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Operant conditioning has not been well adapted to social behavior despite a growing interest among behavior analysts. This is due in part to technological limitations in measuring social behavior, especially in real time. This paper presents a summary of three of the present author􀊟s attempts to adapt computer vision technologies to the study of social operant behavior of zebrafish (Danio rerio). Experiment 1 examined whether the location of a single zebrafish in a three-dimensional (3D) space could be tracked in real time. In Experiment 2, locations of two zebrafish were tracked simultaneously. A transparent partition was placed between the two fish to aid in their identification. A food reinforcer was delivered when the two fish approached one another across the partition. Experiment 3 examined whether it is possible to track multiple fish without such a partition. Results of these three experiments were promising, suggesting that computer vision can be useful in the study of social operant behavior. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Direct observations of the behavior of wild Japanese macaques (Macaca fuscata) in many populations have been recorded over the decades. However，novel behaviors continue to be reported. Here，I report a novel social behavior "rump-rump contact" among males of one group in Yakushima, a behavior that has not been reported in any macaque species. Eight cases of this behavior were observed in 87 observation-days between August and October 2018. They were classified into two types: the RR type，where the rumps of the two individuals symmetrically touched each other，and the RT type，where the rump of one individual was in touch with the lateral torso of the other. At the same time as this behavior，the two individuals clasped the other's body and touched the other's hindquarter by wagging tails. The contexts in which this behavior was observed suggests that it helps in regulating social tension，as might be the case in bonobos where the RR type is known. However, it is likely that this behavior in the two species is not entirely comparable, as no genital contacts with thrust was observed in the Japanese macaques as part of this behavior. In the macaque, it is possible that this behavior was derived from "presenting" because it was seen just before this behavior，and the same action of clasping the other's body was seen at the same time as this behavior. This is a highly novel behavior in that，wagging tails may be a kind of tactile communication, which has never been reported in nonhuman primates. Additionally, it is valuable that this behavior previously known only in bonobos and chimpanzees was also observed in the Japanese macaques, which have very different phylogenetic relationships and social systems. Further studies may reveal the affinitive relationships that goes beyond the strict dominance relationship between males. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Oxytocin, long known for its peripheral action, is a strong regulator of social behaviors through its actions in the brain. Despite such recognition, its sites of actions and dynamics within the brain tissues remain poorly understood owing to the lack of appropriate tools for its visualization and characterization. Conventional fluorescence-tagging is not applicable for small-sized bioactive molecules like oxytocin. Herein, our attempt to overcome this limitation is introduced using our novel strategy, alkyne-tagging. Small-sized alkynes would facilitate specific tagging and subsequent visualization of oxytocin within the body, which would bring forth new insights into the modes of oxytocin's action in the brain.

Prolonged social isolation has been reported to be one of the risk factors for human health, equivalent to smoking cigarettes. Therefore, some developed countries have recognized prolonged social isolation as a social problem and have started to address this problem. Studies on rodent models are essential to fundamentally clarify the impacts of social isolation on human health mentally and physically. In this review, we conduct an overview of the neuromolecular mechanisms of loneliness, perceived social isolation, and the effects of prolonged social isolation. Finally, we consider the evolutionary development of neural bases of loneliness.

Chronic exposure to stress can lead to a variety of mental disorders such as depression. There are many treatment-resistant patients who do not respond adequately to the standard pharmacological treatments. Therefore, the development of novel therapeutic agents is highly expected. In rodents, socially defeated animals that were exposed to repeated physical aggression from other individuals are widely used in this field of research. The social defeat is considered as a stress that mimics human social stress. On the other hand, emotional stress, but not physical stress, is likely to contribute to the pathogenesis and etiology of depression in human. Therefore, there is a gap between the process of pathogenesis and the animal models, and this is one of the reasons why the development of new psychotropic drugs to treat depression has been difficult. Recently, a novel stress model has been introduced, in which mice are subjected to emotional stress without physical distress by witnessing social defeat scenes of their conspecifics. We have investigated the mechanisms by which emotional stress is transmitted by witnessing social defeat in mice, focusing on the insular cortex. In this article, we summarize and discuss the recent advancements in the neural basis of behavioral changes induced by emotional stress.

