Impact of individual factors and personality trait on psychological problems of family members living with staff of a COVID-19 frontline hospital: A cross-sectional self-administered anonymous questionnaire survey.

Aim: This study aims to evaluate the association between individual factors/personality traits and depression and anxiety in family members living with staff working on the frontline of COVID-19 care.

Methods: The subjects were family members over the age of 15 years living with staff members of a COVID-19 frontline hospital. Between March 27 and April 11, 2021, 204 self-administered anonymous questionnaires were distributed, and 149 responses were received.

An exploratory, open-label, randomized, multicenter trial of hachimijiogan for mild Alzheimer's disease.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegeneration and is the most prevalent form of dementia. Intervention at an early stage is imperative. Although three acetylcholinesterase inhibitors (AChEIs) are currently approved for the treatment of mild AD, they are not sufficiently effective.

Risk Factors for Therapeutic Intervention of Remdesivir in Mild to Moderate COVID-19-A Single-Center Retrospective Study of the COVID-19 Fourth Pandemic Period in Wakayama, Japan.

The incidence of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has increased in Wakayama, Japan, due to the spread of the highly infectious B.1.1.

Association between oxidative stress and microRNA expression pattern of ALS patients in the high-incidence area of the Kii Peninsula.

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a progressive degenerative disorder of the upper and lower motor neuron systems. The high incidence of ALS in the southern part of the Kii Peninsula of Japan (K-ALS) was reported in the 1960s, but it has gradually decreased to the worldwide average. Although causes of the high incidence of ALS in this area are unknown, our previous studies suggested that environmental factors, including essential mineral deficiency and increased metal-induced oxidative stress, play a role in its development.

Increased large-scale inter-network connectivity in relation to impulsivity in Parkinson's disease.

Impulsivity is a neuropsychiatric feature of Parkinson's disease (PD). We investigated the pathophysiology of impulsivity in PD using resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI). We investigated 45 patients with idiopathic PD and 21 healthy controls.

Superficial siderosis associated with duplicated dura mater detected by CISS reverse MRI.

Superficial siderosis (SS) of the central nervous system is a rare disease caused by chronic or repeated hemorrhages in the subarachnoid space. Closure of dural defects is an effective therapy for SS. Conventional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), however, cannot sufficiently detect dural tears.

[Neuromyelitis optica following thymectomy with severe spinal cord atrophy after frequent relapses for 30 years].

A 60-year-old woman had frequent relapses of neuromyelitis optica (NMO) for 30 years despite receiving steroid and azathioprine therapy. She developed MGFA Class IIIb type of myasthenia gravis (MG) at the age of 23, and thymectomy resulted in complete remission of MG. The initial symptoms of NMO, including headache, high fever, retrobulbar optic neuritis, and neurogenic bladder, appeared at the age of 30.

Transcranial sonography of the substantia nigra and MIBG myocardial scintigraphy: complementary role in the diagnosis of Parkinson's disease.

Both transcranial sonography (TCS) of the substantia nigra (SN) and metaiodobenzylguanidine (MIBG) myocardial scintigraphy have been determined to be useful for the diagnosis of Parkinson's disease (PD). In the present study, we performed both tests in 65 consecutive Japanese patients with idiopathic PD. In 30 PD patients (46.

[How Parkinson's disease patients recognize Parkinson's disease therapeutic guideline?].

The "Parkinson's disease (PD) therapeutic guideline 2002 (PGL)" was published by Societas Neurologica Japonica in Japan. The guideline, which is based on evidence-based medicine (EBM), is a good reference for making medical decisions. Although physicians recognize the usefulness of the guideline, it is unclear whether PD patients know of the its existence.

Nuclear localization of glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase is not involved in the initiation of apoptosis induced by 1-Methyl-4-phenyl-pyridium iodide (MPP+).

Nuclear localization of glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH) is implicated in the process of apoptosis. To study the function of GAPDH, we expressed GAPDH C-terminally fused with or without nuclear localization signal (NLS) in SH-SY5Y and NB41A3 cells using a retrovirus expression system. GAPDH carrying NLS (GAPDH-NLS) was expressed mainly in the nucleus.

Changes in the incidence of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis in Wakayama, Japan.

In the 1960s, the incidence of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) in the Kozagawa and Koza areas in Wakayama prefecture was much higher than that in other areas of the world. However, between 1980 and 1993, a gradual decrease in the incidence of the disease in these areas was reported. To ascertain whether the decreased incidence has persisted, we conducted a retrospective epidemiological study, and determined the average annual incidence of ALS in Wakayama prefecture from 1998 to 2002.

[MELAS-like episodes in an adult case with cytochrome c oxidase deficiency].

A 30-year-old man was hospitalized with dysarthria and weakness of his right arm and leg. Three months previously, he had noticed numbness and weakness of his right shoulder, which spread to involve his left leg but which improved after 8 months. On admission, neurological examination revealed limb kinetic apraxia and constructive apraxia of the right hand, motor aphasia, dysarthria, and spastic quadriplegia.

[A patient with multiple system atrophy presenting prolonged levodopa-responsive parkinsonism and off-dystonia of the trunk].

A 46-year-old man had a 7-year history of dopa-responsive parkinsonism. Four years after starting levodopa, he had typical motor complications such as wearing-off and peak dose as well as off-period dystonia of his trunk. Brain MRI showed marked atrophy of the brainstem and cerebellum, and the cross sign was present in the pontine base.

FKBP12 immunoreactivity in the human spinal cord of motor neuron disease patients.

We investigated the FKBP12 immunoreactivity in the spinal cord of neurological controls and motor neuron disease (MND) patients. In the neurological controls, the spinal neurons were markedly stained with antihuman FKBP12 (N-19 and C-19) antibodies. FKBP12 immunoreactivity was associated with lipofuscin in formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded samples.

["Stunned myocardium" on echo cardiogram in myotonic dystrophy: a case report].

A 56-year-old woman with a 23 year-history of myotonic dystrophy was admitted to our hospital because of dysphagia and aspiration pneumonia. On admission, patient's ECG showed Ist degree of atrioventricular block and elongation of QRS (133 msec.).

[Isolated finger flexion caused by continuous muscle fiber activity].

We report two patients who presented with progressive involuntary flexion of fingers. Both of them were women (Case 1 and 2 were 23 year old and 86 year old, respectively), and developed involuntary finger flexions, particularly of the ring and little fingers, following a localized pain of their hands and forearms. The other neurological findings were not present.

[Benefit of L-DOPA-without-DCI (decarboxylase inhibitor) therapy on wearing-off phenomenon in advanced stages of Parkinson's disease patients].

Motor fluctuation is the most annoying complication experienced by patients in the advanced stages of Parkinson's disease. A Combination therapy of a dopamine receptor agonist and levodopa/DCI(DOPA-decarboxylase inhibitor) is commonly used to control the complication. Although administration of levodopa/DCI is useful in minimizing peripheral side effects of levodopa, it increases the incidence of motor complications due to the marked fluctuation of plasma levodopa level.