Asami Tatsumi

Physical and Psychological Effects of 6-Week Tactile Massage on Elderly Patients With Severe Dementia

Tactile massage is a soft massage that improves physical relaxation and psychological well-being. The purpose of this study was to clarify the effects of a 6-week tactile massage on changes in physical and mental function, symptoms of behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD) among elderly patients with dementia. In addition, chromogranin A (CgA) levels as an index of stress examined the effects of tactile massage intervention. A tactile massage group consisting of elderly patients with dementia received tactile massage therapy a total of 30 times each for about 20 minutes between 16:00 and 17:00 hours. In the control group, the mean scores for ‘‘intellectual’’ and ‘‘emotional function’’ score decreased significantly after 6 weeks (P < .05); however, no change was observed in the tactile massage group. Both the ‘‘aggressiveness’’ score (P < .05) and CgA levels decreased significantly after 6 weeks in the tactile massage group. These results suggest that tactile massage reduces aggressiveness and stress level in patients with dementia.

Val1483Ile polymorphism in the fatty acid synthase gene was associated with depressive symptoms under the influence of psychological stress

BACKGROUND To study the association between lipid-metabolism and depressive symptoms, genetic polymorphisms in serotonin transporter linked promoter region (5-HTTLPR) and fatty acid synthase gene (FASN) were investigated. METHOD A cross-sectional study was conducted on 177 women (n = 166) and men (n = 15) recruited from workers in a hospital and nursing homes in Japan. Depressive symptoms were assessed by the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression (CES-D) scale and perceived psychological stress was measured using visual analogue scale (VAS). The genotypes of 5-HTTLPR (insertion/deletion; L/S), and FASN (Val1483Ile) were determined by the PCR methods. Linear regression analysis was performed, in which CES-D scores served as a dependent variable, and VAS scores, gene polymorphism, and confounders as independent variables. RESULTS Under the influence of perceived stress, S/S carriers of the 5-HTTLPR gene showed significantly higher CES-D scores in comparison with L/L+L/S carriers (F = 8.2, standardised β = 0.15, p < 0.05). Regression analysis also confirmed that CES-D scores in participants with Ile/Ile+Val/Ile genotypes of the FASN gene were significantly higher than those with Val/Val genotype (F = 8.4, standardised β = 0.16, p<0.05). In relation to physical features, BMI among participants with S/S genotype of 5-HTTLPR was significantly lower compared with those with L/L+L/S genotypes. CONCLUSIONS The Val1483Ile polymorphism in the FASN was associated with depressive symptoms under the influence of psychological stress. The S variant of 5-HTTLPR was related with less obese.

Class Average Score for Teacher Support and Relief of Depression in Adolescents: A Population Study in Japan

BACKGROUND Factors contributing to the relief of depression among adolescents have not been sufficiently revealed. The aim of this study was to assess the effect of teacher support on depression in adolescent students. METHODS We conducted a self-rating questionnaire survey among 2862 junior high school students and 93 homeroom teachers in Japan. We employed binary logistic regression models, with teacher support averaged for each class as an explanatory variable and depression as an objective variable. To examine the interaction terms of class average score for teacher support by economic status, by student sex, and by grade satisfaction were estimated. RESULTS Higher class average scores for teacher support were independently associated with lower levels of depression among adolescents (odds ratio [OR], 0.739; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.575-0.948). Furthermore, the interaction of class average scores for teacher support with grade satisfaction was significant (p = .025). The interaction of class average score for teacher support with economic status and with student sex was not significant. CONCLUSIONS Our findings suggest that higher class average scores for teacher support were significantly associated with lower depression. These results can help homeroom teachers enhance interventions and promote the health of their homeroom students.

Depressive symptoms of female nursing staff working in stressful environments and their association with serum creatine kinase and lactate dehydrogenase – a preliminary study

BackgroundThe activity of creatine kinase (CK) in serum has recently been reported to be potentially associated with several types of depression. The aim of this study is to evaluate whether serum enzymes, including CK, vary even in a healthy population with depressive symptoms caused by work-related stress. We gave questionnaires and blood examinations to 93 healthy female nursing home workers and did an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for the quantitative detection of CK isozyme muscle-type M chain (CK-MM) in serum.FindingsDepressive symptoms were determined using the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression (CES-D) scale and compared with the results of the blood examination and serum CK-MM levels. The CES-D results showed significant negative correlations with total CK and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) activities and CK-MM level (r = -0.29, p = 0.0062; r = -0.29, p = 0.0065; r = -0.33, p = 0.0016, respectively).ConclusionsTotal CK and LDH activities and serum CK-MM level appear to be associated with the depressive symptoms of healthy nurses working in stressful environments, although the significance level was relatively low. The simultaneous detection of serum CK and LDH activities or serum CK-MM level and LDH activity may be useful as an indicator of depressive symptoms, at least for female nursing staff with work-related stress.