Objective　Social activities play an important role in the maintenance of health and well-being of the older adults. The aim of this study was to identify characteristics of the rural older adults who do not participate by type of social activities.Methods　This survey examined 1,537 older adults randomly selected at a sampling rate of 0.5% from among those living in Toyama prefecture of Japan, in 2014. Of the total, 947 ambulatory older adults living in their own homes were analyzed using Poisson regression. Results were presented as prevalence ratio (PR). The level of statistical significance was set at P<0.05 (two-sided test).Results　The participants included 426 men (mean age 73.9 ± 6.5 years) and 521 women (mean age 74.8 ± 7.0 years).　In terms of work, both men and women did not work at an older age (men PR 1.15 over 75 years old, women PR 1.11 over 70 years old). Men did not work during outpatient treatment (PR 1.09) and the Revised Hasegawa Dementia Scale (HDS-R) 21-25 points (PR 1.09) and 20 points or below. Women who did not drink alcohol did not work (PR 0.93).　Both men and women did not participate in residential activities at older ages (men PR 1.12 over 70 years old, women PR 1.11 over 80 years old). Men with 20 points or below on HDS-R (PR 1.16) and with work history of only physical labor (PR 1.12), and women living with family (PR 0.92) were less likely to participate in residential activities.　In the hobby group, both men and women with work history of only physical labor were less likely to participate (men PR 1.05, women PR 1.08). Men with education of 9 years or below (PR 1.05) and women living alone (PR 1.07) were less likely to participate. Hobby groups did not relate with age and cognitive decline.　In the senior citizens' club, men and women who did not drink alcohol were less likely to participate (men PR 0.91, women PR 0.89). Men who smoked (PR 1.06), men with psychological symptoms (PR 1.09), and women with 20 points or below on HDS-R (PR 1.13) were less likely to participate.Conclusion　Factors related to non-participation of older adults in rural cities depended on the type of social activities. In order to promote social activity among the older adults in rural cities, it is important to consider specific measures taking into account the type of social activities.

Objective　Healthcare support workers play an important role in team healthcare. The objective of this study was to develop scales for measuring feelings of difficulty among home healthcare support workers when in collaborative practice with medical professionals.Methods　Scale drafts consisting of 10 questions were developed by an expert panel, using qualitative data from previous studies. We conducted a questionnaire survey of 220 healthcare workers in a certain city using the developed scales, and reliability and validity of the scale were examined.Results　An exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis was conducted, after which two factor structures and six questions were selected. The factors were "feelings of disrespect from medical professionals" and "communication barriers between home healthcare support workers and medical professionals". Cronbach's coefficient alpha was 0.77-0.81 for the scale and its two subscales, which demonstrated good internal consistency. Correlation coefficients between the scale and the face-to-face cooperative confidence questionnaire (FFCCQ) and interdisciplinary collaborative practice scales (ICPS) were estimated to examine the criterion-related validity. As a consequence, the score of the scale had a significant negative correlation with FFCCQ and ICPS (r=-0.36--0.42). The two subscales also had negative correlations with FFCCQ and ICPS (r=-0.17--0.42).Conclusion　The scales we developed were reliable and valid for measuring home healthcare support workers' feelings of difficulty in collaborative practice with medical professionals.

Various types of aberrant social behaviors may occur after brain injury. Some of these behaviors might be understood as direct consequences of brain injury; apathy, disinhibition, and executive dysfunction are the three major domains of aberrant social behaviors after injury of the prefrontal cortex. In addition, psychosis, pseudobulbar affect, depression, and fatigue are common symptoms that affect social behavior after brain injury. To evaluate behavioral symptoms, it is important to obtain information based on the context of patient's daily life. Individualized interventions such as pharmacotherapy, disease education and environmental control would improve the patient's social function.

