Open Complex Systems Approach Utilizing ICT to Address

Immune-Related Diseases in Aging Society

Tatsuya Kawaoka

1,2,3 a

, Ryota Sakayama

, Kousaku Ohta

and Masatoshi Funabashi

1,2,3 d

Sony Computer Science Laboratories, Inc. Takanawa Muse Building 3F,

Higashigotanda 3-14-13, Shinagawa-Ku, Tokyo, Japan

Kyoto University Research Division on Social Common Capital and the Future,

Yoshidashimoadachicho 46 Inamori Center2F 228, Kyoto Sakyo-ku, Kyoto, Japan

Synecoculture Association, Oiso 55, Oiso-Cho, Naka-gun, Kanagawa, Japan

Keywords: Ecosystem Functions, Dementia, Health Tech, Immune-Related Diseases.

Abstract: Immune-related diseases, such as allergies, asthma, and dementia, are rising globally, driven by aging

populations and declining ecosystem functions. Traditional elementary reductionist approaches struggle to

address the complex pathologies underlying these diseases. This study explores a personalized, ecosystem-

based approach to mitigating immune dysregulation using a supportive ICT platform. We developed a data-

driven analytical system that identifies individual metabolic challenges through the measurement of multiple

biomarkers and clinical interviews, categorizing them into metabolic traits such as inflammatory, stress-

related, and glucotoxic factors. Based on these assessments, professional staff provided tailored lifestyle

advice and rehabilitation interventions, including light exercises in high biodiversity environments. The

results showed significant improvements in cognitive and immune functions: Participants exhibited a 3.5-

point average increase in MoCA scores over three months, including functional recovery from Parkinson’s

disease and CVA. Furthermore, the study identified phytochemical-rich foods, such as coarse green tea, as

significant factors enhancing rehabilitation outcomes. These findings emphasize the importance of synergy

between ecological environments and public health initiatives, aligning with the Planetary Health framework.

By integrating multivariate analysis, personalized interventions, and ecosystem considerations through an

integrative ICT platform, this approach offers a scalable solution to addressing immune-related diseases and

reducing social security costs, with implications for global healthcare and environmental policies.

1 INTRODUCTION

1.1 Increase in Immune-Related

Diseases and Decline in Ecosystem

Function

With international aging populations, the increase in

various immune-related diseases has become serious

issues in many countries, such as allergies,

rheumatoid arthritis, asthma, and neurodegenerative

diseases including dementia and Parkinson's disease

(Furman et al., 2019; Hou et al., 2019; Kim and Lee,

2023). These diseases are difficult to address using

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traditional elementary reductionist methodologies

(Funabashi, 2018; Ahn et al., 2006; Beresford, 2010;

Rocca and Anjum, 2020): It is historically known that

elementary reductionist approaches have saved many

lives particularly in the case of infectious diseases and

trauma, which are caused by external factors. On the

other hand, the pathology of endogenous diseases

results from complex interactions and complications

in the body’s internal mechanisms. The general cause

is the breakdowns in immune systems, making it

challenging to resolve them using elementary

reductionist approaches.

302

Kawaoka, T., Sakayama, R., Ohta, K. and Funabashi, M.

Open Complex Systems Approach Utilizing ICT to Address Immune-Related Diseases in Aging Society.

DOI: 10.5220/0013359900003938

Paper published under CC license (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0)

In Proceedings of the 11th International Conference on Information and Communication Technologies for Ageing Well and e-Health (ICT4AWE 2025), pages 302-311

ISBN: 978-989-758-743-6; ISSN: 2184-4984

Furthermore, the large-scale intensification of

food production has led to a decrease in the diversity

of soil microorganisms in the environment (Gupta et

al., 2022; Xue et al., 2022), which, in turn, affects the

nutrients in the plants grown (Suman et al., 2022) and

impacts the health status of animals, including

livestock (Attwood et al., 2019). These changes

negatively affect the immune system regulation of

humans who consume these foods. Besides,

numerous studies on gut microbiome have

highlighted that its diversity plays a critical role in

immune regulation (Zheng et al., 2020). The

reduction in the diversity of gut microbiota, referred

to as dysbiosis, has been reported as a common

phenomenon in various neurological disorders,

including dementia, Parkinson's disease, autism, and

depression (Dutta et al., 2019; Ashique et al., 2024)

