Brain and NervePub Date : 2026-04-01DOI: 10.11477/mf.188160960780040383
Chikako Nakamura
{"title":"[Educating Physicians to Be Present with Their Clients: Behavioral and Human Sciences].","authors":"Chikako Nakamura","doi":"10.11477/mf.188160960780040383","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.11477/mf.188160960780040383","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>This article considers why \"the human being\" needs to be reconsidered in contemporary medicine and healthcare, drawing on changes in the nature of illness and ways of understanding the physician-patient relationship in clinical settings. It examines the development of behavioral sciences, and human models, and the usefulness and limitations of medical evidence. This emphasizes the importance of engaging with patients as unique individual persons living with illness. By introducing practices in human sciences education, this paper explored possibilities for cultivating healthcare professionals capable of genuinely encountering and responding to others.</p>","PeriodicalId":52507,"journal":{"name":"Brain and Nerve","volume":"78 4","pages":"383-390"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147678599","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Brain and NervePub Date : 2026-04-01DOI: 10.11477/mf.188160960780040313
Tetsuya Ikeda
{"title":"[The Eye and Optic Nerve in Neurological Practice].","authors":"Tetsuya Ikeda","doi":"10.11477/mf.188160960780040313","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.11477/mf.188160960780040313","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The eye serves as an important \"window\" that sensitively reflects neurological lesions. This article reviews the basic anatomy of the eyeball and optic nerve, and explains simple methods for evaluating visual acuity, pupils, ocular movements, color vision, visual fields, and the fundus that can be performed by neurologists in outpatient clinics and at the bedside. It also focuses on optic neuritis, which is closely associated with neurological disorders, outlining examination methods and key clinical precautions that can be undertaken by neurologists, as well as major ophthalmic adverse effects that may occur with drugs used to treat neurological diseases. Finally, the importance of early collaboration with ophthalmologists is emphasized.</p>","PeriodicalId":52507,"journal":{"name":"Brain and Nerve","volume":"78 4","pages":"313-321"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147678600","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Brain and NervePub Date : 2026-04-01DOI: 10.11477/mf.188160960780040369
Nobukatsu Sawamoto, Etsuro Nakanishi, Ryosuke Takahashi, Jun Takahashi
{"title":"[Dopaminergic Progenitor Cell Transplantation for Parkinson's Disease Treatment].","authors":"Nobukatsu Sawamoto, Etsuro Nakanishi, Ryosuke Takahashi, Jun Takahashi","doi":"10.11477/mf.188160960780040369","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.11477/mf.188160960780040369","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Human fetal ventral mesencephalic tissue transplantation provided early evidence supporting the efficacy of cell replacement therapy for Parkinson's disease; however, major challenges, including ethical concerns and graft-induced dyskinesia (GID), were raised. Recently, clinical trials using dopaminergic progenitor cells derived from induced pluripotent or human embryonic stem cells have demonstrated favorable safety profiles, graft survival, and the apparent absence of GID. Well-designed clinical trials are required to confirm the safety and establish its definitive clinical efficacy.</p>","PeriodicalId":52507,"journal":{"name":"Brain and Nerve","volume":"78 4","pages":"369-373"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147678624","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Brain and NervePub Date : 2026-04-01DOI: 10.11477/mf.188160960780040347
Ryota Tamura
{"title":"[Functional Anatomy and Related Disorders of the Facial and Auditory Nerves].","authors":"Ryota Tamura","doi":"10.11477/mf.188160960780040347","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.11477/mf.188160960780040347","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The diagnosis and treatment of disorders of the facial and auditory nerves are managed by medical doctors across several departments, including Neurology, Otolaryngology, and Neurosurgery. It is not easy to comprehensively cover the knowledge base of each department. Therefore, this article provides a broad description of the facial and auditory nerves, including nerve conduction pathways, associated disorders and symptoms, examination methods, causative diseases, and recent topics. We also focus on neoplastic lesions of the cerebellopontine angle that can cause palsy of the facial and auditory nerves, including vestibular schwannomas, NF2-related schwannomatosis, meningioma, and epidermoid cyst. Because facial and auditory nerve functions are closely related to quality of life, it is important to efficiently identify the cause of impairment and rapidly develop an appropriate strategy for improvement.</p>","PeriodicalId":52507,"journal":{"name":"Brain and Nerve","volume":"78 4","pages":"347-360"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147678647","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Brain and NervePub Date : 2026-04-01DOI: 10.11477/mf.188160960780040361
Hiroyuki Ozawa
{"title":"[Glossopharyngeal, Vagus, Accessory, and Hypoglossal Nerves in Head and Neck Practice].","authors":"Hiroyuki Ozawa","doi":"10.11477/mf.188160960780040361","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.11477/mf.188160960780040361","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>This review presents a concise, practice-focused overview of the glossopharyngeal (IX), vagus (X), accessory (XI), and hypoglossal (XII) nerves, with particular emphasis on head and neck practice. We outline clinically relevant anatomy and surgical landmarks from the skull base to the cervical field, including constant planes, vascular and osseous reference points, and danger zones encountered during neck dissection, thyroid surgery, and parapharyngeal surgery. We then summarize each nerve's major functions and characteristic deficits, linking sentinel symptoms with bedside and endoscopic findings to expedite localization. Representative cases illustrate intraoperative and imaging appearances and demonstrate how nerve injury manifests on laryngoscopy, swallowing assessment, and shoulder evaluation. By integrating structure, function, and practical signs, this concise overview aims to support safer surgery, clearer differential diagnosis, and targeted rehabilitation in everyday head and neck care.</p>","PeriodicalId":52507,"journal":{"name":"Brain and Nerve","volume":"78 4","pages":"361-367"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147678613","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Brain and NervePub Date : 2026-04-01DOI: 10.11477/mf.188160960780040337
