[A case suspected of dystonia with marked cerebellar atrophy with torsion dystonia of the neck and cerebellar ataxia that developed during pharmacologic schizophrenia treatment].

A 46 year-old man with schizophrenia had taken several anti-psychotic drugs since 25 years of age. From ~35 years of age, he noticed occasional neck torsion to the left, and later an ataxic gait; both symptoms gradually worsened. On admission, the patient was taking olanzapine (5 mg/day) and biperiden hydrochloride (1 mg/day) because his schizophrenia was well controlled.

Axonal TDP-43 aggregates in sporadic amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

Aims: Axonal aggregates of phosphorylated (p-) transactive response DNA-binding protein 43 kDa (TDP-43) in sporadic amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (sALS) were examined in relation to propagation of the protein in the nervous system.

Methods: Brains and spinal cords of Japanese patients with sALS and control subjects were examined immunohistochemically using formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded specimens with special reference to the topographical distribution, microscopic features, presynaptic aggregates, and correlation between the aggregates in axons and the clinical course.

Results: (i) Aggregates of p-TDP-43 were frequently present in axons of the hypoglossal and facial nerve fibres and the spinal anterior horn cells.

A novel nonsense mutation in a Japanese family with ataxia with oculomotor apraxia type 2 (AOA2).

We report a 67-year-old Japanese woman with ataxia with oculomotor apraxia type 2 (AOA2). She was born to consanguineous parents and showed a teenage onset, a slowly progressive cerebellar ataxia and sensory-motor neuropathy and an elevated level of serum alpha-fetoprotein (AFP). All of these clinical features were consistent with typical AOA2.

Differences of drivers' reaction times according to age and mental workload.

This study was designed to examine differences in reaction times of drivers of various age groups and to assess the influence of mental workload on reaction times. Experiments were performed on a simulated street and under other conditions to identify drivers with long reaction times and drivers whose reaction times are affected strongly by mental workloads while driving on a public road. Reaction times after hearing a buzzer were measured under five conditions: (1) sitting in a stationary vehicle, (2) executing mental calculations in a stationary vehicle, (3) driving on a simulated street, (4) executing mental calculations while driving on a simulated street, and (5) driving on a public road.