A decline in ecosystem functions in the environment

leads to a reduction in microbial diversity, which

reduces the diversity of gut microbiota in the people

living in that environment. The decreased diversity of

gut microbiota weakens the immune system

regulation, ultimately contributing to long-term

disorders (Fig. 1). Since soil and gut microbiome are

connected through food intake, it is important to

consider the changes in ecological environments

behind the recent rise of neurological diseases.

In recent years, in many countries, economic

development has led to a decline in ecosystem

functions, resulting in an increase in immune-related

diseases (Acheampong and Opoku, 2023; Agache et

al., 2024). With social changes and population aging,

this trend is leading to challenges in the sustainability

of social welfare systems and economic strain. To

address these social-ecological issues and build a

sustainable civilization, it is necessary to create

human activities that do not lead to the breakdown of

immune systems.

Cohort studies have shown that the incidence of

immune-related diseases is lower in areas surrounded

by greenery, underscoring the importance of urban

and green space planning (Mueller et al., 2022; Rojas-

Rueda, 2019). The functionality of ecosystems within

people’s living environments is closely connected to

healthcare, welfare, and social security costs.

Designing living environments that consider factors

like microbial diversity and nutrient content in food,

as well as planning human activities, is crucial for

long-term public health risk management.

Figure 1: Ecosystem function and immune-system

robustness.

1.2 The Increase in Dementia Patients

and the Sustainability of Social

Welfare Systems in Japan

Japan is one of the world’s most rapidly aging

nations, with nearly 30% of its population aged 65

and older. The sharp rise in dementia patients has

become a pressing social issue, with approximately

20% of the elderly population estimated to be affected

by dementia (Cabinet Office of Japan, 2017) . Social

security costs have escalated, increasing nearly

fourfold over the past two decades. A severe issue

associated with dementia is the freezing of assets,

with an estimated ¥215 trillion JPY (around $1.4

trillion USD) in assets held by dementia patients in

2020 (Kinoshita et al., 2024). These assets are

estimated to increase by ¥6 trillion JPY (around $40

billion USD) annually, and the risk of these assets

becoming inaccessible is high—equivalent to Japan’s

GDP growth. Dementia alone may thus result in

economic losses comparable to Japan's GDP growth.

Historically, Japan’s prioritization of market

efficiency has often come at the expense of

biodiversity and ecosystem functions. Consequently,

factors such as a decrease in gut microbiota diversity

and reduced nutritional content in food may have led

to immune dysregulation, contributing to an increase

in immune-related diseases, including dementia. The

economic impact of asset freezing due to dementia is

becoming a growing threat to the economy. From a

macroscopic perspective, a conflict between short-

term profit pursuit and long-term gains of total well-

being has emerged.

Globally, the rising prevalence of immune-

related diseases such as allergies and asthma in

children, suggests widespread immune dysregulation

across generations (D’Auria et al., 2023). Combined

with an increasing elderly population, this trend has

Open Complex Systems Approach Utilizing ICT to Address Immune-Related Diseases in Aging Society

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created a substantial social burden—chronic diseases

associated with aging have now become a global

issue. According to WHO estimates, there are

currently 50 million dementia patients worldwide

(WHO, 2023), and this number is projected to grow.

The economic losses attributed to dementia amount to

$1.3 trillion (WHO, 2023). Japan’s crisis with rising

dementia cases and its strained social welfare system

may serve as a warning for other countries facing a

similar future.

This study aims to establish a scientific

framework using ICT and multivariate analysis to

synergistically enhance human immune system

regulation and ecosystem functions, and clarify its

underlying relationship through iterative amelioration

of the system.

