Upright MDCT with 320 Detector-Row Gantry: A Technical Innovation Providing Insights into Human Anatomy Under Gravity and Potential Clinical Implications.

CT performed in the supine position has been highly effective in diagnosing organic diseases such as cancer, arteriosclerosis, and infections, significantly contributing to increased life expectancy. In an aging society, extending healthy life expectancy becomes more critical, requiring early diagnosis of functional disorders. We have led the industry-academia collaboration in developing an upright MDCT system.

Muscle mass adjustment for body size: is using a ratio doing the job? A cross-sectional study in two samples of older adults.

Purpose: The aim of this cross-sectional study was to investigate the prevalence of low muscle mass using different ratios, across categories of BMI in older adults.

Methods: Muscle mass estimates obtained by DXA, CT, and BIA from two samples of older adults were used (the Health, Aging, and Body composition study, USA and the MUSCLE study, Japan). For each muscle mass estimate, three ratios were calculated: muscle mass divided by body height squared, muscle mass divided by body weight, and muscle mass divided by body mass index.

Construction of a preliminary digital parasite specimen database for parasitology education and research.

Despite advances in non-morphology-based parasite diagnostic techniques, traditional microscopy-based morphologic analysis remains essential for diagnosing parasitic infections. Therefore, parasite morphology is a crucial aspect of pre-graduate medical education. However, parasite specimen acquisition in developed countries is challenging because of the low rate of parasitic infections owing to improved sanitation.

Development and psychometric properties of the Japanese Residential Environment Checklist for Safety (J-RECS): Self-assessment tool for environmental fall risk factors.

Aim: The aims of this study were to develop a self-assessment tool for environmental fall risk factors in Japanese residential environments and to examine its content validity and inter-rater reliability.

Methods: The Japanese Residential Environment Checklist for Safety (J-RECS) was first developed through panel meetings and refined by incorporating the perspectives of older adults. A total of 111 medical and long-term care professionals were recruited to explore the content validity.

Participation in community gathering places and loss of independence among older adults with and without mild disability in Habikino City, Japan: A four-year longitudinal study.

Objective: Loss of independence (LOI) significantly affects quality of life and increases societal costs. Community gathering places supported by local governments aim to prevent LOI. However, evidence of their effectiveness among older adults with mild disability is limited.

Simulation Study of Upright Prostate Radiation Therapy: Comparison of Upright and Supine Anatomy and Dose-Volumetric Factors.

Purpose: This study aimed to assess the feasibility of upright radiation therapy for prostate cancer, compared to conventional supine radiation therapy, by quantitatively evaluating anatomic changes and their dosimetric impact through treatment planning simulations based on paired upright and supine positioning computed tomography (CT) images.

Methods And Materials: This study compared pelvic organ anatomies and dose distributions, in hypothetical prostate cancer patients, between upright and supine prostate radiation therapy using paired CT images from asymptomatic volunteers. Anatomic changes in pelvic organ position, shape, volume, and rectal gas were quantitatively evaluated.

Pearls and pitfalls in imaging of axial spondyloarthritis for rheumatologists.

This review provides key insights into sacroiliitis imaging, covering anatomy, imaging techniques, and interpretation. It focuses on normal physiological changes in young to middle-aged women, children, and the elderly that can resemble sacroiliitis. We emphasize the importance of distinguishing between active and structural lesions, as highlighted in the recent ASAS-SPARTAN standardized magnetic resonance imaging protocol.

Evaluation of amyloid PET positivity using machine learning on F-FDG PET images.

Background: Since the approval of disease-modifying drugs for Alzheimer's disease, the demand for amyloid positron emission tomography (PET) scans, which are crucial for determining treatment eligibility, is expected to increase significantly. We thus investigated the ability of an algorithm to predict amyloid accumulation from F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG)-PET images for use in amyloid PET screening.

Methods: We analyzed the images of 194 subjects with cognitive disorders who had undergone brain FDG-PET, amyloid PET using Pittsburgh compound-B (C-PiB), and MRI scans at Kindai University Hospital between 2011 and 2018.

Characteristics and Risk Factors of Falls Within a Residential Environment: A Follow-Up Study of Community-Dwelling Japanese Adults Aged 75 Years and Older Requiring Long-Term Care.

Introduction Understanding the characteristics of falls is crucial for effectively managing them in later life. Environmental hazards play a significant role in fall incidents with age-related life space constriction. This study explored the characteristics of falls within the home and the impact of environmental fall hazards on fall incidents among community-dwelling Japanese adults aged ≥75 years with long-term care needs.

How far along the future path do individuals recognize the path for stepping on multiple footfall targets? A new evaluation method under virtual reality.

Introduction: The ability to visually recognize the path ahead during walking is essential for adjusting gait patterns in an anticipatory manner to mitigate perturbations induced by tripping. In this study, we aimed to develop a walking task within a virtual reality (VR) environment, termed the VR multi-target stepping (VR-MTS) task, as a method to evaluate the extent to which individuals can recognize the path ahead while continuously stepping on footfall targets.

Methods: As an initial study for the development of the VR multi-target stepping (VR-MTS) task, we tested a sample of young individuals (8 males and 5 females, aged 26.

A case of Sjögren's syndrome with sensory neuronopathy and polyradiculoneuropathy.

41-year-old female became difficulty walking due to sensory ataxia in the limbs and trunk. A diagnosis of Sjögren's syndrome was made on the results of positive anti-SS-A antibody and a lip gland biopsy. Nerve conduction studies indicated sensory neuronopathy.

