Biopsychosocial Consideration of Ikigai in Older Adults in Japan through a Cross-Sectional Study.

Ikigai-a Japanese concept that includes elements such as life's purpose and meaning-has been reported to be associated with various systemic health conditions, such as the risk of developing physical dysfunction or death in older adults. However, there are no reports that comprehensively examine the psychological and social aspects of Ikigai. We attempted to clarify the characteristics of Ikigai by examining it from a biopsychosocial model using physical, psychological, and social perspectives through a cross-sectional study on sarcopenia, frailty and healthy life expectancy in a hilly and mountainous area of Japan. Koyadaira in Mima City, which is located in a hilly and mountainous region on Shikoku Island in Japan, was targeted. This cross-sectional study included 105 outpatients aged 65 and over, with an average age of 79.02 ± 6.91 years. Ikigai (self-rating score on a scale of 0 (no Ikigai) to 5 (the highest Ikigai)) participants' level of physical activity (the Physical Activity Scale for the Elderly, PASE), degree of depression (the Geriatric Depression-15 Scale, GDS-15), cognitive function (the Mini-Mental State Examination, MMSE) and social isolation (the abbreviated Lubben Social Network Scale, LSNS-6) was assessed. Significant positive correlations were found between PASE and MMSE. The LSNS-6 significantly correlated with the MMSE and GDS-15. In a path model, out of four paths from PASE, GDS-15, MMSE, and LSNS-6 to Ikigai, the path from the GDS-15 alone was significant (correlation coefficient -0.271, p < 0.01). The adaptability of this model was good. This study indicates that depressive status has a large impact on Ikigai, along with physical, cognitive, and social conditions; thus, it is appropriate to consider that an affective psychological status, such as depressive symptoms, is a fundamental condition for having Ikigai.

[Association between working in small-scale cultivated land as a daily-life task and the physical and cognitive functions among elderly people in hilly and mountainous areas].

AIM: This study aimed to verify whether working in cultivated land as a daily-life task contributes to the maintenance and improvement of physical and cognitive functions. METHODS: The participants were 91 elderly people of ≥65 years of age who owned cultivated land in the mountainous Koyadaira district in Tokushima Prefecture. Sex, age, body mass index (BMI), walking speed as a physical function, and the mini-mental status examination (MMSE) score as a cognitive function were measured and analyzed in addition to the total working hours per week (WH) in cultivated land. RESULTS: The participants were 31 males and 60 females (mean age 78.5±6.6 years). The average values of the evaluated variables were as follows: WH, 18.0±13.2; BMI, 23.4±3.0 kg/m2; walking speed, 0.95±0.28 m/s; and MMSE score, 26.6±3.1 points. In addition, the Mann-Whitney U test and the Chi-square test showed no significant differences between sexes for each item. A logistic regression analysis showed that WH was significantly associated with MMSE (1, ≥28 points; 0, <28 points), and the odds ratio was 1.054 (p=0.010) in the model adjusted for age and BMI, while it was not significantly associated with walking speed (1, ≥1 m/s; 0, <1 m/s). CONCLUSIONS: Working on small-scale cultivated land was significantly associated with the cognitive function but not the physical function. Routine work on small-scale cultivated land as a daily-life task would contribute to the suppression of cognitive decline in older people living in hilly and mountainous areas.

Social frailty as a predictor of all-cause mortality and functional disability: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

The association between social frailty and adverse health outcomes, especially mortality and functional disability, which are essential health outcomes, has not been systematically summarized or meta-analyzed. In this study, we conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of the impact of social frailty on all-cause mortality and functional disability, while addressing the components of social frailty. In this study, social frailty was operationally defined in alignment with the previous literature, as follows: "a state of increased vulnerability to the interactive back-and-forth of the community, including general resources, social resources, social behaviors, and needs." Hazard ratios or odds ratios described in each selected literature were used as the meta-analytic results. Considering the impact of social frailty on all-cause mortality, the hazard ratio was 1.96 (95% CI 1.20-3.19), indicating a significant association between the two but high heterogeneity. The hazard and odds ratios for the impact of social frailty on functional disability were 1.43 (95% CI 1.20-1.69) and 2.06 (95% CI 1.55-2.74), respectively. A significant association was found between social frailty and functional disability; both hazard and odds ratios were found, and low heterogeneity between these articles was observed. These results highlight the importance of assessing social frailty using more standardized methods and examining its effects on various health outcomes.

Mouth breathing reduces oral function in adolescence.