2 PERSONALIZED AND

COMPREHENSIVE APPROACH

TO IMMUNE-RELATED

DISEASES

For immune-related diseases with complex

pathologies such as dementia, multifaceted

approaches focused on lifestyle factors—principally

diet, exercise, and stress management—have shown

effectiveness in previous studies (Galvan and

Bredesen, 2007). A study on integrated care involving

100 participants reported cognitive improvements in

70% of those with mild cognitive impairment and

30% of patients diagnosed with Alzheimer’s-type

dementia (Bredesen et al., 2018). The research team

further recommended supplementing nutrients

involved in immune regulation, such as

methylcobalamin, melatonin, vitamin B group, and

other phytochemicals.

Other studies revealed that many of the

recommended nutrients are linked to the sane

functioning of ecosystems (Tilman and Clark, 2014).

Exposure to natural environments such as park visits

and formal outdoor activities are expected to reduce

risks of chronic diseases, known as nature

prescription (Kondo et al., 2020). Furthermore, we

reported improvements in immune markers and

cognitive function through a rehabilitation approach

that combines exposure to high biodiversity

environments with the consumption of products

derived from these ecosystems (Funabashi, 2022).

Such an ecosystem-based approach can be considered

in line with the current initiative of Planetary Health,

where human and ecological health are mutually

sustaining and enhancing each other (Funabashi,

2024a). While it provides promising scientific

background to simultaneously address environmental

restoration and immune system normalization,

several barriers remain to be addressed for

widespread social implementation.

One significant barrier is the shortage of

personnel who are able to provide specialized advice

on non-communicable diseases with comprehensive

views on metabolism and lifestyle factors (Fig. 2).

Each faucet in Fig. 2 represents lifestyle risk factors

that influence immune system regulation, such as

insufficient exercise, psychological stress, exposure

to harmful substances, imbalance in dietary habits,

and loss of gut/skin/oral microbiota. Improper

lifestyle choices open these faucets, causing a rise in

water levels that represents the accumulation of

chronic inflammation. Chronic inflammation is

counteracted by homeostatic maintenance functions,

such as antioxidant activities and autophagy at the

cellular level, depicted as water being drained from

the bottom, which generally slows down as aging

proceeds. As long as the drainage (homeostatic

maintenance) exceeds the rate of water accumulation

(chronic inflammation), the onset of disease can be

prevented. However, health-degrading factors such as

aging and improper lifestyle lead to the accumulation

of chronic inflammation, ultimately resulting in the

development of immune-related diseases. The onset

process is analogically depicted as the water

drowning the gut and brain functions: The

accumulation of chronic inflammation initially

causes dysregulation of the immune system in the gut,

and by further impairing the function of the blood-

brain barrier, leads to immune system dysregulation

in the brain. The overall dysregulation can result in

neuronal cell death and the onset of various

neurodegenerative diseases. Based on the “hidden

reef model” in ref (Funabashi, 2018). Additionally,

individuals with the same disease may experience

metabolic disruptions differently according to their

genetic profiles and lifestyles, underscoring the need

for personalized approaches.

To overcome these challenges, it is essential to

establish a comprehensive assessment and

management system that identifies lifestyle-related

issues unique to each individual and provides

guidance to encourage behavioural change.

Leveraging such complex interactive processes with

ICT through multivariate analysis and artificial

intelligence could extend the capabilities of

professionals in caregiving and welfare settings,

facilitating the personalized identification of lifestyle

issues and tailored advice for intervention.

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For this purpose, we developed a system to

estimate the metabolic profiles of the patients through

multivariate analysis of biomarkers and clinical

interviewing. The biomarkers obtained included

approximately 60 types, such as Copper, Zinc,

Sodium, Potassium, Calcium, CRP, etc., and clinical

interviews included surveys on dietary and sleep

habits. This system enables professional staff in

caregiving settings to make specific lifestyle

recommendations based on assessments of these

biomarkers and related clinical records, as well as the

integration of connectivity with ecological

environments. A database of historical information is

built by recording text-based descriptions of

biomarker patterns, observed changes, and behavioral

changes. This accumulation of records allows us to

trace not only individual patients’ history, but also

guide interventions for other individuals with similar

metabolic patterns. Through iterative recording and

interactive evaluation, effective approaches can be

documented and extracted according to the specificity

of metabolic characteristics.

