Life-span-development research on the neural base of relaxation effects by a physical exercise

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The stress in the modern society is one of the major causes of various diseases. In this study, in order to evaluate stress objectively, we have developed a new system, which employs near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS), psychological tests and the techniques of evaluating the autonomic nervous system and endocrine system function. Furthermore, using this system, we evaluated the relaxation effect of the physical exercise in middle and old aged people, and revealed that even mild exercise had a relaxation effect. In addition, such mild exercise improved working memory performance associated with an increase of the prefrontal cortex activity to working memory tasks. We suggest that combination of the present stress monitoring system and physical exercise may prevent various stress-induced diseases.