Subjective well-being (SWB) has been shown to correlate with longevity and healthy state. Several studies suggested that factors influencing SWB were at least physical activity, cognitive function, and social resource.
The fact that SWB, which is an emotional issue, is influenced by physical activity and cognitive activity, and vice versa SWB affects physical activity and cognitive activity, suggests that the locomotor system and cognitive function are closely related to mental health. However, the molecular basis of these interactions has not been clarified. We hypothesized that some molecules responsible for these interactions circulate the brain and the locomotor system. This clinical study aimed to find molecules responsible for controlling SWB from the blood circulation.
Subjects were healthy elderly people over 65 years old who have no functional troubles in daily life. Evaluation items were SWB, lifestyle, cognitive function (CF), motor function (MF) and daily activity (DA). To elucidate features of elder people with high SWB, subjects were divided by their SWB scores into 4 groups. High SWB was associated with high CF, MF and DA. Comprehensive analysis of responsible molecules in plasma for controlling high SWB are under investigation.
There has been no molecular explanation of why physical activity, cognitive activity, and social activity affect SWB. The present study has the potential to answer the question and to provide a new perspective for health and longevity research with significant impact for medical, psychological, and social sciences.