Joint attention behaviors involve sharing attention with others to an object or event by means of eye-gazing or pointing, which form the common basis for communication. There are two types of these behaviors: responding to joint attention (RJA) and initiating joint attention (IJA). RJA is the ability to follow the gaze of others, suggesting reception of a social signal from others; IJA is the ability to voluntarily direct the attention of others, to share the experience of an object or event, suggesting transmission of a social signal to others. Infants experience these roles (as signal receiver and signal transmitter) throughout the first year of life and learn social cognitive skills. Recent neuroimaging studies indicate that joint attention is supported by widely distributed neural systems with nodes in the dorsomedial prefrontal cortex, the orbitofrontal cortex and insula, the anterior and posterior cingulate cortex, the superior temporal cortex, the precuneus and parietal cortex, and the amygdala and striatum.

Patients with epilepsy are often affected by not only seizures but also a variety of cognitive and psychiatric comorbidities that further impair their quality of life. However, it is unclear whether epilepsy is associated with psychic function. The aim of the present study was to clarify the effects of kindling-induced epileptic seizures on psychic functioning, using behavioral pharmacological tests. Pentylenetetrazol (PTZ)-kindled mice displayed impaired motor coordination (in the rotarod test), and social approach impairment (in the three-chamber social test) compared with vehicle mice. Intraperitoneal ABT-418 treatment (0.05 mg/kg) alleviated these behavioral abnormalities in PTZ-kindled mice. Immunolabeling of tissue sections demonstrated that expression of the α4 subunit of the α4β2 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor in the piriform cortex was significantly decreased in PTZ-kindled mice. In contrast, expression of the synaptic adhesion molecule neuroligin 3 (NLG3) was significantly higher in the piriform cortex of PTZ-kindled mice compared with vehicle mice. Collectively, our findings suggest that attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)-like or autistic-like behavioral abnormalities associated with epilepsy are closely linked to downregulation of the α4 subunit of the α4β2 receptor and upregulation of NLG3 in the mouse piriform cortex. In summary, this study indicates that ABT-418 is a good candidate for the treatment of patients with epilepsy complicated by psychiatric symptoms such as autism and ADHD.

As a primate animal model for neuroscience research, the common marmoset (Callithrix jacchus) provides an unprecedented opportunity to gain a better understanding of the human brain function and pathophysiology of neurological and psychiatric disorders, thereby helping in the diagnosis and treatment of those disorders. The marmoset is particularly useful in studying the neural mechanisms underlying social behavior, as their prosocial behavior and visual and vocal communication systems are well-developed. Despite recent advances in biotechnology such as the creation of genetically engineered marmosets, our understanding of the marmoset brain, including its dysfunction in disease, at the circuit level remains limited due to the lack of comprehensive knowledge of the neuronal connections in the marmoset brain. Here we describe the development of genetic and viral engineering techniques for a particular type of neuron in non-transgenic animals. These approaches, combined with rabies viral tracing, imaging, and electrophysiology, will make it possible to map the connectome and relate neuronal connectivity to function in the marmoset brain. Such circuit-level studies will open a new avenue for non-human primate research that can bridge the gap between basic research and human studies.

Social memory is a form of episodic memories in multiple domains of social context. Functional neuroimaging studies have demonstrated that the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) plays an important role in social memories. However, little is known about the dissociable roles within mPFC in social memories. The purpose of this article was to summarize functional neuroimaging studies investigating social memories, and to propose a hypothetical model regarding the contribution of mPFC sub-regions to social memories. In this article, we divided mPFC into three sub-regions of the orbital, ventral, and dorsal regions. Functional neuroimaging studies have shown that the orbital mPFC (orbitofrontal cortex) contributes to the reward process in episodic memory, and that the reward-related activation is identified in primary, secondary, and social rewards. A role of the ventral mPFC has been found in the self-referential process, and the encoding operation of this process produces the self-reference effect in episodic memory. Activation in the dorsal mPFC has been observed in high demanding processes including cognitive control and in social cognition such as impression formation for others during episodic encoding and retrieval. The interactive mechanisms within three sub-regions of mPFC and between mPFC and the medial temporal lobe could contribute to social memories.