Figure 2: Immune-related diseases depicted as faucet

model.

3 METHODS

3.1 Data Analysis of Biomarkers

The values of 60 biomarkers were obtained from an

ISO15189-certified analysis institution. The data

were processed through multivariate analysis using a

database and algorithm constructed based on

literature and knowledge from experts in the medical

and life sciences fields:

Each biomarker was analysed and categorized

into five groups—inflammatory, stress-related,

glucotoxic, toxic, and atrophic—based on metabolic

characteristics. A comprehensive score for each

metabolic trait was calculated according to the values

of the corresponding biomarkers, and amelioration

tasks were identified for each group. For example,

recommendations for glucotoxicity include reducing

the intake of simple sugars, such as those found in

sweets, and increasing the intake of vitamin B1,

which is involved in carbohydrate metabolism. By

obtaining these analytical results and

recommendations, care staff can provide personalized

lifestyle guidance to individuals (see section 3.2). The

advice also considered the effects of the natural

environments, including the soil-gut microbiome

connection and ecological origins of nutrients (see

section 2). By accumulating databases about the

correspondence between the metabolic conditions,

the types of advice they receive, how their behaviour

changes, and how their metabolic status evolves, we

refine the database and evaluate the effectiveness of

the advice for each subtype of challenge, leading to

more sophisticated and tailored recommendations.

The system integrates multivariate analysis of

objective biomarker data, including vitamins,

minerals, and hormones, with subjective lifestyle data

such as dietary habits, physical activity, and sleep

quality (Fig. 3). Based on these analyses, we generate

personalized lifestyle improvement plans. Care staff

record details of lifestyle habits and physical activity

as text data, which are then accumulated in the

system. Based on the iterative analysis, care staff

provide and revise personalized lifestyle advice.

Changes in patients' health statuses were

continuously recorded by care staff. The clinical and

patient-reported outcomes were used to improve the

model. The system incorporates multiple analytical

models and is designed to be expandable, allowing for

the addition of analytical modules as it evolves.

Accumulation of real-world data is expected to

enhance the accuracy of the system as a whole.

3.2 Personalized Advice by Care Staff

Professional care staff (including physical therapists

and exercise therapists) identified individual

metabolic challenges (see section 3.1) and provided

personalized support regarding lifestyle habits such

as diet and sleep. Additionally, comprehensive care

was provided, including aerobic exercise,

rehabilitation in high biodiversity environments (see

section 3.3), and psychological stress relief through

mutual advice among participants, all aimed at

removing factors contributing to chronic

inflammation. The frequency of care was generally at

least once a week.

For example, lifestyle suggestions for

inflammatory conditions include adopting gluten-

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free, glucose-free, and casein-free diets, consuming

foods with antioxidant properties, and establishing

regular exercise habits, including rehabilitation

activities in high biodiversity environments. Instead

of simply delivering scientifically correct

information, a more personalized and interactive

approach was taken by conducting interviews to

understand each individual’s personality and

lifestyle. The guidance was then tailored to align with

their preferences, gradually fostering changes in

awareness and behaviour in a way that resonated with

the patient’s understanding.

Figure 3: System overview.

3.3 Creation of High Biodiversity

Environment

Based on the Planetary Health perspective (see

section 2) and the concept of augmented ecosystems

(Funabashi, 2018; Funabashi, 2024), we created a

high biodiversity environment utilizing a 100m²

abandoned farmland area. To enhance the

ecosystem's self-organized development and avoid

potential risk factors for health, only seeds and

seedlings of edible plants were introduced in the field,

without the use of fertilizers, pesticides, and

continuous tilling. Before the introduction of edible

plants, the area had around 10 species of naturally

occurring vegetation, and after the seasonal

introduction of edible plants throughout the year, the

diversity resulted in approximately 100 plant species.