Although humans breathe naturally through the nostrils, mouth breathing in children has recently gathered attention. In this study, we hypothesized that tongue function and its related maxillofacial morphology would affect breathing in adolescence. To verify this hypothesis, we examined the association between breathing patterns, including mouth and nasal breathing; oral functions, including tongue motor function; and craniofacial morphology during adolescence, which has not been investigated till date. C3-H, which indicates the anteroposterior position of the hyoid bone in relation to the third cervical vertebra, was significantly smaller in mouth-breathers than in nasal-breathers. Lip-closing force, tongue pressure, and masticatory efficiency were lower in the order of nasal-breathers, oronasal-breathers, and mouth-breathers, and the values for mouth-breathers were significantly lower than those for nasal-breathers. Tongue pressure alone was identified as a significant independent variable, with an odds ratio of 1.063 (95% confidence interval, 1.006-1.123; p < 0.05). Our results indicate a relationship between mouth breathing and the lip-closing force, tongue pressure, and masticatory efficiency, as well as the significance of tongue pressure on mouth breathing in adolescents. The findings highlight the importance of clarifying the pathophysiology of mouth breathing and its underlying causes.

Effective use of an extraoral vacuum in preventing the dispersal of particulate matter from metal dental materials.

OBJECTIVES: When dentists adjust prostheses at the dental chairside, particulate matter (PM) from the dental material is dispersed. Little is known about the effective use of an extraoral vacuum (EOV) in preventing PM dispersal. This study aimed to evaluate the effective use of an EOV in preventing the dispersal of metal PM in dental offices. METHODS: The following experimental conditions were planned: the distance from the EOV to the metallic materials (50, 100, 150, and 200 mm), the horizontal angle between the long axis of the micromotor handpiece and EOV (0°, 45°, and 90°), and the operating time of the EOV (during grinding, during grinding and 1 min thereafter, during grinding and the preceding 1 min, 1 min before and after grinding, and during grinding). Carborundum and silicone points were used for grinding and PM dispersal. Diameters (0.3, 0.5, 1.0, and 3.0 µm) were measured using a laser particle counter. RESULTS: Depending on the instrument used to grind, there were undetectable PMs of different diameters (Carborundum point: 0.3 and 0.5 µm, Silicone point: 0.3 µm). PMNs were reduced as the distance from the EOV to metal materials decreased. Operating the EOV before grinding along the long axis of the micromotor handpiece was effective in reducing the PMNs. CONCLUSION: PMNs dispersed when grinding metals were effectively reduced by positioning the EOV closer to the grinding surface (within 150 mm) along the long axis of the micromotor handpiece and operating the EOV before grinding.

Can Measurement of Ultrasonic Echo Intensity Predict Physical Frailty in Older Adults?

Echo intensity (EI) of the tongue in ultrasonography is an easy and quantitative assessment of tongue function. Elucidating the relationship between EI and frailty, is expected to aid in the early detection of frailty and oral hypofunction in older adults. We assessed tongue function and frailty in older outpatients visiting a hospital. The subjects were 101 individuals aged 65 or older (35 men and 66 women, mean age 76.4 ± 7.0 years). Tongue pressure and EI were measured as assessments of tongue function and grip strength, and Kihon Checklist (KCL) scores were measured as assessments of frailty. In women, a significant correlation was not found between the mean EI and grip strength, whereas a significant correlation was noted between each score of the KCL and the mean EI; the scores increased as the mean EI increased. A significant positive correlation was found between tongue pressure and grip strength, but no significant correlation was observed between tongue pressure and the KCL scores. In men, no significant correlation was found between tongue assessments and frailty, except for a significant positive correlation between tongue pressure and grip strength. The results of this study suggest that EI of the tongue is positively associated with physical frailty in women and may be useful for early detection of physical frailty status.

2-methacryloyloxyethyl phosphorylcholine polymer treatment prevents Candida albicans biofilm formation on acrylic resin.