The brain and mind are not only determined genetically but are also nurtured by environmental stimuli in early life. However, the relationship between early life environment and phenotypes in adulthood remains elusive. Using the IntelliCage-based competition task for group-housed mice, we previously found that maternal exposure to a low dose of an environmental pollutant, dioxin, resulted in abnormal social behavior, that is, low competitive dominance, which is defined by decreased occupancy of limited resource sites under highly competitive circumstances. Although we were unable to identify which behavioral phenotype applies to abnormalities such as "human social nature", we found signs of hypoactivation of the medial prefrontal cortex, as seen in patients with autism spectrum disorder. In addition, another model of environmental factors, repeated isolation during development, and that of genetic factors including mice with neuronal heterotopia, which refers to brain malformations resulting from deficits of neuronal migration, showed low competitive dominance. These results indicate that a constitutive approach to capture the neural network of the whole brain is necessary especially in cases where the temporal gap of causal relationships is large such as DOHaD.

Purpose: We examined the factors related to life space and changes in the care level after one year in daycare center users., Methods: The participants were 83 older adults (age, > 65 years; mean age, 79.5±6.8 years) with MMSE scores of ≥20, who could walk independently, who needed support (1-2) or care (1), and who underwent rehabilitation at a daycare center. The life space was evaluated by the Life Space Assessment (LSA). The subjects' basic information (i.e., age, medical history.) was collected, and their physical function (i.e., grip strength, timed up and go test [TUG]), mental function (i.e., vitality, fear of falls), and social function (i.e., friends, hobbies, public transportation) were assessed to investigate the factors associated with their LSA scores. In addition, a follow-up survey was conducted on the care level at approximately one year later., Results: A multiple regression analysis indicated that TUG scores (β=-0.33), hobbies (β=0.30), friends (β=0.29), public transportation (β=0.26), and grip strength (β=0.24) were related to the life space. Next, the participants were divided into LSA-high and LSA-low groups, and changes in the care level (improvement, maintenance, deterioration) at approximately one year after the initial assessment were examined using a chi-squared test. A significant difference was observed in the distribution of the groups (p=0.03)., Conclusions: Multiple factors were related to the life space. Moreover, it is possible that improvements in the level of care may be achieved by improving the life space.

Objectives　In order to promote health in the community, collaborative activities with community organizations are, in addition to individual health guidance, considered to be effective. Health promotion volunteers (HPVs) are now gaining attention as one such community organization. The purposes of this research were to clarify the characteristics of health literacy, social capital, and health behavior acquired through experience by HPVs and to obtain findings with which to examine ways to foster HPVs.Methods　An anonymous, self-administered questionnaire survey was conducted through the postal system in a town with 87 currently active HPVs, 158 former HPVs who served between April 2009 and March 2015, and 299 people with no experience as HPVs. The respondents were 54 active HPVs (response rate, 62.1%); 69 former HPVs (43.7%); and 136 people with no experience (45.5%). Participants were asked about their sociodemographic characteristics; activity status as an HPV; self-rated health; whether they had undergone a medical examination (recently) or not; health literacy; social capital; health behaviors; etc.Results　Health literacy, social capital, and health behavior scores of active HPVs showed no significant difference among the three groups. Many of the active HPVs felt that the work was "of help to the local government." The number of participants who tried to encourage others and who self-rated their health statuses as healthy in the active HPV group were significantly higher compared with the former HPVs and the group with no experience.Conclusion　In fostering HPVs, it is necessary to support them in order to ensure that they proactively engage in activities promoting health.

In recent years, voxel-based morphometry (VBM) has been increasingly used to investigate local brain structures in Parkinson's disease (PD). Compared to healthy participants, PD patients tend to show reduced brain volume in limbic and paralimbic areas in early disease stages, while the neocortical areas, such as the temporal and frontal cortices, are affected in advanced patients. Moreover, there are many studies showing correlation between cognitive performance and local brain volume. In the last decade, emotional and social cognitive function, such as facial emotion recognition, emotional decision-making, and theory of mind, have been the target of VBM analysis in PD. These studies facilitate understanding of the nature of communication and behavioral disorders that some PD patients display. However, there are discrepancies in VBM results between studies. Future studies need to employ larger sample sizes and combined analysis of brain perfusion or network connectivity in order to confirm brain structural changes and their effects on social cognitive function in PD patients.