Rehabilitation activities were conducted for

about one hour on the farm. These included walking

training and strength exercises, such as squats.

Participants engaged in seasonal activities like

sowing seeds and harvesting vegetables, as well as

eating the farm's products.

4 RESULTS

4.1 Change in Biomarkers and

Cognitive Function

This system has demonstrated an average

improvement of 3.5 points on the MoCA, a cognitive

function test scored out of 30 points, for seven

patients in 3 months (Fig. 4, Funabashi, 2022).

The participants consisted of seven male and

female elderly patients aged 65 and older, all with

baseline MoCA scores of 25 or below. Fig. 4 A:

Changes in homocysteine levels, an immune

biomarker, comparing baseline values to those after

three months. p-value=0.000491, n=7 (Student’s t-

test). Fig. 4 B: Changes in MoCA scores, a measure

of cognitive function, comparing baseline values to

those after three months. p-value=0.02734, n=7

(Student’s t-test). Statistical significance: p < 0.05

(*), p < 0.01 (**).

Previous studies report that cognitive functions in

early-stage Alzheimer’s patients decline by

approximately 3 points over 18 months without

intervention. In contrast, conventional

pharmacological approaches in the United States

delay this decline by about 0.81 points, equivalent to

27% of the decline, at a cost of approximately $27

thousand USD per patient annually in the U.S., and

the same prescription costs ¥3 million JPY ($20

thousand USD) in Japan. The annual progression

delay effect of existing drugs is approximately 0.54

MoCA points. Thus, the 3.5-point improvement

achieved by our system is roughly 6.5 times the

progression delay effect of pharmacological

approaches, equivalent to 6.5 years of progression

delay. When compared to drug treatment, this

improvement suggests an estimated contribution to

social security systems of $130-150 thousand USD

(in Japan and the U.S., respectively) per individual.

Additionally, applying the same scheme in our

practice has demonstrated improvements in the

UPDRS (Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale)

scores of two patients with Parkinson's disease. In the

cases of CVA (cerebrovascular accident) post-

rehabilitation, improvements in blood pressure and

walking speed still occurred in patients who passed

more than two years after the onset.

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Figure 4: Changes in immune markers and cognitive

function scores.

4.2 Extraction of Significant Associated

Parameters

The system is capable of detecting parameters that are

associated with the amelioration of rehabilitation

performance. It includes not only the types of

intervention and training in the rehabilitation

program, but also correlated profiles of trainers and

environmental factors such as geographical location

and food intake. One of the significant associated

factors we discovered is the intake of different kinds

of drinks during the rehabilitation program, which

comprised different antioxidant profiles.

Fig. 5 shows the statistically significant difference

in the functional independence measures (FIM) and

Philadelphia Geriatric Center Morale Scale

(PGCMS) scores of 117 elderly patients with an

average ± standard deviation of 77.7 ± 8.5 years old,

during 4 months of rehabilitation among three groups

who A: drank coarse green tea (bancha) with rich

phytochemical content, B: coarse green tea with less

variety and concentration of phytochemicals than A,

and C: hot water, which was commonly used to

extract tea in A and B.

The red solid line represents group A

(phytochemical-rich bancha), the green solid line

represents group B (conventional bancha), and the

blue solid line represents group C (hot water). The

dashed gray line indicates the statistical significance

threshold of 5%, while the dotted gray line denotes

the statistical significance threshold of 1%. The red,

green, and blue dashed lines in the top right PGCMS

panel correspond to the mean p-values of changes

during the four-month rehabilitation period (1–4

months) compared to the initial condition (0 months)

for groups A, B, and C, respectively. A complete set

of FIM plots, including subcategories with significant

improvements, is provided in Supplementary

Material 3 (SM, 2024).

