The present study examined whether a culture-based virtual reality (VR) training program is feasible and tolerable for patients with amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI), and whether it could improve cognitive function in these patients. Twenty-one outpatients with aMCI were randomized to either the VR-based training group or the control group in a 1:1 ratio. The VR-based training group participated in training for 30 min/day, two days/week, for three months (24 times). The VR-based program was designed based on Korean traditional culture and used attention, processing speed, executive function and memory conditions to stimulate cognitive function. The adherence to the culture-based VR training program was 91.55% ± 6.41% in the VR group. The only adverse events observed in the VR group were dizziness (4.2%) and fatigue (8.3%). Analysis revealed that the VR-based training group exhibited no significant differences following the three-month VR program in Korean Mini-Mental State Examination (K-MMSE) scores, working memory functions such as performance on the digit span test, or in Stroop test performance and word fluency. We conclude that although the 12-week culture-based VR training program did not improve cognitive function, our findings revealed that the culture-based VR training program was feasible and tolerable for participants with aMCI.

The present study aimed to define the physical function and lipid profile for physical and cognitive frailty in community-dwelling Korean older adults. A total of 229 participants (age = 76.76 ± 3.72 years; body mass index = 24.83 ± 3.15) were classified into four groups: robust, pre-frailty, cognitive decline, and cognitive frailty. An analysis on the four groups was performed to measure their physical and cognitive function, as well as blood biomarkers. The area under (AUC) the receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) indicated that the 6-min Walk Test (6MWT), Timed Up and Go test (TUG), and Five Times Sit-to-Stand test (FTSS) had the potential to distinguish the capacity of an old adult to predict cognitive frailty. The 6MWT had a higher sensitivity and the TUG and FTSS tests had greater specificity. With cognitive frailty as a categorical variable, cognitive frailty status was a significant predictor of the TUG (odds ratio (OR) 2.897; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.283–6.541), FTSS (OR 3.337; 95% CI 1.451–7.673), and 6MWT (OR 0.204; 95% CI 0.070–0.591) tests. Our findings indicate that the 6MWT, TUG, and FTSS tests are closely related to cognitive frailty and can provide potential prognostic cutoff points.

Purpose Information and communication technology (ICT)-based training devices for older adults’ care related to dementia are being developed to enhance older adults’ cognitive functions. Older adults who require bicycle training devices can improve muscle strength and balance of lower limbs by continuously contracting and relaxing lower-limb muscles and improving cognitive function to prevent dementia. This study was conducted to investigate the effects of an ICT-based multicomponent program on body composition and cognitive function in older adults. Patients and Methods In a randomized controlled intervention test on 20 people over the age of 60 (exercise group: n = 10; control: n = 10), the multicomponent program was applied to the exercise group twice per week, once per day for 12 weeks, at 30 min per session, whereas the control group was advised to maintain their usual daily activities. Results Comparing body composition changes and cognitive function changes before and after intervention exhibited statistically significant differences in skeletal muscle mass ( P =0.01) and modified Alzheimer’s disease assessment scale–cognitive score ( P =0.01) between the two groups. Conclusion It can be difficult to be engaged in a simple repetitive exercise program. Therefore, to meet older adults’ interests and expectations, a customized ICT-based multicomponent program, which can improve body composition and cognitive function in older adults and is believed to help prevent dementia, is recommended. Trial Registration UMIN000042129 ( https://www.umin.ac.jp/english/ ).

This study was conducted to investigate the effects of dietary garlic and may flower powder on CO2 and CH4 emission by Hanwoo cows fed TMR (Total Mixed Ration) based diet. Animals were housed in a hood-type respiration chamber and the environmental temperature was maintained at 20℃. Gases were measured for 24 hours using the multi-detector instrument gas monitoring system (Mamos-300, Australia). The treatments composed of groups with no intake of garlic and may flower powder (Control), with intake of garlic at 0.5% of DM (T1), with intake of garlic at 1% of DM (T2), with intake of may flower at 0.5% of DM (T3), with intake of may flower at 1% of DM (T4), with intake of garlic and may flower at 0.5% of DM (T5) and with intake of garlic and may flower at 1% of DM (T6). The results indicated that CO2 emission in T3 was 53% lower than that of control (p<0.05), and CH4 emissions was 57% lower than control (p<0.05). Also, the hourly pattern of CO2 and CH4 emissions in T3 showed the least difference with all treatments. Gas emissions pattern peaked after 1 hour of feeding and this gap was wider in the afternoon than in the morning hours.