Digital Transformation for Aging Society

Members

Theme Leader :
Shuichi Obuchi, P.T., Ph.D.
Vice-Chief Researcher :
Hisashi Kawai, Ph.D.
Researcher :
Manami Ejiri, Ph.D, Keigo Imamura, Ph.D., Gong Rui, Ph.D.
Adjunct Researcher :
Takeshi Kera, P.T., Ph.D.
Administrative Staff:
Hiroe Ito, Yukiko Sato, Kaori Ariwa.

Keywords

Digital technology, Wearable device, daily-life walking speed, Life-log data, Coping behavior, Stress management

Profile

This research theme focuses on practical studies aimed at transitioning from a disease-avoidance model to a salutogenic model to promote well-being in a super-aged society. With recent advancements in IoT technology, various life-log data--such as walking, sleep patterns, and physical activity--can now be recorded in daily life. However, a lack of sufficient scientific evidence remains a challenge.
To address this, we utilize wearable devices such as smartwatches and ankle-band accelerometers to collect and analyze long-term life-log data from older individuals. Using artificial intelligence (AI), we examine the associations between life-log data and health outcomes, such as frailty and cognitive decline. This analysis provides valuable insights for preventing long-term care dependence and dementia, as well as for maintaining overall health.
Furthermore, we aim to develop a large-scale digital registry, the "Digital Cohort," where participants' daily activities are continuously recorded and leveraged to study their relationship with health outcomes.

References

  1. Takeshi Kera, Hisashi Kawai, Shuichi Obuchi: Respiratory Sarcopenia: Current Understanding of Concepts and Future Issues. J Am Med Dir Assoc. (in press)
  2. Jou-Yin Chen, Hisashi Kawai, Junta Takahashi, Manami Ejiri, Keigo Imamura, Shuichi P Obuchi: Test-retest reliability of the computer-based cognitive assessment tool for community-dwelling older adults in Japan: The Otassha study. Digit Health. (in press)
  3. Shuichi P. Obuchi, Motonaga Kojima, Hiroyuki Suzuki, Juan C. Garbalosa, Keigo Imamura, Kazushige Ihara, Hirohiko Hirano, Hiroyuki Sasai, Yoshinori Fujiwara, Hisashi Kawai: Artificial intelligence detection of cognitive impairment in older adults during walking. Alzheimer's & Dementia: Diagnosis, Assessment & Disease Monitoring. 16(3):e70012. 2024.
  4. Takeshi Kera, Hisashi Kawai, Manami Ejiri, Keigo Imamura, Hirohiko Hirano, Yoshinori Fujiwara, Kazushige Ihara, Shuichi Obuchi: Validating respiratory sarcopenia diagnostic criteria by mortality based on a position paper by four professional organizations: Insights from the Otassha study. Geriatr Gerontol Int. 2024; 24: 948-953.
  5. Keigo Imamura, Hisashi Kawai, Manami Ejiri, Hirohiko Hirano, Yoshinori Fujiwara, Kazushige Ihara, Shuichi Obuchi: Validity of walking speed measurements using an ankle accelerometer in older individuals. Aging Med Healthcare. (in press).
  6. Keigo Imamura, Hisashi Kawai, Manami Ejiri, Takumi Abe, Mari Yamashita, Hiroyuki Sasai, Shuichi Obuchi, Hiroyuki Suzuki, Yoshinori Fujiwara, Shuichi Awata, Kenji Toba; IRIDE Cohort Investigators: Association of the combination of social isolation and living alone with cognitive impairment in community-dwelling older adults: The IRIDE Cohort Study. Arch Gerontol Geriatr. 127:105571. 2024.
  7. Manami Ejiri, Hisashi Kawai, Keigo Imamura, Yoshinori Fujiwara, Kazushige Ihara, Hirohiko Hirano, Shuichi Obuchi: Regular exercise reduces the risk of all-cause mortality in socially isolated older adults: The Otassha Study. Front Public Health, 12:1344952. 2024.
  8. Hisashi Kawai, Keigo Imamura, Manami Ejiri, Yoshinori Fujiwara, Kazushige Ihara, Hirohiko Hirano, Hiroyuki Sasai, Shuichi Obuchi: Aging trajectories of subscales in higher-level functional capacity among community-dwelling older Japanese adults: the Otassha study. Aging Clin Exp Res. 36, 137. 2024.
  9. Keigo Imamura, Hisashi Kawai, Manami Ejiri, Hiroyuki Sasai, Hirohiko Hirano, Yoshinori Fujiwara, Kazushige Ihara, Shuichi Obuchi: Social isolation, regardless of living alone, is associated with mortality: The Otassha Study. Front Public Health. 12:1365943, 2024.
  10. Hisashi Kawai, Manami Ejiri, Keigo Imamura, Kumiko Ito, Yoshinori Fujiwara, Hirohiko Hirano, Kazushige Ihara, Shuichi Obuchi: Three-year trajectories of social networks, face-to-face interactions, and non-face-to-face interactions among community-dwelling older adults in Japan during the COVID-19 pandemic: Otassha study. Maturitas. 183:107943. 2024.
  11. Junta Takahashi,Hisashi Kawai,,Manami Ejiri, Yoshinori Fujiwara,Hirohiko Hirano,Hiroyuki Sasai,Shuichi Obuchi: Predicting the incidence of mild cognitive impairment with a computer-based cognitive assessment tool in community-dwelling older adults: The Otassha study. PLoS ONE. 19(1): e0297433. 2024.
  12. Takeshi Kera, Yosuke Osuka, Hisashi Kawai, Manami Ejiri, Kumiko Ito, Hirohiko Hirano, Yoshinori Fujiwara, Kazushige Ihara, Shuichi Obuchi, Development and Validation of Rapid Sarcopenia Screening: The Otassha Study, Geriatr Gerontol Int. 23(12), 945-950. 2023.
  13. Hisashi Kawai, Manami Ejiri, Kumiko Ito, Yoshinori Fujiwara, Kazushige Ihara, Hirohiko Hirano, Hiroyuki Sasai, Hunkyung Kim, Shuichi Obuchi：Social interaction trajectories and all-cause mortality in older adults: the Otassha study. Front Public Health. 11:1248462. 2023.
  14. Takeshi Kera, Hisashi Kawai, Manami Ejiri, Kumiko Ito, Hirohiko Hirano, Yoshinori Fujiwara, Kazushige Ihara, Shuichi Obuchi： Respiratory sarcopenia is a predictor of all-cause mortality in community-dwelling older adults--The Otassha Study. J Cachexia Sarcopenia Muscle. 14(4):1894-1899. 2023.
  15. Hisashi Kawai, Manami Ejiri, Keigo Imamura, Kumiko Ito, Yoshinori Fujiwara, Kazushige Ihara, Hirohiko Hirano, Shuichi Obuchi： Impact of combinations of subscale declines in higher-level functional capacity on 8-year all-cause mortality among community-dwelling older Japanese adults．Archives of Gerontology and Geriatrics. 114:105096. 2023.