Development of executive function training to improve daily life capacity in stroke patients

2020 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 18K17732
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Basic Section 59010:Rehabilitation science-related
• Research Institution: Tokyo International University
• Principal Investigator: Kawasaki Tsubasa 東京国際大学, 教育研究推進機構, 講師 (10735046)
• Project Period (FY): 2018-04-01 – 2021-03-31
• Keywords: 脳卒中 / 遂行機能 / 日常生活機能

Outline of Final Research Achievements

We examined the relationship between executive function and daily living capacity (notably higher living capacity beyond basic daily living capacity) in community-dwelling stroke patients. As a result, it was found that higher daily life capabilities, such as intellectual activity and use of new equipment, were related to the brain functions of planning and monitoring the progress of movements and flexibility of thinking. This suggests that executive function training may be an effective intervention to improve higher daily functions, and the findings would provide a basis for a new intervention method.
We originally planned to examine the effect of executive function training on the improvement of higher daily functions, but due to the spread of the coronavirus, we were not able to start the intervention study.

Free Research Field

Clinical Neurology

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究で明らかにすることができた、遂行機能と高次な生活機能との関連性は、今後高次な生活機能を向上させる必要のある脳卒中患者に対する介入方法を開発するための基盤になる。これまでの高次な生活機能を改善させるための介入方法は、主に繰り返しその動作を経験するという方法が用いられてきた。高次な生活機能には、複雑な順序性を整理して計画し実行するという遂行機能が必要となる。今回の研究は、高次な生活機能と遂行機能の関連性を直接検証している点で、新たな介入方法の開発が促されるという点で意義深いといえる。