Broadman area 12, together with area 11, is located in the orbitofrontal area. A voxel-based morphometric (VBM) study revealed the association between bilateral brodmann areas 12/47 and taste disturbance in individuals with frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD). In our VBM study in patients with Parkinson's disease, decision-making impairments were associated with atrophy of the bilateral Brodmann area 12, indicating that this area may play an important role in social cognitive function. Our recent study also demonstrated that this area may serve as time order judgement or mental time travel.

This study examined the influence of prosocial behaviors on evaluations of morality and warmth. There were four patterns of interaction: positive reciprocity (with both cost and benefit), only-cost (with cost but without benefit), negative reciprocity (without either cost or benefit), and only-benefit (with benefit but without cost). Three-hundred-fourteen undergraduate students participated in this study. The participants read an example of interaction and evaluated the actors’ morality and warmth. Results of one-way ANOVA showed that the ratings of morality and warmth differed significantly between the conditions. There was no significant difference of perceived morality between only-cost and positive reciprocity. In contrast, warmth was evaluated higher in only-cost than in positive reciprocity. This suggests that people evaluated morality and warmth differently depending on whether the prosocial behavior was obligatory or optional.

This study focuses on two questionnaire surveys that were conducted about the adoption of the Private Finance Initiative (PFI prison) method in Japan as a new correctional system. For study 1, a Web questionnaire was administered to residents of within a 30 km zone of Tokyo as well as those in Yamaguchi Prefecture to determine familiarity and resistance to the PFI prison systems. For study 2, a questionnaire survey was administered to residents of a neighborhood near a PFI prison in Mine city. The results showed that the attitudes toward the PFI prison were more positive in this area. Furthermore, contact with the correctional systems promoted residents’ acceptance of prisoners and former prisoners. Finally, we discuss social and institutional support and contact with social systems to promote social inclusion.

It is reported that there are no victim-offender relationships in serial homicides, so offender profiling is useful for resolution of serial homicide cases. The present study aimed to describe characteristics of serial homicide offenders as a part of offender profiling and compare characteristics of serial homicide with those of single homicide offenders. We found that serial homicide characteristics were divided into 3 types (Destruction, Mission, and Antisocial). On the other hand, single homicide characteristics were divided into 4 types, which included Domestic in addition to the 3 types mentioned above. Overall, serial homicide offenders try to avoid detection of their murders compared to single homicide offenders. However, there was not much difference between the patterns of serial homicides and those of single homicides. Therefore, we conclude that there are few qualitative differences between serial and single homicide offenders.

Frailty and sarcopenia are geriatrics syndromes that are increasing in the super aged society and are an important risk factor for the outcomes such as disability, falls, falls/fractures, and death. Although aging is a major factor in both syndromes, muscle weakness is accelerated by malnutrition such as protein and vitamin D deficiency and lack of exercise in a sedentary lifestyle. Therefore, nutritional guidance and exercise instruction are extremely important as well as management of diseases in older people. In addition, social factors affect the progression of frailty;thus a more comprehensive approach is needed, including social participation. In this paper, we describe holistic approaches for prevention and treatment of frailty and sarcopenia.

We examined two psychological processes of prosocial behavior: feeling gratitude and indebtedness. First, we asked if the value of the behavior for the receiver promotes gratitude; and second if the cost of the behavior for the giver promotes indebtedness. Gratitude and indebtedness were measured as behavioral indices of a quid pro quo (indirect reciprocity and direct reciprocity) to avoid social desirability effects in self-report measures. In Study 1, 119 undergraduates recalled a past experience in which they had been the recipients of prosocial behavior while emphasizing the value, cost, or situation (control) of the event. The level of gratitude was higher, and indirect reciprocity was observed more frequently, in the value condition than in the cost and control conditions. Indebtedness, however, did not differ across the conditions. In Study 2, 59 participants received a gift (the value and cost of which were manipulated) from an imaginary confederate. The value manipulation promoted indirect reciprocity, and both value and cost manipulations encouraged direct reciprocity. Implications for adaptive functions of gratitude in social selection processes are discussed.

