postural control for the elderly in round back, because of not only muscular weakness of foot with aging but insufficiency of foot We think that it is easy to occur postural sway by softness of floor and tiny slip of floor. As a result of these facts they tend to fall and may have a serious injury. We suggest that round back makes posture control difficult.

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The purpose of this paper is to discuss on the spatial cognitive abilities of aged people with dementia and the evaluation method for them. The spatial cognitive abilities are analyzed into four types;place, sequence, orientation and cognitive map. Each of tham has the roles to assist behaviors in the daily life. As the cognitive abilities decline, maladaptive behaviors occurs. In order to prevent from maladaptive behaviors, the dwelling environment are should be considered to be balanced to the cognitive abilities. The dwelling environment should be small and simple according to the decline of the cognitive abilities. So it is important to be made clear the level of the cognitive abilities of each aged people, and it is necessary to develop the evaluation method for the cognitive abilities. The evaluation method should have a simple procedure for aged people with dementia to understand easily and an appropriate measure corresponding to the dwelling environment.

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Daily disasters in the dwelling home have been pointed out as one of the most inportant problems for the elderly, and investigations of such daily disasters reveal some important aspects of the living environment for the elderly. In Japan, there are a very large number of Bath-related deaths amongst the elderly, most of which actually occur in the bathtud. The most common cause of bath-related death is circulatory disease. In the toilet, the elderly are most likely to encounter emergencies such as a fall or a heart attack. There are difficulties in finding such emergencies since many old people live alone. Considering the safety of the living environment for the elderly living alone, especially, the major risks in the home are related to bathing and going to toilet. These are the places where emergencies are likely to occur, but they are not easily found.

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The objective of this study is to consider about the house adaptation for the aged with disabilities. House adaptation is one of measures for the person who has disabilities on account of aging or disease to be able to keep on living independently in their own house and community, and is a part of rehabilitation. This study is based on our survey of house adaptation for the aged, and considered adout difference in level, handrail, barrier, social service in a house, and so on. In future, it is necessary to reconsider the house adaptation grant system, and to establish the house adaptation support system and the means of house adaptation cope with disabilities of the aged, and so on.

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The purpose of this experiment is to evaluate that it is pleasant or unpleasant toward the noise with measuring a Prefrontal Hemodynamics Response. 12 healthy adults who had the normal sense of hearing were chosen as a subject. The Audiogram was measured before and after of this experimentation. They had Speech Sound told from the speaker. The sound of the commotion, machine sound and the murmur of a stream sound were chosen as a noise. While they had sound told, a change in their Deoxy Hb and Total Hb was measured by Near-Infrared-Spectroscopy. When only Speech Sound was told, it showed a tendency to raise it in both of Deoxy Hb and Total Hb. When it had only noise told, there was a remarkable difference by the machine sound. As for the Speech Sound, the cases of only the noise showed a tendency of decreasing conversely. When noise was mixed to the Speech Sound, a change in Deoxy Hb under the machine sound was the most remarkable in comparison with the sound of the commotion and the murmur of a stream sound. We think that the measurement of Hemodynamics Response of the brain by Near-Infrared-Spectroscopy can become a physiology index.

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It is said that walking is one of the fundamental human movements. The purpose of this study was to investigate synchronization of infants walking with several tempos of auditory stimulus. The subjects were 31 preschool children who were from 5 to 6 years pld. They attempted to walk once in a 10mstraight line in response to auditory stimulus at given tempos of 80, 95, 110, 125, 140 and 155 beats per minute(bpm). The order of the given tempos was at random. The analysis objects were 10 steps after the first 5 steps following a halt at about the 5 steps. The delay time from the stimulus to touching the ground on his/her sole was measured at every step. The synchronization accuracy served as an average error of the delay time in each tempo. The main results and findings were summarized as follows: 1)According to the synchronization accuracy, it was more suitable for the infants to walk in response to 125 and 140 bpm than 80 and 95 bpm. 2)The relationship between slowness and fastness of the six tempos of auditory stimulus was correctly reproduced in 28 of the infants. However, it was not reproduced in the other 3. It was considered that the 28 infants were at a different developmental stage from the other 3 based on recognition of speed of tempo, nervous system, and so on. It seems that further examination is necessary on this point.

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This research describes the human relation of the revival public housing residents. About 460, 000 households lost the their houses due to the Grate Hanshin Earthquake. Kyougo pref planned the house revival plan and it is described that the supply of 125, 000 houses are necessary for victims. The revival public housing is a only rented house which are supplied to the struck person primarily. Moreover, the public housing accept a large amount of persons from refuge. For this, the aged and low income persons are moving into the reival public housing all alone. Many residents are deteriorating neighbour relations after moving in the present house. Part of them shuts oneself up in the house and the neighbor relation is deteriorating. Therefore, this research is the consideration as to the background factor of shutting up. And we obtained the following original new conclusions:The phenomenon of shutting up is not influenced only by the going out frequency, and that is not a problem of a resident alone, too. Moreover, in the revival of life, continuation of former human relation is a problem of a resident alone, too. Moreover, in the revival of life, continuation of former human relation is most important.

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The purpose of this study was to evaluate the physiological and psychological responses of subjects who had their hair shampooed. Subjects consisted of eight healthy females. Metabolic rate. blood pressure, heart rate and heart rate variability(HRV)were used as physiological indices. Psychological response was assessed using the Profile of Mood States(POMS)before and after the experiment. After resting on a bed for 30 min, the subjects hair was washed in a standardized procedure at a sink in two different positions:in a supine position on a special chair requiring the head to be lifted by 15〜30゜(Position F). and in a sitting position leaning forward over the sink(Position Z). There were no significant differences in metabolic rate and blood pressure between Position F and Z. Heart rate, LF(low frequency)component. and LF/HF(high frequency)ratio derived from HRV during the hair washing were increased compared to pre-washing in both positions. In comparison between washing hair and without washing hair in each position, heart rate and LF component during the hair washing in Position F were significanlty higher than without washing hair in same position. POMS showed that there was a lower score for negative responses, and a higher score for「Vigor」post-washing and drying compared to pre-washing in both position. Above all, significant changes of a score for negative response were observed only in Position F. There were no distinct differences in physiological responses between the two positions. but the psychological results suggested that compared with a shampoo in Position Z. a shampoo in Position F had a positive effect on the mind of the subjects.

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