None of them suffered from acute illness, but they

fell under the maintenance phase of returning to daily

life after chronic illnesses such as dementia and

Parkinson’s disease, attacks of cerebral infarction or

haemorrhage, and surgery such as excision of cancer

and replacement with artificial joints. The four-month

rehabilitation programs included training to improve

physical fitness, such as muscle strength and aerobic

exercise using light-load training machines (10 times

for each exercise of trunk curl, back curl, chest press,

shoulder press, leg adduction, leg press, and 5-20 min

walking on a treadmill), and functional training to

improve activities of daily living. See Supplementary

Materials 1-3 (SM, 2024) for the details of the

measurement, the p-values of changes for all items,

and ref. (Ohta et al., 2022) for the phytochemical

profiles of tea in groups A (Synecoculture tea grown

under high ecological interactions and rich in

secondary metabolites) and B (conventional tea

grown under low ecological interactions and rich in

primary metabolites).

The results show that the associative parameter

concerning the intake of drinks is correlated with the

significant difference in performance: After four

months of rehabilitation, only group A showed the

improvement of total FIM at a significance level of

0.01 (p-value = 0.0088), as well as for the domain of

motor functions (p-value=0.0021). The domain of

cognitive functions did not reach the significance level

of 0.05 (p-value=0.0515), but showed an exclusive

increase in group A compared to the decreases in

groups B and C. The group B and C did not show a

significant change in the two domains. No other

parameters could separate the rehabilitation effect

more significantly than the drink groups A, B, and C.

In the six classifications of FIM, group A

improved at a significance level of 0.05 for selfcare

(p-value=0.0248), 0.01 for transfer (p-value=0.007),

locomotion (p-value=0.002), and communication (p-

value=0.0058). Among these, only transfer showed

the improvement at a significance level of 0.01 in

group B (p-value=0.0071) and 0.01 in group C (p-

value=0.0267), but other combinations of

classifications and groups did not show any

significant change.

In the 18 items of FIM, group A improved at a

significance level of 0.05 for bed/chair transfer (p-

value=0.0277), walk (p-value=0.0236), expression (p-

value=0.012), 0.01 for dressing upper body (p-

value=0.0091), dressing lower body (p-

value=0.0095), tub/shower transfer (p-value=0.0017),

stairs (p-value=0.008). Among these, only tub/shower

transfer showed an improvement at a significance

level of 0.05 in group B (p-value=0.0215), and 0.01 in

group C (p-value=0.0015), but other combinations of

classifications and groups did not show any significant

change.

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The PGCMS showed maximum significant

improvement after the third month at a level of 0.05

for groups A (p-value=0.036) and B (p-value=0.024).

After the fourth month, group A showed the smallest

p-value (p-value=0.05007). As the mean p-values of

four-month rehabilitation, only group A showed a

significant result (p-value=0.040). All p-values in this

section are based on a two-sided paired t-test.

These results show an example of the detection of

significant parameters correlated with the changes in

rehabilitation performance that were not initially

considered as clinical interventions.

Figure 5: Dynamics of changes in major FIM categories and

PGCMS during the rehabilitation of the elderly with bancha

drinks. α : total FIM. β: PGCMS. γ: motor functions

domain of FIM. δ: cognitive functions domain of FIM. X-

axis: Time after the start of rehabilitation with bancha

drinks. Y-axis: p-value of changes compared to the initial

condition (0 months) in a logarithmic scale, with positive

and negative signs that represent the improvement and

alleviation of FIM scores, respectively.

5 CONCLUSIONS

In this study, a multivariate analysis system was

developed to identify metabolic challenges through

lifestyle and biomarker data. The system was also

applied to evaluate the combination of rehabilitation

programs and intake of products connected with

augmented ecosystem environments, under the

scientific rationale of Planetary Health. Based on a

systematic approach that considers immune

dysregulation, ecosystem interactions (Fig. 1), and

the complexity of non-communicable disease

pathologies (Fig. 2), rehabilitation programs

supported with our system showed substantial

improvement in immune regulation and cognitive

functions (Fig. 4). Based on the Japanese example,

the estimated reduction in social security costs is

$130,000–$173,550 USD per person.

