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To realize a society in which older adults can live independently in their homes and familiar environments for as long as possible, their lives can be supported by providing appropriate technology. In this case, a new intervention for older people using socially assistive robots (SARs) is proposed; however, previous research has demonstrated that individual differences exist in the use and response to SAR interventions, and it has also been reported that SARs are not used by users in some cases. Therefore, in this study, we developed a self-disclosure function to promote continuous interaction with robots, using a Japanese corpus and self-disclosure items. In this study, we defined the specific requirements and functions of self-disclosure in SARs and developed ten non-arbitrary speech scripts from the field of social psychology using a Japanese corpus and self-disclosure items. To evaluate the effect of self-disclosure in SARs, an SAR was introduced to each household for 20 days, with the consent of seven community-dwelling older adults. Based on the recorded voice interaction data, we analyzed how the number, total time, and quality of verbal interactions changed with the SAR’s self-disclosure. Furthermore, we conducted group interviews with the participants and received positive comments regarding the robot’s self-disclosure. Some participants considered the specific personality of the SAR by accumulating its behavioral characteristics. As a consequence, these results indicate that the robot’s self-disclosure feature is effective in significantly increasing the quantity and quality of verbal interactions with older adults.

Objective/background: Agitation is a common behaviour of Alzheimer’s Disease (AD). Although healing robots have previously been used for alleviating agitation for people with dementia in hospitals and other healthcare facilities, its effects remain unclear whether an information-support robot capable of disseminating information with user needs may have similar effects when it is applied in community dwellings. This study was to investigate the effects of information-support robots for reducing agitation in older people with AD residing alone in community-dwellings. Methods One participant with AD who lived alone in a community-dwelling was recruited. Participant’s frequencies, durations, and time courses of four patterns of agitation at home at baseline and during intervention were analysed. In this study, agitation was defined as: (a) restlessness going to the corridor (RLtoC), (b) restlessness going to the toilet (RLtoT), (c) restlessness going to the entrance (RLtoE), and (d) restlessness going to multiple places (RLtoMP). In the intervention phase, the information-support robot disseminated daily schedule or date information to the participant. Results RLtoC and RLtoMP were significantly reduced in frequency during the intervention. The durations of each episode of RLtoT and RLtoMP in the intervention were slightly reduced than those at the baseline. There were no differences in time courses of episodes of RLtoC and RLtoMP after the intervention. Conclusion This case study showed that information-support robot was useful to alleviate agitation of an older adult with AD living alone in a community-dwelling. Further study is warranted.

Every research participant has their own personality characteristics. For example, older adults assisted by socially assistive robots (SAR) may have their own unique characteristics and may not be representative of the general population of older adults. In this research, we compared the average personality characteristics of participants in a workshop on robotics recruited directly through posting with those of older Japanese adults to examine participant selection bias and group representativeness for future study of SARs. After a one-week recruitment period, the workshop was attended by 20 older participants (nine males and 11 females) aged between 62 and 86 years. Extroversion among workshop participants was 4.38, 0.40 higher than the average for older adults in Japan. The workshop participants’ openness was 4.55, 1.09 higher than the average for the Japanese elderly. Thus, the results indicate a slight selection bias in the personal characteristics of the participants depending on the recruitment method when compared to the Japan national average for older adults. In addition, only one of 20 participants was below the cutoff on the LSNS-6 score and considered to have a tendency toward social isolation. The development and introduction of socially assistive robots is often being considered to support people in social isolation in their daily lives; however, the results of this study showed that it is difficult to recruit people who tend to be socially isolated when gathering research participants by methods such as posting. Therefore, the effectiveness of the method of recruiting participants should be carefully verified in research regarding socially assistive robots.

