Yasuki Ono

Aim: We investigated orthostatic dysregulation using wearable sensors capable of monitoring electrocardiograms (ECGs) and motion via accelerometers. Methods: Study 1: Thirty‐three healthy students participated in the study. Wearable sensors recorded continuous 24‐h ECGs, and a triaxial accelerometer was fixed to the participants' waist for three consecutive weekdays. Clinical psychiatric ratings involved assessments using the internet addiction test, the depression self‐rating scale, the state–trait anxiety inventory, and the autism spectrum quotient. In Study 2, 19 patients diagnosed with orthostatic dysregulation were compared with healthy controls. Results: No significant correlation was found between depressive symptoms and heart rate variability. A standing test revealed a strong correlation between heart rate changes immediately after changing the position and average 24‐h heart rate variability. The orthostatic dysregulation group exhibited a significantly lower high‐frequency ratio than the control group. This group also had longer sleep durations, lower sleep efficiency, and lower energy consumption. Conclusion: Wearable sensors proved valuable in evaluating autonomic function. Significant differences in accelerometer‐based sleep ratings were observed between normal subjects and patients with orthostatic dysregulation.

Several studies have reported a relationship between autonomic dysfunction during tasks and Internet addiction. Changes within 24 h regarding heart rate variability (HRV) may be a more sensitive indicator than short term observations. We evaluated the influence of excessive Internet usage on HRV using a 24 h electrocardiogram (ECG) and examined acute changes during computer game tasks. A total 13 high school students and 22 young adults were recruited, and divided into excessive Internet user and non- excessive user groups based on Internet addiction test scores. The ECG was recorded continuously for 24 h by a wearable sensor and during two computer games (the Iowa gambling task and each participant’s preferred game) using a standard type ECG system. Multiple psychometric tests were also conducted. The excessive Internet user group exhibited clinically significant depressive symptoms, and higher self-reported scores for anxiety, impulsivity, autistic tendencies, and sleep problems than the non- excessive internet user group. There were weak differences within the 24 h high-frequency (HF) band power between two groups. During the Iowa gambling task, younger participants exhibited a reduced HF response, which may be related to weaker top- down self- regulatory mechanisms.

Epidemiological studies reported that resilience, generally regarded as the ability to manage stress in the face of adversity, correlates with mental health in middle-aged and older adults. Currently, there is limited information on eating habits that affect resilience. Therefore, this cross-sectional study investigated the relationship between vitamin intake and resilience based on sex in community-dwelling middle-aged and older individuals in Shika town, Ishikawa Prefecture, Japan. A total of 221 participants (106 men and 115 women) aged 40 years or older were included in the analysis. We assessed vitamin intake and resilience using a brief-type self-administered diet history questionnaire (BDHQ) and the resilience scale (RS), respectively. A two-way analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) revealed that higher intakes of β-carotene and vitamin K were associated with higher RS in women, but not in men. Furthermore, a multiple logistic regression analysis stratified by sex showed that β-carotene and vitamin K were significant independent variables for RS only in women. The present study suggests that higher intakes of β-carotene and vitamin K were associated with higher resilience among middle-aged and older women. The results obtained demonstrate that β-carotene and vitamin K intakes may enhance resilience by strengthening stress tolerance.

Watching another person’s hand movement modulates somatosensory evoked magnetic fields (SEFs). Assuming that the mirror neuron system may have a role in this phenomenon, oxytocin should enhance these effects. This single-blinded, placebo-controlled, crossover study therefore used magnetoencephalography (MEG) to investigate SEFs following electrical stimulation of the right median nerve in 20 healthy male participants during hand movement observation, which were initially presented as static images followed by moving images. The participants were randomly assigned to receive either oxytocin or saline during the first trial, with the treatment being reversed during a second trial. Log-transformed ratios of the N20 and N30 amplitudes were calculated and compared between moving and static images observations. Phase locking (calculated using intertrial phase coherence) of brain oscillations was also analyzed to evaluate alpha, beta and gamma rhythm changes after oxytocin administration. Log N30 ratios showed no significant changes after placebo administration but showed a decreasing tendency (albeit not significant) after placebo administration, which may suggest mirror neuron system involvement. In contrast, log N20 ratios were increased after placebo administration, but showed no significant change after oxytocin administration. Interestingly, the gamma band activity around N20 increased after placebo administration, suggesting that oxytocin exerted an analgesic effect on median nerve stimulation, and inhibited the gamma band increase. Oxytocin might therefore modulate not only the mirror neuron system, but also the sensory processing associated with median nerve stimulation.

Increased food selectivity among children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) may lead to nutritional inadequacy. The present study examined differences in nutrient intake between children and adolescents with and without ASD. We utilized cross-sectional data from the ongoing population Shika Town rural Japanese study. The participants were 1276 Japanese pupils and students aged between 7 and 15 years. ASD traits were evaluated using the Autism Spectrum Screening Questionnaire (ASSQ). Nutrient intake was assessed using a food frequency questionnaire. A one-way analysis of covariance (one-way ANCOVA) was performed to compare the mean nutrient intakes between participants with and without ASD traits. A two-way ANCOVA was conducted to compare the mean nutrient intakes among participants with and without ASD traits in different age groups (children and adolescents). The results obtained showed that the intake of carbohydrates and slightly lower intakes of protein, fat, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, iron, zinc, retinol, vitamin B2, vitamin B12, folic acid, and pantothenic acid were higher among children and adolescents with ASD than among those without ASD. No interactions were observed between the autistic groups and age groups, excluding energy intakes. The present results indicate the importance of screening the nutrient intakes of ASD children and adolescents.

Aim: The early detection of autistic tendencies in children is essential for providing proper care and education. The auditory steady‐state response (ASSR) provides a passive, non‐invasive technique for assessing neural synchrony at specific response frequencies in many mental disorders, including autism spectrum disorder (ASD), but few studies have investigated its use in young children. This study investigated the ASSR at 20 Hz and 40 Hz in typically developing (TD) children and children with ASD aged 5–7 years.Methods: The participants were 23 children with ASD and 32 TD children aged 5–7 years. Using a custom‐made magnetoencephalography device, we measured ASSR at 20 Hz and 40 Hz, compared the results between groups, and evaluated the association with intellectual function as measured by Kaufmann Assessment Battery for Children.Results: Responses to 20 Hz and 40 Hz were clearly detected in both groups with no significant difference identified. Consistent with previous findings, right dominance of the 40‐Hz ASSR was observed in both groups. In the TD children, the right‐side 40‐Hz ASSR was correlated with age. The Kaufmann Assessment Battery for Children score was correlated with the left‐side 40‐Hz ASSR in both groups.Conclusion: Right‐dominant ASSR was successfully detected in young TD children and children with ASD. No difference in ASSR was observed between the children with ASD and the TD children, although the right‐side 40‐Hz ASSR increased with age only in the TD children. Left‐side 40‐Hz ASSR was associated with intelligence score in both groups.