| Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha) |
URAYAMA Osamu University of Tsukuba, Graduate Shool of Comprehensive Human Sciences, Professor (90114743)
OKUNO Junko University of Tsukuba, Graduate Shool of Comprehensive Human Sciences, Assistant Professor (50360342)
YAMAUCHI Keiko Nagoya University of Arts and Sciences, Nutrition, Faculty of Management, Assistant Professor (90387910)
WATANABE Makoto Nagoya University of Arts and Sciences, Undergraduate media sculpture, Professor (90440825)
KAWAI Norie Foundation for Advancement of International Science, A Research and Development Section, Researcher (50261128)
樋之津 敦子 (樋之津 淳子) 札幌市立大学, 看護学部, 教授 (90230656)
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| Budget Amount *help |
¥15,700,000 (Direct Cost: ¥15,700,000)
Fiscal Year 2006: ¥2,900,000 (Direct Cost: ¥2,900,000)
Fiscal Year 2005: ¥12,800,000 (Direct Cost: ¥12,800,000)
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| Research Abstract |
The objectives of the present study were to develop a training method that stimulates the facial muscles and facial nerves that are involved in creating a smiling expression, introduce the smile/laughter training into diabetes education, and investigate the physical and psychological effects of the training method, including the changes in blood glucose levels.
Firstly, in order to study the effect of stimulation of facial muscles with the smile/laughter training, we conducted an experiment involving 12 healthy subjects (6 men and 6 women) aged 20-29 years who consented to the experiment. On the first day of the experiment, the subjects watched a comedy film (Mr. Bean) for 20 min, rested for 60 min, and then watched another comedy film for 20 min. The electroencephalogram (EEG) was recorded while the patients were watching the comedy film. The EEGs were analyzed with a focus on a-2 waves of the spontaneous EEG signals. It has been known that there is correlation between the a-2 waves an
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d the blood flow in deep brain structures. In the abovementioned subjects, an increase in the EEG power for a-2 waves was observed while the comedy film was being watched. This suggests that laughter may increase deep brain activity. Moreover, the subjects were randomized and allocated to the smile/laughter training group and the non-training group. For the smile/laughter training group, the subjects were instructed to exercise the smile muscle by practicing the smile/laughter training method every day at home for seven days. After 1 week, we recorded the EEG for both groups while the subjects were watching the comedy film. As a result, a significantly high increase rate in the EEG power for the a-2 waves (that are said to be correlated to the blood flow in the deep brain structures) was observed in the smile/laughter training group.
Furthermore, 24 diabetic patients aged 60-69 years on average underwent a nine-month diabetes education program that included the smile/laughter training. As a result, compared with the changes in the HbAl c value observed in the previous year, a significant improvement was observed in the present study (p<0.05). In addition, we asked the patients to take home the instructive video for the smile/laughter training and exercise by watching it every day. The glycemic levels improved as the frequency of smile/laughter increases. Regarding the patient diary, the number of positive statements increased during this period. The above observations show that physiologically, a-2 waves in the brain increases when the patients exercise and stimulate the facial muscles with the video-taped smile/laughter training program in everyday life, and that psychologically, the smile/laughter training promotes a positive mental attitude and improves the glycemic levels in patients with diabetes. Less
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