Daily association of stressors with perceived cognitive performance: Moderating role of age

Association between Relative Hypothermia and Cognitive Function in Older Adults: A Cross-Sectional Study

OBJECTIVES

This study aimed to investigate the association between relative hypothermia measured by a wearable device and cognitive function, and to clarify whether relative hypothermia is a useful indicator for preventing poor cognitive function.

DESIGN

Cross-sectional study.

SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS

The study included 103 community-dwelling older adults aged 60 to 90 years.

METHODS

This study measured body temperature with a wrist-worn device equipped with an accelerometer. Subjects were instructed to wear the Silmee 24 hours a day for 1 week, and body temperature data were sampled every minute. Relative hypothermia was calculated as the percentage of time during the daytime active phase in which body temperature was below the 24-hour mean body temperature. Cognitive function was evaluated regarding memory, attention, executive function, processing speed, and general cognitive function. We calculated atrophy within regions of interest such as the parahippocampal gyrus, hippocampus, and amygdala, which show atrophy in the early stages of Alzheimer's disease. Multiple regression analysis was performed, taking into account variables such as age, sex, body mass index, and severity of volume of interest (VOI) atrophy.

RESULTS

Relative hypothermia was significantly associated with memory function. Multiple regression analysis considering variables such as age and severity of VOI atrophy also showed that relative hypothermia was independently associated with the decline in memory function.

CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS

Relative hypothermia was independently associated with the decline in memory function. Our findings suggest that relative hypothermia assessed by a wearable device may be a useful indicator for early prevention of poor cognitive function.

The Efficacy of a Resilience-Enhancement Program for Mothers Based on Emotion Regulation: A Randomized Controlled Trial in Japan

This study evaluated the efficacy of a brief (four 2-h sessions) group-based resilience-enhancement program focused on emotion regulation in Japan. Mothers (n = 123) of children aged 3-6 years were recruited in two prefectures and allocated with stratified randomization by the prefecture to either a bi-weekly intervention or treatment as usual. Mothers self-reported online at pre/post-intervention and at 2-month follow-up. Analysis of covariance was used to compare groups. At post-intervention and 2-month follow-up, the intervention group mothers showed significant improvements compared to the control group in resilience (p < 0.001/p = 0.001), self-esteem (p = 0.008/p = 0.001), anger control toward the child (p < 0.001/p = 0.012), and positive attribution toward the child's misbehavior (p < 0.001/p = 0.003). The partners of mothers in both groups answered the same questionnaire at the same timepoints without participating in either program; no differences between groups were found. This study was the first randomized controlled trial investigating how a resilience-enhancement program improves maternal resilience, emotion regulation, and cognition toward children and themselves. This preliminary study provides evidence that improving resilience may reduce the risk of child maltreatment. Further research regarding implementing this intervention in the community is warranted.