2004 Fiscal Year Final Research Report Summary
An interactive health care system for homebound elderly, based on non-restraining measurement of conversation, deglutition, and behavior.
| Project/Area Number |
14580463
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| Research Category |
Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
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| Allocation Type | Single-year Grants |
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| Section | 一般 |
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| Research Field |
情報システム学(含情報図書館学)
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| Research Institution | Osaka Electro-Communication University |
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Principal Investigator |
MATSUMURA Masafumi Osaka Electro-Communication University, Faculty of Engineering, Professor., 工学部, 教授 (80209618)
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| Project Period (FY) |
2002 – 2004
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| Keywords | Quality of Life / Electrocardiogram / Health-care / Laughing Voice / Homebound elderly people / Stress reduction / Vital signs / Biomedical Measurement |
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| Research Abstract |
The low birthrate and long life expectancy among Japanese has created the important need to assess quality of life (QOL) and to promote health in geriatric care. To achieve these important goals, the present research investigated the following three items. (1)The development of a measurement system-additional to vital signs monitoring by such methods as electrocardiography and pulse wave velocity-that is non-restraining and enables prolonged measurement of spoken language, which indicates the wellbeing of the individual. (2)The development of a long-term measurement and functional evaluation system of articulation and deglutition. (3)The establishment of such an e-healthcare system using this measurement system to estimate QOL and promote independence. The present research succeeded in the development of a non-restraining monitoring technology that the listener uses unconsciously, which consists of an electrocardiogram with a conductive fiber electrode placed inside clothing and a setting of an electrode completes only by wearing the wear. Moreover, the present research succeeded in monitoring spoken language by affixing a larynx microphone to skin of the neck. The data of spoken language collected showed the number of times at which a participant laughed, and the amount of time spent talking in one day. Furthermore, measurement of the level of the stress hormone cortisol before and after hearing a humorous story clearly indicated that the stress reduction effect increases as the frequency and duration of laughter increase. Specifically, the effects of the frequency and duration of laughter on stress reduction were clarified for the first time, clearly indicating the importance of list item of e-healthcare system.
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