Page 69 - JCBP-3-4

Journal of Clinical and

Basic Psychosomatics

ORIGINAL RESEARCH ARTICLE
Improved spontaneous outings of elderly

residents during seasonal light-emitting diode
pixel mapping entertainment in a nursing home

courtyard

Shinichi Sakamoto 1 , Masanori Hariyama 2 , and Mamiko Koshiba 1,2,3,4 *
1 Department of System Design, Graduate School of Sciences and Technology for Innovation,
Yamaguchi University, Ube, Yamaguchi, Japan
2 Department of Medical Neonatology, Paediatrics, Saitama Medical University, Moroyama, Saitama,
Japan
3 Department of Computer and Mathematical Sciences, Graduate School of Information Sciences,
Tohoku University, Sendai, Miyagi, Japan
4 Department of Health Sciences of Mind and Body, Health Sciences of Mind and Body, University of
Human Arts and Sciences, Saitama, Japan

Abstract

As we age, the various biological mechanisms that govern our physical and mental
functions decline, leading to the deterioration in our sensory, motor, cognitive, and
other functions. Before we realize it, the combined effects of these changes may
*Corresponding author: diminish our motivation to live well. In today’s increasingly diverse and complex
Mamiko Koshiba society, it is important to support senior citizens in maintaining their prosocial
(mamiko_koshiba@human.ac.jp)
motivation and to help them sustain this throughout their lives. To address this, the
Citation: Sakamoto S, Hariyama M, present study explored the effectiveness of light-emitting diode (LED) entertainment
Koshiba M. Improved spontaneous
outings of elderly residents during as a tool to promote physical activity and mental well-being among nursing home
seasonal light-emitting diode pixel residents. In December 2023, LED pixel mapping entertainment using digitally
mapping entertainment in a nursing controlled illumination was held in the courtyard of a Japanese nursing home for
home courtyard. J Clin Basic elderly residents. The results showed that approximately 97% of the facility’s residents
Psychosom. 2025;3(4):63-75.
doi: 10.36922/jcbp.5740 reported improvement in mood as a result of the show. In addition, most residents
typically spent most of their time in their rooms, except when gathering in the dining
Received: October 31, 2024
room for meals or in-house events. However, during the light show, many residents
Revised: January 9, 2025 were observed visiting the location where the illuminations were set up or moving
Accepted: January 20, 2025 to the windows to watch the show, with other spontaneous outings also occurring.
Published online: May 6, 2025
Copyright: © 2025 Author(s). Keywords: Geriatric psychology; Illumination therapy; Outdoor nature; Mental health;
This is an Open-Access article Stress; Dementia; Withdrawal; Depression
distributed under the terms of the
Creative Commons Attribution
License, permitting distribution,
and reproduction in any medium,
provided the original work is 1. Introduction
properly cited.
In Japan, where the population is aging faster than anywhere else in the world,
Publisher’s Note: AccScience
1
Publishing remains neutral with according to the World Health Organization, one of the major problems facing
regard to jurisdictional claims in the senior population is social withdrawal. The number of elderly individuals
published maps and institutional
2
affiliations. who withdraw from society has been rising. It is conceivable that as social
Volume 3 Issue 4 (2025) 63 doi: 10.36922/jcbp.5740