Introduction: The purpose of this study was to determine the discriminable height differences of raised lines printed on paper, as assessed by people who are blind, with or without years of tactile experience. Methods: Ten younger and 10 older tactile readers with blindness and with rich tactile experience; and 10 blindfolded, older, sighted participants with little tactile experience discriminated paired raised-line stimuli of different heights using the fingers of their preferred hand by active touch in a psychophysical experiment. Results: There was a significant main effect of the height of the stimulus, F(2, 54) = 56.446, MS = .060, p < .001, [Formula: see text] = .676, [Formula: see text] = .341, and participant group, F(2, 27) = 13.717, MS = .064, p < .001, [Formula: see text] = .504, [Formula: see text] = .357; however, there was no significant main effect of the width of the lines, or any interactions. The younger and older tactile readers had virtually similar thresholds and Weber fractions, and they could discriminate paired stimuli more accurately and efficiently than the older, sighted participants. We provided the discriminable height data of the raised lines based on the mean and 95th percentile values of the Weber fractions. Discussion: The results indicate the importance of tactile experiences for height discrimination in active touch. For older persons with recently developed blindness, raised lines with larger height differences should be used. Information for practitioners: These data will be helpful for developing new braille embossers that can print raised-line graphics for people with visual impairments, with or without years of tactile experience.

Purpose: This paper describes international actions to collaborate in the assistive technology (AT) arena and provides an update of programmes supporting AT globally. Methods: The World Health Organisation (WHO) identifies the severe global uneven distribution of resources, expertise and extensive unmet need for AT, as well the optimistic substantial capability for innovations and developments in appropriate and sustainable AT design, development and delivery. Systems thinking and market shaping are identified as means to address these challenges and leverage the ingenuity and expertise of AT stakeholders. Results: This paper is a 'call to action', showcasing emerging AT networks as exemplars of a distributed, but integrated mechanism for addressing AT needs globally, and describing the Global Alliance of Assistive Technology Organisations (GAATO) as a vehicle to facilitate this global networking. Conclusion: Partners in this Global Alliance aim to advance the field of assistive technology by promoting shared research, policy advocacy, educating people and organisations within and outside the field, teaching, training and knowledge transfer by pulling together broad-based membership organisations.Implications for RehabilitationCollegial, cross discipline and multi-stakeholder collaborations support assistive technology research and practice.Knowledge exchange within and across countries and regions is mutually beneficial.Self-organising assistive technology communities are emerging and supported by global movements such as WHO GATE and GAATO.

Aim To improve access to cognitive testing for older adults, the reliability and acceptability of a speech-based cognitive test administered by a social robot were investigated. Methods The Japanese version of the Telephone Interview for Cognitive Status was administered by a social robot to participants recruited from retirement homes and adult daycare facilities. The robot's dialogue and gestures were preprogrammed, while the researcher controlled the timing of proceeding to the next question and scored participants' responses. We examined the internal consistency, alternate form reliability (experiment 1) and test-retest reliability (experiment 2) of the cognitive test. The acceptability of the cognitive test was also examined using a questionnaire in experiment 2. Results A total of 66 individuals (mean age 81.2 ± 5.8 years) participated in experiment 1; the internal consistency (Cronbach's α) of the test was 0.691 and its alternate form reliability (measured by interclass correlation coefficient) was 0.728. A total of 40 of these individuals (mean age 82.0 ± 5.4 years) also participated in experiment 2, and the test-retest reliability was 0.818. According to the questionnaire responses, over half of the participants wanted (or very much wanted) to use the robot version of the test to measure the deterioration of their cognitive function. Conclusions A robot-administered cognitive test might have satisfactory reliability and acceptability to community-dwelling older adults if those aspects of the test implemented by the researcher can also be successfully automated. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2019; 19: 552-556.