Effects of Psychological Stress from a National License Examination on the Urine 8-Hydroxy-Deoxyguanosine Levels in Young Female Students, Taking into Account the Menstrual Cycle

Objective: Urine 8-hydroxy-deoxyguanosine (U8-OHdG) was a marker of oxidative stress-induced DNA damage; it was increased by psychological stress. Since the menstrual cycle may confound or modify the association between psychological stress and U8-OHdG. The aim of this study was to verify the effect of psychological stress from a national license examination on levels of U8-OHdG, which is a biomarker of oxidative stress. And the effects of women’s menstrual cycles, which should be considered in mental and physical assessments, on U8-OHdG, were evaluated. Methods: The subjects were 18 female university students at a medical university in whom Self-rating Depression Scale (SDS) scores, State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) scores, and U8-OHdG levels were measured in 3 phases of the menstrual cycle, the follicular phase, ovulatory phase, and luteal phase. The mean values were taken for the group during a time of classroom learning. The same measurements were also made one week before and the day after a national license examination and the measurements were compared among the three periods. Results and Conclusion: State anxiety and U8-OHdG levels were significantly higher in those with a week before the national license examination than in those with classroom lecture (State anxiety: p = 0.002, U8-OHdG levels: p = 0.007). The menstrual cycle did not show a significant correlation with U8-OHdG levels. This study demonstrated that levels of the oxidative stress biomarker U8-OHdG are not affected by changes in the menstrual cycle. It also showed that U8-OHdG levels increased with the psychological stress of a national license examination.

Relationship between an amount of Key Tasks and Job Satisfaction among Caregivers and Nurses in Elderly Care Facilities

ObjectivesThe purpose of this study is to examine relationship between an amount of key tasks and job satisfaction among caregivers and nurses in elderly care facilities.MethodsQuestionnaires were mailed to the caring staff of elderly care facilities. After data collection (return rate 70%), information about work situations and health conditions were analyzed among 325 female workers, who were classified to 4 groups as follows; (1) caregivers under 40 years of age (2) caregivers of 40 years or over (3) nurses under 40 years of age (4) nurses of 40 years or over.ResultsMean ages and length of career in caring sector were 37.2 ± 12.2 yr and 4.5 ± 3.0 yr for caregivers and 41.6 ± 9.2 yr and 16.8 ± 8.9 yr for nurses, respectively. A larger amount of care services were done on average by workers being dissatisfied with their job than by the satisfied workers in each of the 4 groups. The dissatisfied caregivers under 40 years showed significantly higher frequencies (as ratios of 1.4 - 2 to 1) in several care services such as “helping with showers or baths”, “helping with eating”, “changing diapers”, “moving caretakers from bed or chair to wheelchair or vice versa”, as compared with the satisfied caregivers under 40 years. Similarly, the 40 plus dissatisfied caregivers helped caretakers sit up in bed significantly more frequently. For nurses, on the other hand, “changing diapers” was found as the only service with a significant difference in frequency between the dissatisfied and the satisfied, but that was limited in the 40 plus age group. A frequency of “changing diapers” was associated with an increase in the risk of job dissatisfaction.ConclusionsThese results suggested that an appropriate amount of each key task in elderly care facilities should be set to prevent staff’s dissatisfaction with their job from growing excessively.

Effects of 6-week tactile touch intervention on elderly patients with dementia and nurses administering tactile touch

length of stay (LOS) and adverse effects including delirium. The current presentation examines the effects of age upon hospitalisation outcomes. The Hospital Dementia Services Project is exploring service delivery factors that influence outcomes for people with dementia who were admitted at least overnight to a public hospital in the state of New South Wales (NSW), Australia. Methods: We extracted data from the NSW Admitted Patient Care Database for nearly 420,000 multi-day hospital admissions (nearly 260,000 persons) aged 50 years and over from July 2006 to June 2007. Using ICD10 codes for dementia and delirium, we examined the effects of age upon hospital admission. Results: Dementia was age-related with 25% of patients aged 85 years and over having dementia compared with 0.6% of patients aged 50-54 years. The number of admissions was higher for people with young onset dementia (YOD) (mean admissions 50-54 year-olds with dementia 1⁄4 2.81; without dementia 1⁄4 1.46) and declined with age (mean admissions age 90+ with dementia 1⁄4 1.68; without dementia 1⁄4 1.66). Mean LOS for admissions for persons with dementia was 16.4 days; 8.9 days for those without dementia. This difference was more pronounced in YOD with mean LOS for admissions for persons with dementia aged 50-70 years 1⁄4 20.9 days, nearly three times that for those without dementia (7.1 days); while in those aged 85+ LOS with dementia was 15.9 days and 12.8 days for those without. Age had little effect on the rates of comorbid delirium with 14.7% of 50-70 year olds with dementia having delirium compared with 16.6% of admissions 85+ with dementia. Conclusions: Our findings suggest that YOD has a disproportionate effect compared with late life dementia on admissions to general hospitals. Factors contributing to these findings include high rates of alcohol-related dementia (16%) and other types of dementia with physical comorbidity (e.g. Parkinson’s dementia 3%, HIV dementia 2%). Other complications such as behavioural disturbances might have an effect. Further investigation of the reasons for prolonged LOS and increased rates of hospitalisation in YOD is warranted.