Feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary efficacy of cognitive processing therapy in Japanese patients with posttraumatic stress disorder.

Cognitive processing therapy (CPT) is one of the most widely tested evidence-based treatments for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). However, most studies on CPT have been conducted in Western cultural settings. This open-label, single-arm trial investigated the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary efficacy of CPT for treating Japanese patients with PTSD. A total of 25 outpatients underwent 12 CPT sessions. The primary outcome was the assessment of PTSD symptoms using the Clinician-Administered PTSD Scale for DSM-IV (CAPS-IV); secondary outcomes included the assessment of subjective PTSD severity, depressive and anxiety symptoms, trauma-related cognitions, and subjective quality of life. All outcomes were evaluated at pretreatment (i.e., baseline), posttreatment, and 6- and 12-month follow-ups. On average, participants attended 13 sessions of CPT (SD = 1.38), with a completion rate of 96.0%. One serious adverse event (hospitalization) occurred. Significant within-subjects standardized mean differences in CAPS-IV scores were found from baseline to treatment completion, g = -2.28, 95% CI [-3.00, -1.56]; 6-month follow-up, g = -2.95, 95% CI [-3.79, -2.12]; and 12-month follow-up, g = -2.15, 95% CI [-2.89, -1.41]. Moderate-to-large effects, gs = -0.77 to -2.45, were found on secondary outcomes. These findings support the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary efficacy of CPT in a Japanese clinical setting.

Changes in the department of physical therapy students' awareness after an international student exchange program.

[Purpose] The purpose of this study was to determine the change in students' awareness of one's possibility in terms of being able to make oneself understood in English after an international student exchange program. [Participants and Methods] A total of 15 students (4 males, 11 females), with a mean age of 19.2 ± 0.4 years, who were interested in international exchange programs participated in this survey. The study used a questionnaire that was administered before and after the international student exchange program. A visual analog scale was used to assess the changes in awareness. [Results] Significant differences were noted between students' responses to the questionnaire before and after the international exchange program. The students indicated that they were "Confident at communicating with foreign people," interested in "Study abroad or overseas activities in future," and chose the response "Want more opportunities to study with overseas medical students." [Conclusion] We investigated the change in awareness before and after an international student exchange program. The results suggested that even a short-term exchange influenced students' awareness.

Gross motor skill development of kindergarten children in Japan.

[Purpose] The purposes of this study were to assess and explore the gender-based differences in gross motor skill development of 5-year-old Japanese children. [Subjects and Methods] This cross-sectional study recruited 60 healthy 5-year-old (third-year kindergarten, i.e., nencho) children (34 boys, 26 girls) from one local private kindergarten school in Otawara city, Tochigi Prefecture, Japan. Gross motor skills, including six locomotor and six object control skills, were assessed using the test of gross motor development, second edition (TGMD-2). All subjects performed two trials of each gross motor skill, and the performances were video-recorded and scored. Assessment procedures were performed according to the standardized guidelines of the TGMD-2. [Results] The majority of subjects had an average level of overall gross motor skills. Girls had significantly better locomotor skills. Boys had significantly better object control skills. [Conclusion] The gross motor skill development of 5-year-old Japanese children involves gender-based differences in locomotor and object control skills. This study provided valuable information that can be used to establish normative references for the gross motor skills of 5-year-old Japanese children.

Correlation between skeletal muscle mass index and parameters of respiratory function and muscle strength in young healthy adults according to gender.

[Purpose] The purpose was to determine the correlation between the skeletal muscle mass index and parameters of respiratory function and muscle strength in young healthy adults as predictors of sarcopenia in association with aging and respiratory diseases. [Participants and Methods] Participants were 41 males and 37 females with a mean age of 19.5 ± 1.5 years. The following were measured: body composition (skeletal muscle mass index), respiratory function (vital capacity, inspiratory reserve volume, expiratory reserve volume, inspiratory capacity, forced vital capacity, one-second forced expiratory volume, peak expiratory flow rate), and respiratory muscle strength (maximum inspiratory pressure, maximum expiratory pressure). Correlations between the skeletal muscle mass index and parameters of respiratory function and respiratory muscle strength were assessed using Pearson's coefficient. [Results] The total skeletal muscle mass index showed a positive correlation with all items. The male skeletal muscle mass index showed a positive correlation with respiratory function excluding inspiratory reserve volume, expiratory reserve volume, maximum inspiratory pressure, and maximum expiratory pressure. The female skeletal muscle mass index showed a positive correlation with all respiratory functions including inspiratory reserve volume and expiratory reserve volume, but was not associated with respiratory muscle strength. [Conclusion] The skeletal muscle mass index showed a positive correlation with respiratory function and respiratory muscle strength. Gender-based features were correlated with respiratory muscle strength in males and lung capacity in females.