The term sociosexuality is used to describe individual differences in people’s willingness to engage in uncommitted sexual relationships. The authors developed the revised Sociosexual Orientation Inventory in Japanese (SOI-J) to assess sociosexuality. In addition, we examined the effect of sociosexuality on flirting behaviors. In study 1 and study 2, we translated the revised Sociosexual Orientation Inventory into Japanese and confirmed its reliability and validity. The results of study 3 showed that male sociosexuality had an effect on male and female flirting behaviors. On the other hand, the results showed that female sociosexuality had no effect on male and female flirting behaviors. These results suggest that relationship initiation is controlled by females.

The present study examined exchange activities, such as the elderly club(hereinafter referred to as"exchange activities"). In older men who continued their participation, we clarified the factors that enabled them to continue participation and provided opportunity to have participated in the"exchange activities."Data were collected from semi-structured interviews and analyzed. As a result, older men after retirement were found to have no connection with the local community, and they joined local"exchange activities"out of a desire for interaction with other locals. In addition, expectations and evaluation of the achievement and the area of self-realization have been suggested as factors that allow continued participation in "exchange activities".

Recently, the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare estimated the prevalence rate of gambling disorder to be 4.8 percent of the population. This rate is outstandingly higher than other countries with prevalence rates between 0.25 and 2.0 percent. It is also estimated that no fewer than 5 million Japanese suffer from the disease. In the last two years, 100 new patients visited the author's clinic. On an average, they started gambling at the age of 19.7 years, and incurring debt at the age of 25.8 years. They first visited the clinic at an average age of 38.2 years, and the average amount they had spent on gambling up to that point was 13 million yen. Twenty percent of them had taken some legal measures to reduce their burden from debts before seeking treatment. Sixty percent of pathological gamblers exclusively played pachinko and slot machine games. Patients who did not play on such machines accounted for no less than 2 percent of cases. This is not surprising, considering the fact that Japan has nearly 4.6 million pachinko and slot machines, which account for two thirds of the total electric gaming machines in the world. Japanese legislation does not regard pachinko and slot machines as gambling, but merely as gaming. Therefore, pachinko companies have no restrictions as such to promote their market. They can advertise freely in newspapers and TV commercials. Pachinko halls are filled with lighting, sounds, and visual effects to stimulate and excite gamblers. The harmful effects of gambling disorder include depression, loss of employment and friends, marital discord, fraud, embezzlement, theft in the family, and theft from non-family members. The most helpful therapy involves attending self-help group sessions at least once a week. One of the best-known self-help groups is Gamblers Anonymous (GA); there are 162 GA groups in Japan. The author believes there should be one GA group for every city across the nation. Unfortunately, psychiatrists, who should be taking the lead in providing diagnosis and treatment, are showing little interest in gambling problems. Unless all psychiatrists develop the ability to deal with the disease effectively, there is little hope for patients and families to see a light at the end of the tunnel. It is also time for the administration to implement necessary measures instead of averting its eyes from the harsh reality and promoting publicly managed gambling. Considering the miserable situation, the administration should not lift its ban on the casino industry.

The domain-specific approach to socialization has classified socialization mechanisms into several domains, including the protection and control domains, and postulates that parent–child interactions that promote socialization in each domain are different. However, there are few empirical investigations of the domain–specific approach. This study examined whether parental parenting attitudes affected early adolescents’ empathy, including empathic concern and perspective taking, and social cognitive biases, including cognitive distortion and general beliefs about aggression, through the mediation of adolescents’ perceptions. Junior high school students and their parents (N = 448) completed a questionnaire. Results of structural equation modeling indicated (a) parental acceptance and control increased empathy via adolescents’ perceived acceptance and control, (b) parental acceptance and control decreased social cognitive biases via adolescents’ perceived acceptance and control, and (c) parental control directly increased empathy. In addition, multiple group analyses indicated the validity of gender- and age-invariant models. These findings suggest that parental parenting attitudes are essential for appropriate socialization during early adolescence.