Information support robots (ISRs) have the potential to assist older people living alone to have an independent life. However, the effects of ISRs on the daily activity, especially the sleep patterns, of older people have not been clarified, moreover, it is unclear whether the effects of ISRs depend on the levels of cognitive function. To investigate these effects, we introduced an ISR into the actual living environment and then quantified induced changes according to the levels of cognitive function. Older people who maintained their cognitive function demonstrated the following behavioral changes after using the ISR: faster wake-up times, reduced sleep duration, and increased amount of activity in the daytime (p &lt, 0.05, r = 0.77, p &lt, 0.05, r = 0.89, and p &lt, 0.1, r = 0.70, respectively). The results suggest that the ISR is beneficial in supporting the independence of older people living alone since living alone is associated with disturbed sleep patterns and low physical activity. The impact of the ISR on daily activity was more remarkable in the subjects with high cognitive function than in those with low cognitive function. These findings suggest that cognitive function is useful information in the ISR adaptation process. The present study has more solid external validity than that of a controlled environment study since it was done in a personal residential space.

Selection of assistive technology devices (ATDs), which are imperative for persons with disabilities to improve their quality of life, requires collaboration of users and multidisciplinary professionals. However, it is still unknown how to design and implement an adequate collaborative work flow and a professional team. Under Japanese governmental ATD provision system, based on the application by clients, ATDs are mainly selected through collaborative processes with the clients and health professionals in public organizations, rehabilitation counseling centers (RCCs). By employing qualitative study methods in this study, we investigated the ATD selection process in which health professionals in RCCs collaboratively assess clients with physical disabilities so as to support them in selecting the adequate ATDs. To identify the perspectives required for ATD selection completely, the assessment processes were recorded and analyzed with a pseudo setting in two RCCs. Content analysis of the conversations between the client and professionals revealed the characteristics of the information exchanged in the assessment processes. A total of 760 assessment items were identified, thus indicating a broad array of interest. Despite the richness of information collected for the assessment, half of the assessment items did not have corresponding items in the documents that were employed during the prescription process. Thematic analysis of the interviews that followed revealed the common values and collaborative processes in ATD selection, which were shared and elaborated among the staff in daily social interactions. To facilitate implementation of ATD provision in various areas with few resources, it may be effective to convert this tacit-to-tacit knowledge sharing into a more explicit sharing by promoting analyses of good practices.

The purpose of this study was to reveal comprehensible instructions from an assistive robot for older adults, across cognitive levels and characteristics. Participants included 19 older adults with or without cognitive impairment. We administered cognitive tests assessing all major domains (e.g., memory and attention). Participants were required to listen to robot instructions carefully, and perform three activities of daily living (e.g., taking medicine) with three different types of instructions. In instruction pattern 1 (IP1), the robot informed seniors of the task in one sentence, while in instruction patterns 2 and 3 (IP2 and IP3), the steps of each activity were split into two and three sentences, respectively. Participants with lower cognitive level showed lower task performance with IP1, whereas almost all participants completed tasks with IP2 and IP3. Cognitive domains such as working memory significantly affected task performances. Participants with lower attention made mistakes in taking their medicine. The results imply that step-by-step instructions should be used for older people with lower levels of cognitive function, especially working memory, and repeated instructions may be required for lower attention. Types of instruction should be selected depending on cognitive characteristics.

Summary Mechanical forces are known to be involved in various biological processes. However, it remains unclear whether brain functions are mechanically regulated under physiological conditions. Here, we demonstrate that treadmill running and passive head motion (PHM), both of which produce mechanical impact on the head, have similar effects on the hallucinogenic 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) receptor subtype 2A (5-HT2A) signaling in the prefrontal cortex (PFC) of rodents. PHM generates interstitial fluid movement that is estimated to exert shear stress of a few pascals on cells in the PFC. Fluid shear stress of a relevant magnitude on cultured neuronal cells induces ligand-independent internalization of 5-HT2A receptor, which is observed in mouse PFC neurons after treadmill running or PHM. Furthermore, inhibition of interstitial fluid movement by introducing polyethylene glycol hydrogel eliminates the effect of PHM on 5-HT2A receptor signaling in the PFC. Our findings indicate that neuronal cell function can be physiologically regulated by mechanical forces in the brain., Graphical Abstract, Highlights • Mechanical forces regulate brain functions under physiological conditions • Intracerebral interstitial fluid has mechanical roles in regulating brain functions • Mechanical impact on the head mediates effects of exercise on the brain • Fluid shear stress physiologically modulates signaling in nervous cells, Biological Sciences; Neuroscience; Molecular Neuroscience; Cellular Neuroscience

