Dementia prevention effects by horticulutural therapy viewing from brain blood flow and TDAS

2019 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 15K07298
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Horticultural science
• Research Institution: University of Hyogo
• Principal Investigator: Toyoda Masahiro 兵庫県立大学, 緑環境景観マネジメント研究科, 准教授 (30445051)
• Project Period (FY): 2015-04-01 – 2020-03-31
• Keywords: 園芸療法 / 認知症 / 脳血流 / 前頭極 / 外的注意 / 内的思考

Outline of Final Research Achievements

In our previous studies using functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy, we reported the possibility of frontal pole activation of healthy older adults during gardening activities. The objective of the latest study was to examine the impacts of a three-month continual practice of the watering task in the actual gardening settings on the FP activation of healthy older adults. We asked the participants to continue watering at home for three months. The results showed that the participants’ task performance improved compared with that of pre-intervention and the Oxy-Hb values in the right lateral FP in the post-intervention measurement were significantly greater compared with the pre-intervention measurement. This study suggested that a gardening activity such as watering, if the activity is continued, can suppress the decline of the FP activation of healthy older adults. Combination of various gardening activities has the potential to be a further cognitive training for activating the FP.

Free Research Field

園芸療法

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究では、園芸作業には認知機能を担う前頭極を持続的に賦活させる特徴があることと、実際に3か月間同じかん水作業を行っても前頭極の賦活は続き、前頭極の一部領域では血流低下抑制も起こり、活動パフォーマンスに向上が見られることを明らかにした。これは、認知症予防に効果的と考えられていたガーデニングを、前頭前野の一部であり注意などの認知機能に関与する前頭極の血流変化という、認知刺激の視点から実証した世界で初めての研究である。