PURPOSE: We aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of photoreactive 2-methacryloyloxyethyl phosphorylcholine (MPC) in inhibiting Candida albicans biofilm formation on polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) and assess its mechanism and need for re-application by evaluating its interaction with salivary mucin and durability during temperature changes. METHODS: PMMA discs were used as specimens. The MPC coating was applied using the spray and cure technique for the treatment groups, whereas no coating was applied to the control. The MPC treatment (MT) groups were further differentiated based on the number of thermal cycles involved (0, 1000, 2500, and 5000). The optical density was measured to assess mucin adsorption (MA). Contact angle (CA) was calculated to evaluate surface hydrophilicity. The presence of MPC components on the PMMA surface was assessed using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). C. albicans biofilms were evaluated qualitatively (scanning electron microscope images) and quantitatively (colony-forming units (CFUs)). Statistical analysis was conducted using two-way analysis of variance and Tukey's multiple comparison test. RESULTS: MA rate and CA increased significantly in the MT groups, which exhibited significantly fewer CFUs and thinner biofilms than those of the control group. Based on the XPS, MA, and CFU evaluations, the durability and efficacy of the MPC coating were considered stable up to 2500 thermal cycles. Additionally, a significant interaction was observed between mucin concentration and MPC efficacy. CONCLUSIONS: The photoreactive MPC coating, which was resistant to temperature changes for approximately 3 months, effectively prevented C. albicans biofilm formation by modifying surface hydrophilicity and increasing mucin adsorption.

Stress Reduction Effects during Block-Tapping Task of Jaw in Healthy Participants: Functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy (fNIRS) Measurements of Prefrontal Cortex Activity.

The purpose of this study was to explore the influence of simple jaw opening and closing task of chewing movements on the activities of the prefrontal cortex (PFC) from the viewpoint of stress reduction. We measured cerebral blood flow (CBF) in the PFC during a block-tapping task of the jaw in healthy participants. Eleven young healthy individuals with normal dentition (7 males and 4 females, mean age 28.0 ± 3.7 years) volunteered for this study. CBF was measured using a wearable, functional near-infrared spectroscopy device. Measurements were taken using the central incisors and first molars at interocclusal distances of 5 and 10 mm. The participants were asked to bite a hard/soft block. CBF in all conditions showed limited variability or decreasing trend compared to resting state before the task. The main effect was observed for interocclusal distance (p = 0.008), and there were no significant differences for measurement area of the PFC, tooth type, and material type. An interaction was found between tooth type and material type. In conclusion, these results suggest that simple and rhythmical chewing motion has an effect of reducing CBF in the PFC and resting the PFC, which is an especially notable aspect of periodontal sensory information in the molar.

Novel Magnetic Attachment System Manufactured Using High-Frequency Heat Treatment and Stamp Technique: Introduction and Basic Performance.

Recently, a novel magnetic attachment with extremely low cost and high performance was developed. This article aims to introduce a novel magnetic attachment and to evaluate its basic eligibility for denture retention in clinical practice. The novel magnetic attachment system used in this study was the direct-bonding root-keeper-type Magteeth™ MT800 (MagneDesign, Nagoya, Japan). The retentive force without displacement (position 0) and after horizontal displacement to positions 0.5, 1, 1.5, 2, 2.5, and 3 mm were measured. The values relative to the retentive force without displacement were gradually decreased to 82.7 ± 16.3%, 68.8 ± 17.1%, 62.4 ± 15%, 47.2 ± 13.1%, 35.7 ± 9.9%, and 20.7 ± 6.5%, respectively. The retentive force and magnetic field strength did not change significantly after the load test (100 N load, 10,000 times). No new gap between the metal and resin was found in the root keeper- and magnet assembly-embedded blocks after the load test. Some scratches on magnetic assembly and root keeper surface, while no change in the resin texture after the load test were observed. Based on the findings of this preliminary study, this novel low-cost magnetic attachment exhibited favorable retention, strength, and durability for clinical use.

Application of artificial intelligence in the dental field: A literature review.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to comprehensively review the literature regarding the application of artificial intelligence (AI) in the dental field, focusing on the evaluation criteria and architecture types. STUDY SELECTION: Electronic databases (PubMed, Cochrane Library, Scopus) were searched. Full-text articles describing the clinical application of AI for the detection, diagnosis, and treatment of lesions and the AI method/architecture were included. RESULTS: The primary search presented 422 studies from 1996 to 2019, and 58 studies were finally selected. Regarding the year of publication, the oldest study, which was reported in 1996, focused on "oral and maxillofacial surgery." Machine-learning architectures were employed in the selected studies, while approximately half of them (29/58) employed neural networks. Regarding the evaluation criteria, eight studies compared the results obtained by AI with the diagnoses formulated by dentists, while several studies compared two or more architectures in terms of performance. The following parameters were employed for evaluating the AI performance: accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, mean absolute error, root mean squared error, and area under the receiver operating characteristic curve. CONCLUSION: Application of AI in the dental field has progressed; however, the criteria for evaluating the efficacy of AI have not been clarified. It is necessary to obtain better quality data for machine learning to achieve the effective diagnosis of lesions and suitable treatment planning.