Persons with spinal cord injury (SCI) experience thermoregulatory disturbances because of the damage to their nervous systems. Their bodies often accumulate heat while exercising under high temperatures, and their core temperature continues to rise unconsciously. To prevent heat accumulation of such patients. We proposed a linear dynamic model for people suffering from SCIs focusing heat inputs that are air temperature and exercise load, and we predicted the core temperature with the error of $0.2^{\circ}\mathrm{C}$. In this paper, we verified the fitting error by adding the parameters, and its prediction errors were evaluated changing the condition of the parameter identification using the model with added parameters and previous model. As a result, it was confirmed that the fitting error was improved by adding the model parameters, but longterm prediction accuracy was not improved. Using the linear dynamic model identified by the data sampled from several conditions is effective to predict the core temperatures of persons with SCI.

Aims The purposes of this study were to reveal the effectiveness of an electric calendar, showing the date and schedule automatically for older people, and to prove the characteristics of appropriate users. Material and methods The participants were 27 older adults with or without dementia (9 men and 18 women, mean age: 81.5 ± 6.9 years, range: 72-94 years). The study design was a cross-over randomized controlled trial, with 15 participants (55.6%) allocated to the first group to use the electric calendar, and 12 participants (44.4%) to the second intervention group. The outcome measures are daily behaviors and cognitive function assessed by the Mini-Mental State Examination and Neurobehavioral Cognitive Status Examination. Results Participants showed significant increase in total Mini-Mental State Examination score (p = 0.020, a paired t-test) after intervention period, whereas there was no significant difference after no intervention. Daily activities related healthcare were improved. The participants with positive outcomes showed higher motivations, and around 18 points in Mini-Mental State Examination. Most healthy older adults mentioned that electric calendars were useful, but unnecessary. Conclusion and significance Using the electric calendar was effective in improving global cognitive function and daily activities. The target users are older people, who (1) might have mild dementia, (2) have difficulties in daily activities, (3) can be supported by caregivers, and (4) have positive motivation to new technologies.IMPLICATIONS FOR REHABILITATIONAn electric calendar is effective on grovel cognitive function, and activities of daily living related to healthcare in older adults, as well as reality orientation therapy.The electric calendar can be useful for older people with mild dementia or mild cognitive impairment, having difficulties activities of daily living, supported by caregivers at regular intervals.

The subjects of all studies have their own personalities and characteristics. For example, the characteristics of elderly individuals being assisted by Socially Assistive Robots (SARs) needs to be investigated. However, the attributes of subjects’ personalities that affect the outcome of intervention experiments involving SARs have been analyzed mainly by gender so far. The purpose of this study is to clarify the selection criteria of the subjects in intervention experiments with SARs and their influence on subjects’ attributes. Semi-structured interviews were conducted to clarify the criteria by which subjects were selected and the relationship between the subjects and the facility personnel. We interviewed 13 staff members who were involved in the selection of subjects for SAR intervention experiments in six facilities. According to the subject selection criteria discovered in these interviews, we did follow-up research to clarify the influence on the attributes of the selected subjects. In conclusion, the subject selection criteria reported by the staff were analyzed according to four categories based on the interview surveys. It was verified that the selection criteria affected the selection attributes of subjects’ degree of involvement, relationship, and character. Going forward, it is necessary to link this research to not only the personality of the elderly person being assisted but also to their family structure and hobbies, friendship characteristics, and the function of the SARs.