The best body spot to detect the vital capacity from the respiratory movement data obtained by the wearable strain sensor.

[Purpose] The purpose of this study is to find the best body spots on the chest and abdomen wall to obtain the correlated indicators to the vital capacity. [Subjects and Methods] Thirty healthy male staff of the center served as the participants were advised to conduct a breathing movement using spirometer and a wearable strain sensor (WSS) respectively, which was the measured at four spots on chest and abdomen wall from maximal end of inspiration to maximal end of expiration. The Pearson's correlation analysis was conducted to find the correlation of the data obtained respectively by the WSS and spirometer. [Results] The correlation of the mobility data at the four body spots to the vital capacity data were calculated for each level by means of Pearson's correlation coefficient, which showed that the values at each body spot were positive significant correlations and the highest value was at the 10th rib. [Conclusion] There was a correlation between the mobility data of the chest and abdomen obtained by the WSS and the vital capacity data obtained by the spirometer, for which, the 10th rib is the best body spot to detect the positive significant correlation.

Reliability and validity of measuring respiration movement using a wearable strain sensor in healthy subjects.

[Purpose] The purpose of this research was to verify the reliability and validity of measuring respiration movement using a wearable strain sensor (WSS) which has been developed newly for clinical objective assessment. [Subjects and Methods] The 21 healthy male students were advised to conduct a breathing movement using measuring tape (MT) and WSS respectively, which was the measured at four locations on chest and abdomen wall. The different degree of chest expansion from maximal end of expiration to maximal end of inspiration was confirmed at each location. The intra-rater ICC (1,1) with 95% confidence interval was used to assess the test-retest reliability, Pearson's correlation analysis was performed to establish the validity. [Results] All ICC values for intra-rater reliability were from 0.94 to 0.98 at all locations, which means that there is a high correlation. All values for validity showed significantly positive, indicating that there is a correlation between the measuring tape and WSS at four locations. [Conclusion] Compared to the measuring tape, WSS has been proved to have high reliability and validity. The finding of this research indicated that WSS is reliable to use for objective measurement of respiratory movements on the chest and abdomen wall in clinical assessment.

Absolute reliability of tongue pressure measurement in young healthy adults and elderly patients with certification of needing long-term care or support.

AIM: We aimed to determine systematic bias and the range of random error in tongue pressure measurements among young healthy adults and elderly patients with certification of requiring long-term care or support, considering sex, and to establish a measurement method. METHODS: Subjects were 226 adults (88 young healthy adults and 138 elderly patients with certification of requiring long-term care or support). Tongue pressure was measured thrice. Bland-Altman analysis was performed for the first and second trials, and second and third trials. RESULTS: Fixed bias was revealed for the first and second trials among young healthy adults. Systematic bias was not found for the second and third trials. Fixed bias was revealed for the first and second trials among elderly patients, with a proportional bias with a negative slope for the second and third trials. For young healthy adults, the minimal detectable change was 6.0 and 5.4 kPa in males and females, respectively. For elderly patients, the limit of agreement ranged from -5.9 to 8.6 and from -5.4 to 8.8 kPa in males and females, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: There was a difference in systematic bias in tongue pressure measurement between young healthy adults and elderly patients with certification of needing long-term care or support. In young healthy adults, the third trial results showed stability, whereas they decreased in elderly patients. In elderly patients, it was suggested that the number of measurements reduced from three to two when a maximum value was adopted. No differences were observed among sexes in either young or elderly patients. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2020; 20: 488-493.