Conversion of the Communication Paradigm for People at the End of Their Life

Fukaya, Yasuko

doi:10.15226/2374-8362/4/2/00134

Cited by 1 publication

(1 citation statement)

References 8 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…However, daily conversation and small talk are part of a process fundamental to developing human relations by which a person confirms the social significance of their existence, experiences various emotions, sustains a life that is spiritually rich and secure, and finds satisfaction with intimacy and mutual acknowledgement in human relationships ( Coupland, 2003 ; Wood, 2004 ). Life-worldly communication should be considered necessary in the care of older adults because it improves their emotional well-being and quality of life and can potentially reduce feelings of loneliness and isolation ( Fukaya, 2017 ). In addition, it has been suggested that feeling lonely may contribute to cognitive functioning decline ( Cacioppo, 2014 ), suggesting that a lack of life-worldly communication could contribute to reduced brain activity.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Does Everyday Conversation Contribute to Cognitive Functioning? A Comparison of Brain Activity During Task-Oriented and Life-Worldly Communication Using Near-Infrared Spectroscopy

Fukaya

Kawaguchi

Kitamura

2020

Gerontology and Geriatric Medicine

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

This study aimed to explore differences in frontal lobe brain activity associated with two types of communication: task-oriented and life-worldly, the latter of which largely overlaps with everyday conversation. Using near-infrared spectroscopy, we explored differences by comparing oxygenated hemoglobin concentrations associated with periods of rest and conversation in two experimental groups comprising older and younger adults. Artifacts were removed from the signals using discrete wavelet transforms. Paired t-tests were used to compare the resulting data for the two types. The results showed that oxygenated hemoglobin levels during life-worldly communication were significantly higher than at baseline or during task-oriented communication, particularly for the older adult group. In addition, during life-worldly communication, relatively high levels of brain activity were found in the upper part of the Broca area and in the premotor cortex. These results, which suggest that life-worldly communication generates more activity in the frontal lobe, could potentially contribute to improving how caregivers communicate with older patients/residents in hospitals and nursing homes.

show abstract

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%