The study also discovered significant factors

associated with the rehabilitation program, such as

the effects of tea rich in phytochemicals, grown in

high biodiversity environments, on physical and

cognitive functions: Significant improvements in

motor function indicators and cognitive performance

were detected in elderly participants (Fig. 5). These

findings highlight the importance of inclusive and

extensive analysis in the discovery of effective factors

for systemic problem-solving, as well as multiple

leveraging points that ICT could contribute to

collectively harnessing the complexity of immune-

related diseases.

The utilization of computational technologies in

the healthcare domain has traditionally relied on

elementary reductionist approaches. For example,

high-throughput sequencing has enabled

unprecedented speeds in pathogen analysis. This

advancement has made it possible to e.g., rapidly

decode viral genomes and develop a vaccination

(Soon et al., 2013; Pérez-Losada et al., 2020). More

comprehensive data analytics have contributed to

revealing the various risk factors associated with

long-term health, such as chronic disease prevention

(Ng et al., 2020). Such elementary reductionist

approaches have proven especially effective in

addressing infectious diseases caused by single

external factors, as well as detecting historically

associated variables for health outcomes at the cohort

level. However, it remained challenging to

individually assess and treat non-communicable

diseases in real time, influenced by multiple

interacting factors, such as immune-related or

metabolic disorders. To tackle these complex issues,

the methodology of Open Systems Science has been

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proposed (Tokoro, 2017). This approach involves the

following steps:

1. Hypothetically define a system where the

problem is presumed to exist.

2. Model the problem within the defined system.

3. Investigate whether the model's behaviour over

time remains consistent and aligns with the

actual behaviour of the system.

4. If inconsistencies are identified, revise the

model, redefine the system if necessary, and

remodel the problem.

5. Repeat the process until satisfactory results are

achieved.

The design of the present system (Fig. 3)

incorporates the principles of Open Systems Science.

It introduces a management-oriented perspective for

practically solving complex problems, in contrast to

the conventional science that primarily focuses on

rigorous analysis and reconstruction of the

phenomena. The pragmatic characteristic of Open

Systems Science is particularly useful for the rapid

proposal of integrative solutions to escalating social

problems in real-world settings based on

multidisciplinary frameworks, such as the ecological

foundation of health (Funabashi, 2018). By

continuously refining the model with novel data, the

system is designed to balance both speed and

effectiveness. The application of ICT and interactive

system design based on Open Systems Science can be

considered a novel structural methodology for

addressing pervasive health issues, especially non-

communicative chronic diseases.

In this study, we demonstrated that an integrated

approach on lifestyle and rehabilitation improved

both cognitive function and immune system

regulation in dementia patients. The approach

includes the utilization of ecosystem functions and

the personalized advice on lifestyle habits. The

outcome implies that this method can generate

significant social impact at a much lower cost

compared to conventional drug-based approaches.

Additionally, we introduced findings that consuming

tea grown in high biodiversity environments during

rehabilitation contribute to the performance. Since the

number of cases in this study is limited, it is necessary

to further accumulate data through promoting social

implementation in order to investigate its

reproducibility. Due to the complexity and

multifaceted nature of this approach, a societal

framework must be built that could efficiently share

knowledge on lifestyle guidance, how to create high

biodiversity environment, and the access to

nutritionally balanced food in an integrative manner.

Further development and validation could be

achieved by accumulating case studies in wider

contexts and refining the modules for data analysis,

leading to more precise and effective applications of

the established framework.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Masaru Iwadate, Hiroki Arayama, Sho Otaki, Yu

Yoshida, Kensuke Ujihara, Takumi Sato, and

Hidehiko Shoji cooperated in data collection. The

integrated care was provided by iMedit™ from

iMARe, Inc. The creation of high biodiversity

environments was achieved through Synecoculture™,

a method that augments biodiversity and ecosystem

functions beyond the natural state.

iMARe, Inc. supported this study. “iMedit” is a

trademark of iMARe, inc. “Synecoculture” is a

trademark of Sony Group Corporation.

CONFLICTS OF INTEREST

Masatoshi Funabashi is the CEO of SynecO, Inc., a

company involved in ecological augmentation.

However, this did not influence the scientific analysis

presented in this paper.

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