Measurement of ultrasonic echo intensity predicts the mass and strength of the tongue muscles in the elderly.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between the echo intensity (EI) on ultrasound images of the tongue, tongue thickness, and tongue pressure to examine the effectiveness of EI measurement for assessing the tongue function. METHODS: A total of 100 elderly outpatients were enrolled. Tongue thickness and EI were measured using ultrasonography. The distance from mylohyoid muscle surface to dorsal surface of the tongue was measured for tongue thickness. Subsequently, this area was vertically divided into four areas: top of tongue dorsal side (DT), bottom of tongue dorsal side (DB), top of basal tongue side (BT), and bottom of basal tongue side (BB), and the EI was measured in each area. RESULTS: The mean EIs of DT and DB were lower than those of BT and BB. In the three areas apart from BB, the EI decreased with an increase in tongue thickness. In particular, a significant correlation between the EI in DB and tongue thickness was found. In all areas, the EI decreased with an increase in tongue pressure. CONCLUSION: The results of this study suggested that the measurement of EI could be an important indicator for assessing the tongue function in the elderly.

Treatment outcomes of implant-assisted removable partial denture with distal extension based on the Kennedy classification and attachment type: a systematic review.

BACKGROUND: Implant-assisted removable partial dentures (IARPDs) have recently become popular, but little information is available on the treatment outcomes based on the Kennedy classification and attachment types. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this review was to evaluate the treatment outcomes of IARPD delivered for distal extension edentulous areas based on the differences in the Kennedy classification and attachment type. MATERIALS AND METHODS: English-language clinical studies on IARPD published between January 1980 and February 2020 were collected from MEDLINE (via PubMed), the Cochrane Library (via the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials), Scopus online database, and manual searching. Two reviewers selected the articles based on pre-determined inclusion and exclusion criteria, followed by data extraction and analysis. RESULTS: Eighty-one studies were selected after evaluating the titles and abstracts of 2410 papers. Nineteen studies were finally included after the perusal of the full text. Fourteen studies focused on Class I, 4 studies investigated both Class I and II, and only 1 study was conducted on Kennedy's class II. Eight types of attachments were reported. The ball attachment was the most frequently used attachment, which was employed in 8 of the included studies. The implant survival rate ranged from 91 to 100%. The reported marginal bone loss ranged from 0.3 mm to 2.30 mm. The patient satisfaction was higher with IARPD than with conventional RPDs or that before treatment. The results of prosthetic complications were heterogeneous and inconclusive. CONCLUSION: IARPD exhibited favorable clinical outcomes when used as a replacement for distal extension edentulous areas. The comparison between the clinical outcomes of Kennedy's class I and II was inconclusive owing to the lack of studies focusing on Kennedy Class II alone. The stud attachment was the most commonly used type in IARPDs. Overall, the different attachment systems did not influence the implant survival rate and patient satisfaction. Further high-quality studies are needed to investigate the attachment systems used in IARPD.

Did "Kayoinoba" Prevent the Decline of Mental and Physical Functions and Frailty for the Home-Based Elderly during the COVID-19 Pandemic?

The purpose of this study is to grasp the management situation of "Kayoinoba" under the conditions of self-quarantine due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It is also to clarify the efficacy of "Kayoinoba" using the Kihon Checklist (KCL) for the assessment of mental and physical functions in the elderly. The respondents were 136 elderly people aged 65 years and over who lived in A City, a standard rural area in Japan. The age, gender, living style, affluence for living, and the frequency of participation in "Kayoinoba" were examined by using the KCL as a self-completed questionnaire. Finally, 101 respondents were included in the final analysis. There was no difference in the participation status before and after the spread of COVID-19. The frailty ratio tended to decrease from 23.8% to 19.8% between the two periods, but there was no difference in the frailty ratio. It is suggested that the participants in "Kayoinoba" may have suppressed the deterioration of mental and physical conditions, excluding physical activity. This would prevent the frailty of the elderly, even during self-quarantine due to the spread of COVID-19.

Reliability of Screening Methods to Diagnose Oral Dryness and Evaluate Saliva Secretion.

