Taketoshi Hatta

The relation between cognitive function and UI in healthy, community-dwelling, middle-aged and elderly people

The aim of this study was to examine the relation between UI and cognitive function among non-disabled middle-aged and elderly community-dwelling people. A total of 201 participants (86 men and 115 women) were given a structured questionnaire regarding their condition of UI as well as a cognitive assessment battery (memory, attention, verbal fluency, information processing speed, and visuospatial function). The results showed a significant relation between UI and cognitive tasks for letter fluency, attention, and information processing speed, while no relation was found in cognitive tasks for memory and visuospatial function. Based on these findings, possible mechanisms regarding the relation between UI and cognitive function, and preventive methods to reduce the prevalence of UI in middle-aged and upper middle-aged community dwellers are discussed.

Effects of visual cue and spatial distance on exitability in electronic negotiation

We examined the effects of the visual anonymity of self and spatial distance on exitability in electronic negotiation in a role-play experiment. Exitability is the psychological factor that causes one to perceive the negotiation as unstable. We predicted that the lack of visual information and the spread of spatial distance would reduce anticipation of retaliation, make the continuation norm less salient, and prompt to exit from the current negotiation. Visual anonymity was manipulated by two conditions (visual anonymity or non-anonymity conditions). Spatial distance was manipulated by two conditions (remote or close conditions). Forty-three students were assigned in one of these four conditions, and negotiated. The results showed both the visual anonymity and remote distance inhibited the activation of continuation norm, prompted to exit from the current negotiation.

Developmental trajectories of verbal and visuospatial abilities in healthy older adults: Comparison of the hemisphere asymmetry reduction in older adults model and the right hemi-ageing model

Two models of cognitive ageing, the hemisphere asymmetry reduction in older adults (HAROLD) model and the right hemi-ageing model, were compared based upon the verbal memory and visuospatial task performance of 338 elderly participants. Comparison of the developmental trajectories for four age groups (50s, 60s, 70s and 80s) supported the HAROLD model, but not the right hemi-ageing model. Performance differences between the verbal memory and visuospatial tasks in the earlier age groups decreased in the later age groups. There was a sex difference in the cognitive-decline trajectories for verbal and visuospatial task performance after the 50s.

Subjective Age in a Modern Japanese Young, Middle-Age, and Upper Middle-Age Sample

The subjective age perception of a Japanese sample of 1,459 (ages in the 20s to 80s) was surveyed, and participants were asked to give their subjective psychological ages. Irrespective of the cohort, participants felt their subjective age to be younger than their chronological age, and a cohort difference was found in the size of the discrepancy. The middle- and upper middle-age generations (50s, 60s, 70s, and 80s) showed a larger discrepancy than that of prior tested young adults (20s and 30s). A cross-cultural comparison was conducted, and possible reasons for the discrepancy between subjective and chronological ages were examined.

Relations Between Exercise Habit and Visual Attentional Ability in Older Adult Community Dwellers: Evidences From the Yakumo Study:

Objective: The relation between mild everyday exercise and cognitive ability in healthy older people was examined using cohort study database. Methods: Individually calculated linear regression coefficients in digit cancelation task performances for 11 years age from 65 to 75 years were compared between mild exercise habit holders and non-holders. Results: Exercise habit holders showed significantly smaller age-related decline than non-holders, irrespective of task difficulty. Discussion: The results suggested that even mild exercise habit for long years possesses benefits on sustaining cognitive function in older people as well as the physical activities such as programmed in a sport gym. It also becomes clear that it is difficult for ordinary older adult to continue exercising habits for many years. Therefore, more substantial ways are required for local health officials to advertise the effectiveness of mild exercise habits and to devise the necessary work to become a habit.

Sex Difference in Cognitive Aging for Letter Fluency and Semantic Fluency

This study examined the sex difference in cognitive aging for verbal abilities. To examine developmental changes on Letter Fluency (LFT) and Semantic Fluency (SFT) tests, healthy 224 women and 139 men over 40 years old participated in this study. The results showed that performance of both sex in the 40’s and 50’s remained at the same level, but the performance declining for the LFT and the SFT after the 70’s were not parallel. For the LFT, men showed a steep decline from 50’s to 70’s, whereas women showed a gradual decline from 50’s to 80’s. For the SFT, men showed a sharp decline from 50’s to 70’s and remained at a similar level after the 70’s, whereas women did not show a steep performance decline from their 50’s to 70’s and their performance level in 70’s was the same as in 80’s.

Developmental Changes of Prefrontal Cortex and Cerebro-Cerebellar Functioning in Older Adults: Evidence from Stabilometer and Cognitive Tests

The relation between cognitive and postural functioning was examined as developmental changes among healthy older adults. The 339 participants (207 women and 132 men) of four age groups (50’s, 60’s, 70’s, and 80’s) were given the Digit Cancellation Test (D-CAT) for the assessment of prefrontal cortex related cognitive functioning, and the Logical Memory Test for the assessment of fronto-parietal cortex related cognitive functioning. The postural functioning of the participants was measured by a stabilometer for the assessment of cerebro-cerebellar related motor functioning. The results showed that the developmental changes in performances for non-automatic intentional cognitive and automatic motor postural functioning were not parallel. Cognitive functioning did not show clear sex difference while motor postural functioning showed robust sex difference. Largely, cognitive functioning DCAT and Logical Memory Test showed gradual performance decrease 23-48% for each age group from 50’s to 80’s while robust motor postural functioning performance decreased approximately 60% from 70’s to 80’s in men and approximately 65% from 60’s to 70’s in women. Based upon these findings, characteristics of age-related changes in cerebro-cerebellar brain systems in middle aged and older healthy people are discussed.