平野 明美

My original research area is geriatric medicine. We comprehensively apply findings obtained from geriatric research to nursing science. Our laboratory has been conducting studies in the diagnosis and treatment of cognitive disorders, establishment of medical care systems for cognitive disorders in the community, and behavioural as well of psychological symptoms of these disorders. In addition, we carry out cognitive function tests and neuropsychological examinations for the differential diagnosis of cognitive disorders in an outpatient setting and examine their usefulness as early-stage screening tools. However, during the course of these studies, I came to realise the importance of issues surrounding the care burden of caregivers looking after patients with cognitive disorders. In other countries, studies have reported on the susceptibility of caregivers to cardiovascular disorders like hypertension. Caregivers have also been shown to experience a heavy burden not only psychologically but also physically.
Therefore, we thought that by first clarifying the relationship between the sense of care burden and deterioration of health conditions in caregivers, we could carry out an interventional study that aims to bring about positive psychological and physical effects.