In this study, we evaluated the reliability and reproducibility of widely implemented salivary flow rate and oral dryness tests. In experiment 1, twenty young and healthy Japanese participants volunteered to participate. For each participant, the oral moisture (OM) level, unstimulated whole saliva volume (U-WSV), and stimulated whole saliva volume (S-WSV) were measured at the same time on two separate days. In experiment 2, twenty-seven patients who were over 65 years of age volunteered to participate. The OM level and U-WSV were measured at the same time on two separate days. In Experiment 1, the intra-class correlation coefficients (ICCs) corresponding to the S-WSV, U-WSV, and OM level were 0.23, 0.28, and 0.16, respectively, for the young participants. In Experiment 2, the ICCs corresponding to the U-WSV/spitting and OM level were 0.83 and 0.12, respectively, for the older participants. The results of Bland-Altman analysis confirmed the absence of systematic error, with the exception of the OM level results in Experiment 2, which indicated systematic bias. In conclusion, we believe that there is currently no consistent and reliable screening test for assessing salivary flow rate and oral dryness, although the spitting test was determined to be highly reliable.

Does Periodontal Tactile Input Uniquely Increase Cerebral Blood Flow in the Prefrontal Cortex?

We previously studied the effect of peripheral sensory information from sensory periodontal ligament receptors on prefrontal cortex (PFC) activity. In the dental field, an alternative dental implant without periodontal sensation can be applied for missing teeth. In this study, we examine whether periodontal tactile input could increase cerebral blood flow (CBF) in the PFC against elderly patients with dental implants lacking periodontal tactile (implant group), elderly individuals with natural teeth (elderly group), and young individuals with natural teeth (young group). The experimental task of maintaining occlusal force as closed-loop stimulation was performed. Compared with the young group, the elderly group showed significantly lower CBF. Contrastingly, compared with the young group, the implant group showed significantly lower CBF. There were no significant differences between the elderly and implant groups. Regarding the mean occlusal force value, compared with the young group and the elderly group, the implant group had a numerically, but not significantly, larger occlusal force exceeding the directed range. In conclusion, the periodontal tactile input does not uniquely increase PFC activity. However, increased CBF in the PFC due to the periodontal tactile input in the posterior region requires existing attention behavior function in the PFC.

Geometric assessment of imaging methods for complete denture form: Comparisons among cone-beam computed tomography, desktop dental scanning, and handheld optical scanning.

PURPOSE: The present study aimed to examine three methods for imaging a complete denture form and to discuss the geometric assessment and availability of these methods. METHODS: Three methods were used: cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT), desktop dental scanning (DDS), and handheld optical scanning (HOS). Three sides of a cuboid resin block of a known size were measured on the captured images. Ten upper and lower complete dentures were digitized using each of the three methods. The denture forms in the standard triangulated language format were reconstructed using the computer aided design software with three resolutions: 0.1, 0.5 and 1.0. The two images were superimposed through a least-square algorithm, and the mean differences were examined among the three types of imaging methods and resolutions. RESULTS: The smallest mean differences and variations were obtained for CBCT and DDS, followed by HOS in the experiment using resin block. The lengths of longitudinal and horizontal sides were shortened in CBCT and DDS, whereas the height was shortened in HOS. The variations in each direction were very small by repetitive imaging within every imaging method. The difference between the CBCT and DDS was significantly smaller than that in the other two groups in experiment using actual dentures. The influence of resolution was comparatively low. CONCLUSIONS: The results suggested that CBCT and DDS had a similar geometric assessment, but that of the HOS was lower.

Assessment of potential clinical cascade between oral hypofunction and physical frailty: Covariance structure analysis in a cross-sectional study.

No report has yet examined the impact of oral hypofunction on physical frailty in relation to intra-relationships of physical frailty assessment items. The purpose of this study was to verify the potential of a clinical cascade between oral hypofunction and physical frailty, and especially to support the hypothesis that the influence of oral hypofunction on physical frailty is greater than the intra-relationships among elements of physical frailty and that sex differences significantly affect these relationships. The participants were 272 older adults (101 men and 171 women; mean age 75.1 ± 7.5 years). Maximum occlusal force (MOF) and oral dryness (OD), as indicators of oral hypofunction, and grip strength (GS) and walking speed (WS), as indicators of physical frailty, were measured. Mutual relationship of four variables was verified using covariance structure analysis. In men, three paths from MOF to WS and GS and from WS to GS were confirmed, and those from MOF to WS and from WS to GS were found to be significant (P < .01). In women, three paths from MOF to WS and GS and from WS to GS were also confirmed, as with the men, and those from MOF to WS and from MOF to GS were found to be significant (P < .01). Model adaptability was shown to be good for both men and women. The results suggest our hypothesis was verified, and it is expected that the early detection of oral hypofunction, that is MOF, may be important for assessing physical frailty, especially in women.

