東北文化学園大学

Abstract From an embodied cognition perspective, semantic processing is assumed to involve sensorimotor representations. The present study used functional magnetic resonance imaging to investigate whether comprehension of action intensity described in sentences is associated with neural representations shared with action execution, particularly those related to grip force. In the execution task, participants gripped their right hand with either high or low force. In the language task, participants evaluated the action intensity described in the sentences. We examined four regions of interest (ROIs): the left primary somatosensory cortex, left primary motor cortex, left dorsal premotor cortex, and the left intraparietal sulcus (LIPS). Multivoxel pattern analysis was used to assess whether intensity information could be decoded within and across tasks. In the execution task, intensity differences were reliably decoded from multivoxel activity patterns across all four regions. In the language task, significant decoding of intensity was observed only in the LIPS. Cross-classification between the execution and language tasks did not reach significance in the primary analysis across the four regions and was associated with low effect sizes. However, exploratory analyses using smaller ROIs revealed significant cross-decoding and moderate effect sizes in the LIPS. These findings suggest that the comprehension of action intensity is associated with higher-level intensity-related representations rather than with neural representations that are closely tied to low-level motor execution. Overall, the results do not support strong embodied accounts, which assume the direct reinstatement of low-level motor execution processes during language comprehension. However, these findings suggest that partially shared higher-level representations of intensity may exist between action execution and language processing.

Healthy individuals carry a risk of developing voice disorders from vocal abuse, prompting the development of preventive measures. We hypothesized that resonant voice exercises, typically prescribed for individuals with vocal problems, might positively affect phonatory performance in those without existing voice disorders. Here, 39 healthy female university students participated in an experimental session featuring an introductory Lessac-Madsen Resonant Voice Therapy (LMRVT). The LMRVT consisted of vocal musculature relaxation exercises and the repetition of words initiated by the nasal consonant /m/. For assessment, we recorded maximum phonation time (MPT), sustained single-vowel phonation, and a passage-reading task before and after the LMRVT intervention. The results demonstrated a significant prolongation of MPT following the intervention, whereas no acoustic feature showed a significant group-level change after correction for multiple comparisons. In multiple regression analyses, we tested whether acoustic changes were associated with individual differences in ΔMPT. These analyses consistently identified a reduction in the Hammarberg Index, reflecting increased high-frequency regional resonance, as a significant correlate of ΔMPT in both sustained-vowel phonation and passage-reading tasks. The multiple regression analysis for the passage-reading task also showed a trend for a decrease in vowel-space area. An exploratory Bayesian structural equation modeling (BSEM) was then conducted to characterize the shared variation among ΔMPT and the acoustic measures, assuming "vocal economy" as a latent factor related to the intervention-associated change. The ΔHammarberg Index showed the strongest negative loading on the vocal economy factor, which was consistently associated with ΔMPT across tasks. These findings suggest that introductory resonant voice exercises may improve MPT in healthy individuals and that the Hammarberg Index may be a candidate acoustic correlate of individual differences in MPT improvement.

BackgroundIn older adults with type 2 diabetes (T2DM), a decline in oral function can cause frailty and other issues, such as poor mental health and cognition. An intervention strategy that promotes oral self-care behaviors is needed to maintain oral function.PurposeThis study aimed to examine the effects of an oral self-care education program on older adults with T2DM.MethodsSixty older adults aged 65 years or older with T2DM were included. The program included an oral health lecture and oral exercises held monthly for three months. The effects were evaluated one month after program completion.ResultsFrailty, oral dryness, oral diadochokinesis, dental floss use, and cognitive function improved significantly at follow-up compared with those at baseline. Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that poor adherence to oral exercise daily at home was significantly associated with frailty.DiscussionThe program had a positive effect on the oral condition and changes in the frailty status in older adults with T2DM. In addition, the program may contribute to better oral self-care behaviors and cognitive function.Translation to Health Education PracticeHealth educators need to understand the effect of oral function on older adults with T2DM and support participation in appropriate self-management behaviors.