Owing to disturbances in thermoregulation, persons with spinal cord injuries (SCI) often accumulate heat while exercising under high temperatures. In this case, their core temperatures continue to rise, which necessitates the prediction of their core temperatures to warn them about it. To predict core temperatures, we propose a linear dynamic model and conduct experiments under high temperatures to validate the model. Thereafter, we predict core temperatures and compare the predicted values with the measured data. The fitting errors of our model were lower than the measurement resolution of the core thermometer. The individual parameter for heat exchange is significantly different between the persons with SCI and the able-bodied (AB) persons (p < 0.1). We predicted the core temperature at 10 min after each sampling. Its prediction errors for the persons with SCI were the same as those in a previous study for AB persons. The mean absolute error of the prediction is significantly different between persons with SCI and AB persons (p < 0.05). Because the temporal changes in the individual parameters of the persons with SCI were smaller than those in the individual parameters of AB persons, it can be said that by using the proposed model, the core temperatures of persons with SCI can be estimated with fewer data than those of AB persons can be. In future work, we will confirm that our proposed method works properly in various experimental procedures.

Wheelchair athletes with spinal cord injury (SCI) always suffer from hyperthermia during exercise due to thermoregulation dysfunction. To prevent this increase in body temperature, we have developed a neck-wearing device for cooling and confirmed its efficacy. However, the cooling effect is subject to differences between individuals; thus, it is difficult to predict. In this study, we attempted to predict the effect of this cooling device during an exercise in a hot environment using the Pierce two-node model and the parameter search method. The proposed prediction method includes the following two phases for parameter setting: parameter search of thermophysiological coefficients in a non-cooling measurement and the subsequent search of an effective cooling rate. Our preliminary result in the experiment with three wheelchair athletes as subjects successfully demonstrates that the proposed method can calibrate the two-node model and estimate an effective cooling rate for each subject. It is also noteworthy that the parameter search was effective in applying the Pierce two-node model for able-bodied persons to persons with SCI. The proposed method of predicting the cooling effect can help in determining the appropriate driving power of the cooling device for individual users.

ISO/TC173 is a technical committee, in charge of international standardization of assistive products (APs). Robotic technology (RT) is currently an important topic in this field. APs with RT will be included in future revisions of the scope of TC173. Cooperation between the AP and RT space is essential to reach suitable solutions of future standardization.

In this study, using the unexpected intervention overturning the interaction amount of the field and the mental model, an interaction of a robot system that enables sustained nonverbal communication with the mildly demented elderly was proposed and its effectiveness was shown in the group home of the mildly demented elderly.

In this study, we attempted to develop a thermal model for estimating a body temperature in persons with spinal cord injury (SCI) during exercise. To clarify requisites for the SCI thermal model, we compared actual body temperature of SCI subjects with that calculated with a standard thermal model, that is, the Pierce two-node model. Model optimization by the parameter search method was able to fit the model-estimated skin and core temperature with those in able-bodied subjects during repeated exercise and rest. However, there remained a phase shift between actual and model-estimated core temperature trends in SCI subjects even after the optimization. The comparison of the optimized parameter combinations revealed that the Pierce two-node model was able to express loss of sweating in the SCI subjects, but unable to express delay in heat accumulation and dissipation. These results suggest that SCI thermal model requires additional nodes that express the speed and extent of heat transfer in the body of SCI persons.

This paper describes the construction of a body cooling system to avoid heatstroke for survivors of cervical spinal cord injury. For accomplishment of this purpose, we chose the neck as a cooling point of the body, and we constructed a prototype neck cooling head with a refrigerated circulator. The neck cooling head was made by thin heat-welding thermoplastic films with high thermal conductivity. To test our proposed system, we conducted experiments on two unimpaired participants in a room which simulated a hot summer day (33 [°C], relative humidity 40%). Reduction of sweating were observed, and the average skin temperatures and the core temperature of the head with cooling increased more slowly than those without cooling. The estimated cooling power of the proposed system was about 10 [W] with 50 [W] total power consumption of the cooling head.