Prefrontal cortex activity induced by periodontal afferent inputs downregulates occlusal force.

The prefrontal cortex (PFC) plays an important role in several cognitive functions, such as planning, decision making, and social behavior. We previously reported that periodontal sensory input significantly increases PFC activity during the motor task of maintaining occlusal (biting) force. However, the relationships between periodontal sensation, PFC activity, and the performance of motor tasks have not been evaluated in detail. Therefore, using functional near-infrared spectroscopy, we investigated PFC activity by monitoring changes in cerebral blood flow (CBF) to specific areas of the PFC that corresponded to changes in occlusal force generated during four different biting tasks: (1) occlusion with the central incisor with an interocclusal distance of 5 mm (BI-5 mm); or (2) 10 mm (BI-10 mm); (3) occlusion with the first molars with an interocclusal distance of 5 mm (BM-5 mm), or (4) 10 mm (BM-10 mm). Occlusion of molars generated increased PFC regional CBF as the interocclusal distance decreased (BM-10 mm vs BM-5 mm). No significant differences in CBF during occlusion of incisors were found when comparing 5 mm and 10 mm intercostal distances (BI-5 mm vs BI-10 mm). The mean occlusal force generated by BM-5 mm occlusion was significantly lower than that generated by BM-10 mm occlusion. Taken together, our results suggest that the PFC decreases efferent signaling to motor units, to reduce occlusal force generated when periodontal sensation, which is greater when the interocclusal distance is reduced, is primarily responsible for maintaining occlusal force in the absence of sensations from the temporomandibular joint and muscle spindles.

Investigating Eating Behaviors and Symptoms of Oral Frailty Using Questionnaires.

A questionnaire survey was conducted to investigate eating behavior and the subjective symptoms of oral frailty, and to examine the relationship between them. A total of 744 subjects with ages over 65 years were included. The questionnaire comprised 18 question items indicating eating behavior and seven question items indicating oral frailty. All items were assessed according to 4 grades on a scale of 1 (not applicable) to 4 (applicable). The total score of oral frailty gradually increased with age. Regarding the scores for "eating recognition" and "eating habits", no changes were observed, however the scores for "eating action" demonstrated a decreasing tendency with age and the scores of ≥ 85 years age group was significantly lower than the 65-69, 70-74, and 75-79 years age groups. As a result of multiple regression analysis, among the significant independent variable, the scores of "I do not chew foods well" under the category of "eating action" showed the highest standard partial regression coefficients for dependent variable of symptoms of oral frailty. The significant association was found between the eating behavior and subjective symptoms of oral frailty, and this study suggests that the good chewing habit might be an important criterion for the prevention of oral frailty.

[The application and usefulness of virtual reality aimed at encouraging an understanding of and reducing and eliminating prejudice towards dementia patients among local residents].

AIM: To demonstrate the usefulness of a virtual reality device that authentically portrays the emotions of dementia patients and their families (VR Dementia Experience) for encouraging an understanding of and reducing and eliminating prejudice towards dementia patients among local residents. METHOD: In Prefecture T, Town N, 85 residents of Neighborhood A were chosen as the intervention group, and 95 residents of Neighborhood B were chosen as the non-intervention group. The VR Dementia Experience was provided only to the residents of Neighborhood A. Residents of both neighborhoods completed a 35-item questionnaire regarding their degree of understanding and prejudice towards dementia patients before and after the intervention. RESULTS: Seventy-seven residents of Neighborhood A and 82 residents of Neighborhood B were analyzed. Their gender, age, and pre-intervention test baseline values were equivalent in the degree of understanding and prejudice. Significant increases were observed in 9 of 35 items for Neighborhood A residents (7 understanding-related, 2 prejudice-related) and 2 items for Neighborhood B residents (1 understanding-related, 1 prejudice-related). To ascertain the usefulness of the VR Dementia Experience, we compared the number of items with a significant increase: 9/35 (25.7%) in Neighborhood A and 2/35 (5.7%) in Neighborhood B. An effect (≥ 20%) was observed among the residents of Neighborhood A. Furthermore, after exposure to the VR Dementia Experience, the connection between understanding, prejudice, and dementia was strengthened among the residents of Neighborhood A compared to the residents of Neighborhood B. CONCLUSION: The VR Dementia Experience is a useful tool for encouraging an understanding of and reducing and eliminating prejudice towards dementia patients among local residents. However, to encourage the widespread usage of the technology, we should compare results with other public awareness campaigns as well as make improvements to the device and its VR content.