Development of reminiscence therapy program using olfactory stimuli on cognitive functions and depression in community-dwelling elderly people

Research Project

Project/Area Number	16K01506
Research Category	Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
Allocation Type	Multi-year Fund
Section	一般
Research Field	Rehabilitation science/Welfare engineering
Research Institution	Hiroshima University
Principal Investigator	HANAOKA Hideaki 広島大学, 医系科学研究科(保), 教授 (10381419)
Research Collaborator	MURAKI Toshiaki OKAMURA Hitoshi
Project Period (FY)	2016-04-01 – 2019-03-31
Project Status	Completed (Fiscal Year 2018)
Budget Amount *help	¥4,680,000 (Direct Cost: ¥3,600,000、Indirect Cost: ¥1,080,000) Fiscal Year 2018: ¥1,820,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,400,000、Indirect Cost: ¥420,000) Fiscal Year 2017: ¥1,820,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,400,000、Indirect Cost: ¥420,000) Fiscal Year 2016: ¥1,040,000 (Direct Cost: ¥800,000、Indirect Cost: ¥240,000)
Keywords	高齢者 / 回想 / 予防 / 回想法 / 認知症予防 / リハビリテーション
Outline of Final Research Achievements	This investigation was first conducted in focus on the Japanese version of the University of Pennsylvania Smell Identification Test (UPSIT-J), which uses odorous substances familiar to Japanese people. This study demonstrated that 16 different odorous substances, including burning incense, yuzu, and apple, were linked to reminiscences of elderly people at a rate of 70% or higher. This study was secondly to examine the effects of reminiscence using olfactory stimuli on cognitive function and depression in the two-grouped community-dwelling elderly people. In the intervention group, the sessions were performed 12 times using olfactory cards. In the control group, they were similarly performed using language cards. The results suggested that reminiscence therapy using odors as its cues could exhibit some possibility as a program to maintain and improve the mental health of community-dwelling elderly people.
Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements	回想法は、非薬物療法の心理社会的アプローチとして、高齢者の精神的健康や認知機能の維持・向上を目指した取り組みが行われている。高齢者の回想を促す手段として、写真や音楽などが回想手がかりとして用いられているが、その根拠は示されていない。また、回想法の効果についても、これまで認知症高齢者を中心に報告が行われ、地域在住高齢者を対象とした効果検討は十分行われていない状況にある。本研究は、回想法を行う際に嗅覚刺激を回想手がかりとして用いる根拠について示唆を与え、地域在住高齢者に対する介護予防の一つの手段として、回想法プログラムの活用の可能性を示した研究と言える。