Brain and nerve = Shinkei kenkyū no shinpo
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Idiopathic inflammatory myopathies (IIMs) are a heterogeneous group of systemic autoimmune disorders characterized by inflammation of skeletal muscle. In Japan, patients with IIMs usually visit a dermatologist, rheumatologist, or neurologist depending on the main symptom. Because most of the patients with IIMs have muscle weakness as a main symptom, muscle biopsy is usually performed to differentiate these from other non-inflammatory myopathies. ⋯ Therefore, other clinical factors, including rash or clinical complications (malignancy, collagen diseases, or interstitial pneumonitis), have been used along with pathological classification. With the recent discovery of new myositis-specific autoantibodies (MSAs) by rheumatologists and dermatologists, it has been suggested that the presence of a MSA is another important factor for classification. To develop useful methods of classification and to reveal the pathological mechanisms of IIMs, further collaborative studies by dermatologists, rheumatologists, and neurologists are necessary.
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Idiopathic inflammatory myopathies (IIMs) are a group of inflammatory muscle disorders of unknown etiology; these include polymyositis (PM), dermatomyositis (DM), and inclusion body myositis. Extra-muscular manifestations such as dermatitis, arthritis, interstitial lung disease (ILD), cardiomyopathy, and enteropathy are occasional complications in patients with PM/DM. Several myositis-specific autoantibodies (MSAs) have been discovered in IIMs; these can help predict clinical characteristics, response to treatment, and prognosis. ⋯ Immunosuppressive agents are steroid-sparing, serving to mitigate corticosteroid-related side effects, thus making combination therapy an effective treatment option. Preventing the progression of physical dysfunction is of prime importance to patients with PM/DM. Dermatologists, neurologists, and rheumatologists should therefore work together to care for these patients before muscular and extra-muscular involvement develop progressively and irreversibly.
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Sjogren's syndrome is a systemic autoimmune disease characterized by xerophthalmia and xerostomia; it is associated with widespread systemic visceral involvement. A wide variety of neurological complications are characteristic features of Sjogren's syndrome, of which peripheral neuropathy is a major neurological manifestation. Based on the predominant neuropathic symptoms, patients can be considered to have several forms of neuropathies, including sensory ataxic neuropathy, painful sensory neuropathy without sensory ataxia, multiple mononeuropathy, multiple cranial neuropathy, trigeminal neuropathy, autonomic neuropathy, and radiculoneuropathy. ⋯ Differential therapeutic responses to corticosteroids and intravenous immunoglobulin can be seen among the various neuropathic forms. In conclusion, the clinicopathological features of neuropathies associated with Sjogren's syndrome are highly variable. The neuropathy classification is important from a therapeutic point of view.
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Vertigo or dizziness is primarily caused by peripheral vestibular disorders, such as benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) and vestibular neuritis. BPPV can be diagnosed from associated positional torsional or direction-changing horizontal nystagmus and can be treated with canalith repositioning procedures. In contrast, vestibular neuritis and other acute peripheral vestibulopathies can be diagnosed from associated unidirectional horizontal nystagmus. ⋯ This positional enhancement suggests that the same pathogenetic mechanism is involved in both types of nystagmus. The cerebellar lesions may disinhibit both semicircular-ocular and otolith-ocular reflexes. Semicircular-ocular reflex-dominant disinhibitions may result in the ipsilateral horizontal nystagmus, whereas otolith-ocular reflex-dominant disinhibitions may result in the direction-changing apogeotropic positional nystagmus.
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Primary headache disorders such as migraine, tension-type headache, and cluster headache are prevalent and disabling neurological disorders. Although most headache disorders are largely treatable, they are under-recognized, under-diagnosed, and under-treated. Many headache sufferers in Japan do not receive appropriate and effective health care; hence, the illness, which should be relieved, persists and acts as an individual and societal burden. ⋯ The Japanese Headache Society and the Japanese Society for Neurology should play major roles in health care service, education programs, as well as clinical and basic research for headache disorders. The road map for realizing our aim on headache treatment is as follows: (1) increase the number of units concerning headache in lectures for medical students, implement training programs for residents and neurologists, and offer continuous medical educations for physicians and neurologists; (2) secure more funding for headache research; (3) propagate medical care for headache in primary care settings and regional fundamental hospitals; (4) reform the health care system for headache and incentivize appropriate compensation for headache care in public health insurance; and (5) spread appropriate information on medical and socio-ethical issues related to headache for the sufferers and citizens. The authors expect that many neurologists have an interest in headache and understanding headaches, and better health care for headache disorders will bring great benefits for the sufferers.