Objective: This study investigated the factors associated with antisocial behavior (AB) in children with developmental disorder and effective treatments. Methods: Participants were 110 schoolchildren with developmental disorder and with or without accompanying AB who visited our hospital between October 2009 and October 2012. Among the children with AB, those who exhibited one or more symptoms of conduct disorder (CD) were assigned to the CD subgroup. We examined the background characteristics, past history, type of antisocial behavior, and symptom improvement after treatment in the children with AB and compared the relevant factors with children with developmental disorder without AB. Results: Of the 110 participants, 72 (65.5%) did not exhibit AB and 38 (34.5%) did, 7 (5.5%) of whom fulfilled the criteria for CD. Compared to the children without AB, the children with AB showed a significantly higher occurrence of attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (AD/HD), maltreatment, institutionalization due to maltreatment, parental mental/psychological problems, and family instability. After medical treatment combined with social-skills training and parental education, 22 of the 38 children with AB showed improved behavior. In the CD subgroup, 4 children were diagnosed with AD/HD and 3 with pervasive developmental disorder, and none of the 7 improved with treatment. Conclusion: AB was associated with AD/HD, maltreatment, institutionalization, parental mental/psychological problems, and family instability. The most effective therapy was parental education. Children with AB need early intervention given that those who already exhibited symptoms of CD showed little improvement with treatment.

In this paper, the author has discussed whether and how intellectual activities influence the onset of neurocognitive disorder based on findings from previous studies. The activities discussed include those involving education and learning during childhood, hobbies and leisure activities with cognitive stimulation, and those through cognitive intervention. There are various opinions on the effect of intellectual activities on the onset of neurocognitive disorder. However, because the relationship between intellectual activities and the onset of neurocognitive disorder has never been fully examined, it seems necessary to discuss this aspect carefully.

Purpose This study aimed to examine the relationship between participation in social activity and both, composite and individual measures of physical fitness in community-dwelling older adults.Methods This study was conducted using baseline data from the Sasaguri Genkimon Study (SGS), a longitudinal cohort study conducted in 2011. Participants were 1,365 community-dwelling men and women aged 65 years or above, who did not require certified nursing care and who resided in Sasaguri, a town located east of the Fukuoka metropolitan area. Participation in social activity was assessed by asking participants whether they engaged in any of eight social activities. Physical fitness tests assessed participants' handgrip strength and knee extension strength as measures of muscle strength, and their one-leg standing time, 5-m maximum gait speed, and 5-repetition sit-to-stand rate as measures of their physical performance. Multiple linear regression and logistic regression analyses were conducted to assess the relationship between participation in social activity and each measure of physical fitness, adjusting for sex; age; body mass index; socioeconomic status; solitary living; exercise, habitual drinking and smoking; accelerometer-measured, moderate-to-vigorous physical activity; cognitive function; instrumental activities of daily living; distress; social network; and comorbidities.Results A total of 83.6% of the participants were engaged in at least one social activity. After adjusting for potential confounders, engagement in social activity was positively associated with a higher composite physical fitness score, faster gait speed and 5-repetition sit-to-stand rate, and longer one-leg standing time (P=0.008, P=0.030, P=0.034, and P=0.009, respectively).Conclusion Participation in social activity was significantly associated with physical fitness, specifically those related to locomotive function. These associations were independent of various confounders including socioeconomic status, and comorbidities.