Simultaneous quantification of lower limb skeletal posture and ground reaction forces using upright computed tomography: Potential implications for osteoarthritis assessment and treatment.

Understanding the transmission of forces through the joints of the lower limb under weight-bearing conditions is critical for assessing the progression of knee and ankle osteoarthritis, as well as for developing effective surgical and preventive strategies. This study presents the first simultaneous quantification of three-dimensional skeletal posture and ground reaction force vectors during quiet standing, utilizing upright computed tomography and a custom-made force plate. We constructed the force plate using two six-axis force sensors, and the coordinate system of the CT was aligned with that of the force plate using metal spheres attached to the edges of the force plate.

Effect of participating in Kayoi-no-ba during the COVID-19 pandemic on frailty 1 year later in older adults.

Aim: This study examined the short-term effects of participation in Kayoi-no-ba - community gathering places for residents to contribute to care prevention with the support of volunteers in Japan - on frailty status during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, based on a 1-year longitudinal study of older adults.

Methods: Participants (n = 3899) were aged ≥65 years. At baseline, they were classified into four groups, based on their frequency of participation in Kayoi-no-ba before and after the COVID-19 pandemic: the nonparticipation group, the continued participation group, the interrupted participation group and the new participation group.

A Case of Multiple Intracerebral Hemorrhages Due to Early-Onset Cerebral Amyloid Angiopathy With Alzheimer's Disease: Neuropathological Changes Three Decades After Childhood Neurosurgery.

Cerebral amyloid angiopathy (CAA) is a disease in which amyloid beta (Aβ) is deposited in blood vessels and meninges in the brain. Cerebral amyloid angiopathy typically occurs in the elderly but is also known to occur in younger patients with a history of childhood head trauma or dura graft following neurosurgical procedures. The patient was a 39-year-old female who had undergone neurosurgery for an arachnoid cyst in the right temporal lobe at the age of two years.

Mapping Normative Muscle Health Metrics Across the Aging Continuum: A Multinational Study Pooling Data From Eight Cohorts in Japan, Malaysia and Taiwan.

Background: The vigour of our musculature wanes as the years advance, and prognosticating the concomitant trajectories throughout the course of life assumes paramount importance for judicious and timely interventions. In the present study, we aimed to establish age- and sex-specific reference centiles for multiple muscle health metrics and reveal the distributions of these metrics throughout the aging process in the Asian population.

Methods: By using cross-sectional pooled data of community dwellers aged 20 years or older in eight cohorts from Taiwan, Japan and Malaysia, normative values for muscle health metrics (calf circumference (cm), relative appendicular skeletal muscle (RASM) (kilogram per square metre), body mass index (BMI)-adjusted appendicular skeletal muscle mass (kilogram/(kilogram per square metre)), handgrip strength (kilogram), five-time chair stand (seconds) and gait speed (metre per second)) in men and women, categorized by age groups, are calculated.

Relationship between typical fall patterns and fall-related fractures in older Japanese adults.

This study explored the relationship between fall patterns and fall-related fractures in older adults. A cross-sectional survey was conducted among community-dwelling older adults in Maibara City, Japan, focusing on falls over the past three years. Among the 1,695 reported falls, 176 fractures occurred in 120 individuals.

Effects of digital-based interventions on the outcomes of the eligibility criteria for sarcopenia in healthy older adults: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: While the digital-based interventions targeting older adults to prevent age-related health problems such as sarcopenia have grown rapidly in recent years, there are no meta-analyses indicating synthesized pooled estimates.

Objective: To examine the effects of digital-based interventions on sarcopenia-related measures, including physical performance and muscle mass, in healthy community-dwelling older adults.

Methods: Systematic searches were performed on MEDLINE, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library for eligible studies published up to 31 March 2023.

Factors associated with home discharge for individuals with cervical spinal cord injuries: Analysis according to age group.

Objective: To identify the factors associated with home discharge in individuals with cervical spinal cord injuries (cSCI) according to age group.

Design: Cross-sectional study.

Setting: Hospital or rehabilitation centers specializing in spinal cord injuries in Japan.

Association between adequate protein intake and quadriceps quantity and quality during rehabilitation in people with subacute stroke.

Background We aimed to investigate the association between protein intake and quadriceps quantity and quality on the paretic and non-paretic sides during rehabilitation in people with subacute stroke. Method Eighty-six people with stroke were recruited from a rehabilitation ward. We measured quadriceps muscle quantity and quality on the paretic and non-paretic sides using ultrasonography at admission and after 4weeks.

Thoracic posture-related morphological changes in patients with pectus excavatum versus healthy controls.

Objectives: Cases of severe pectus excavatum presenting with worsening cardiopulmonary symptoms in the upright position have been reported. However, the underlying mechanism remains unclear. We evaluated posture-related morphological changes of the thorax in patients with pectus excavatum.

Physiological rotation patterns of the thoracolumbar spine across different ages: A detailed analysis using upright CT.

Background: The rotational motion of the spine plays a crucial role in daily activities. Understanding the mechanisms of spinal rotation is essential for evaluating normal spinal function, especially in standing positions due to the influence of gravity. However, previous studies on spinal rotation have been limited.

Characteristics of falls in Japanese community-dwelling older adults.

Objective: Understanding the characteristics of falls among older adults is necessary to prevent them. These characteristics include questions such as when (month and time), where (places), who (age), what (injury), why (trigger), and how (direction) the falls occur. The objective of this study was to identify the characteristics of falls in individuals aged 65-74 years (young-old), 75-84 years (old-old), and ≥85 years (oldest-old).