Objectives This study was conducted to develop a scale for measuring "attachment to the local community" for its use in health services. The scale is also intended to nurture new social relationships in late middle-aged individuals.Methods Thirty items were initially planned to be included in the scale to measure "attachment to the local community", according to a previous study that identified the concept. The study subjects were late middle-aged residents of City B in Prefecture A, located in Tokyo suburbs. From the basic resident register data, 1,000 individuals (local residents in the 50-69 year age group) were selected by a multi-stage random sampling technique, on the basis of their residential area, age, and sex (while maintaining the male to female ratio). An unsigned self-administered questionnaire was distributed to the subjects, and the responses were collected by postal mail. The collected data was analyzed using psychometric study of scale.Results Valid responses were obtained from 583 subjects, and the response rate was 58.3%. In an item analysis, none of the items were rejected. In a subsequent factor analysis, 7 items were eliminated. These items included 2 items with a factor loading of <0.40, 3 items loading on multiple factors and showing a factor loading of ≥0.40, and 2 items with a low factor correlation (0.04-0.16). These items included factors that related to only these 2 items. Consequently, 23 items in the following 4-factor structure were selected as the scale items: "Source of vitality to live life," "Intention to cherish ties with people," "Place where one can be oneself," and "Pride of being a resident." Cronbach's coefficient α for the entire scale of "attachment to the local community" was 0.95, demonstrating internal consistency. We then examined the correlation with an existing scale to measure social support; the results revealed a statistically significant correlation and confirmed criterion-related validity (P<0.001). In addition, the fit indices in a covariance structure analysis showed adequate values.Conclusions The developed scale was considered reliable and appropriate for measuring "attachment to the local community."

We are afraid that we are not always connected to somebody. There are such strong feelings to human relations in the background of internet addiction. It is reflection of today's social fluidity, and it is also reflection of the strength of the approval desire to occur from there. The feeling of fear in being off human relations in this society directs us to always-on connection by the internet.

Japan passed the national law "Basic Act on Measures against Alcohol-related Health Harm" on December 2013. This law is expected to prevent inappropriate drinking that leads to alcohol-related problems such as physical and mental disorder, drunk driving, suicide, domestic violence, child abuse, and poor work performance. The physician's responsibilities under this law are described as follows: i) to provide high quality and appropriate medical care concerning alcohol-related health harm; ii) to reduce or eliminate the consumption of alcohol, thus preventing the progression of alcohol-related health harm; and iii) to coordinate these efforts amongst medical institutions. Based on this law, we believe that Japanese physicians will have essential roles in achieving the goals of this law and that we can fulfill our responsibilities by observing the following aspects: a) changing our message to the patients from "drink sensibly and moderately" to "low-risk drinking; but any drinking has a risk of harm and low-risk drinking is not risk-free"; b) encouraging the spread and use of Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment (SBIRT); and c) establishing community healthcare systems for alcohol-related problems, including dementia in the elderly and during alcohol emergencies.

Many studies have demonstrated that individuals with social anxiety interpret ambiguous social situations negatively. It is, however, not clear whether the interpretation bias discriminatively contributes to social anxiety in comparison with depressive automatic thoughts. The present study investigated the effects of negative interpretation bias and automatic thoughts on social anxiety. The Social Intent Interpretation-Questionnaire, which measures the tendency to interpret ambiguous social events as implying other's rejective intents, the short Japanese version of the Automatic Thoughts Questionnaire-Revised, and the Anthropophobic Tendency Scale were administered to 317 university students. Covariance structure analysis indicated that both rejective intent interpretation bias and negative automatic thoughts contributed to mental distress in social situations mediated by a sense of powerlessness and excessive concern about self and others in social situations. Positive automatic thoughts reduced mental distress. These results indicate the importance of interpretation bias and negative automatic thoughts in the development and maintenance of social anxiety. Implications for understanding of the cognitive features of social anxiety were discussed.

Objective: To analyze the factors related to social functioning in school students with high-functioning pervasive developmental disorder (HFPDD), we investigated speech delay in infancy, family history of pervasive developmental disorder (PDD), intelligence quotient (IQ), strength of PDD characteristics, age, age at diagnosis of PDD, and social adaptive functioning in students with HFPDD., Methods: Fifty-eight students with a diagnosis of HFPDD (IQ ≥ 85) were evaluated retrospectively. PDD characteristics were measured by the Pervasive Developmental Disorders Autism Society Japan Rating Scale (PARS), IQ was measured by the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Third Edition (WISC-III), and social adaptive functioning was measured by the Children's Global Assessment Scale (CGAS)., Results: There was a negative correlation between age at diagnosis of PDD and the CGAS score. None of the other factors examined had any significant correlation with social functioning in students with HFPDD. Age at diagnosis of PDD whose social functioning was good was significantly low., Conclusions: School students with HFPDD who are diagnosed with PDD earlier exhibit better social adaptive functioning.