Noboru Imai
{"title":"[Recent Advances in Trigeminal Nerve Understanding: Anatomy, Pathophysiology, and Emerging Therapeutic Targets].","authors":"Noboru Imai","doi":"10.11477/mf.188160960780040337","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.11477/mf.188160960780040337","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The trigeminal nerve, the largest cranial nerve, has both sensory and motor fibers responsible for facial sensation and mastication. This article reviews the anatomy, clinical examination, and imaging findings of the trigeminal nerve, followed by an overview of its major disorders, including trigeminal neuralgia, painful trigeminal neuropathy attributed to herpes zoster, trigeminal postherpetic neuralgia, and trigeminal autonomic cephalalgia. Recent advances in neuropeptide research have identified calcitonin gene-related peptides (CGRP) and pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptides (PACAP) as the key molecular targets for trigeminal nerve associated migraine therapy. Moreover, emerging evidence suggests that the MERTK-Galectin-3 signaling pathway may contribute to the pathophysiology of cluster headaches and peripheral sensitization. The discovery of robust circadian rhythms within the trigeminal ganglion further highlights the potential association between headache chronobiology and the timing of drug administration, suggesting a novel concept of chronotherapy in headache management. Collectively, these findings further our understanding of the trigeminal system from anatomical, molecular, and chronobiological perspectives, and may lead to more targeted and time-sensitive therapeutic approaches for primary headache disorders.</p>","PeriodicalId":52507,"journal":{"name":"Brain and Nerve","volume":"78 4","pages":"337-346"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147678638","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Brain and NervePub Date : 2026-04-01DOI: 10.11477/mf.188160960780040375
Keiko Unno
{"title":"[Effects of Japanese Green Tea on the Brain: Prevention of Aging].","authors":"Keiko Unno","doi":"10.11477/mf.188160960780040375","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.11477/mf.188160960780040375","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Catechins, the astringent components of Japanese green tea, have been found to suppress age-related decline in learning and memory. Theanine, a unique umami component of tea, has stress-reducing effects. As stress promotes aging, the anti-aging effects of theanine are also anticipated. Notably, catechins and caffeine act antagonistically to theanine, and the effects of these interactions on the brain are also discussed.</p>","PeriodicalId":52507,"journal":{"name":"Brain and Nerve","volume":"78 4","pages":"375-381"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147678566","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"[Olfactory Nerve: The Vulnerability Inherent in its Unique System and Neurological Diseases].","authors":"Hirohisa Watanabe, Ryunosuke Nagao, Kazuya Kawabata, Yasuaki Mizutani","doi":"10.11477/mf.188160960780040303","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.11477/mf.188160960780040303","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The olfactory nerve possesses unique anatomical features, including direct central nervous system (CNS) projection and continuous regeneration. Scientific advances have elucidated mechanisms such as combinatorial receptor coding and signal amplification. This review summarizes these foundations and examines olfactory dysfunction in COVID-19 and Parkinson's disease (PD). In COVID-19, evidence suggests that SARS-CoV-2 targets sustentacular cells rather than olfactory neurons, causing gene downregulation and parosmia attributed to incomplete peripheral filtering, while direct CNS invasion remains rare. In PD, olfactory loss is a prodromal feature. However, seed amplification assays reveal that alpha-synuclein aggregation in the nasal mucosa does not fully correlate with olfactory dysfunction, as reflected by differences between PD and Multiple System Atrophy. This, together with correlations with cardiac sympathetic denervation, challenges simple pathogen propagation hypotheses. We propose that PD-related hyposmia reflects a systemic vulnerability involving deficits in energy metabolism and neural network organization, rather than solely peripheral protein aggregation. Understanding these pathologies requires a multifaceted approach beyond anatomical lesions.</p>","PeriodicalId":52507,"journal":{"name":"Brain and Nerve","volume":"78 4","pages":"303-311"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147678643","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Brain and NervePub Date : 2026-04-01DOI: 10.11477/mf.188160960780040323
Ken Johkura
{"title":"[The Oculomotor, Trochlear, and Abducens Nerves].","authors":"Ken Johkura","doi":"10.11477/mf.188160960780040323","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.11477/mf.188160960780040323","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Saccade and vestibular eye movements, which direct and maintain gaze towards an object, respectively, are produced by different neural mechanisms. The oculomotor, trochlear, and abducens nerves work together to move the extraocular muscles to achieve these eye movements. Recognizing eye movement disorders that occur with disorders of each nerve is useful towards the diagnosis and localization of the insulting lesion. Disorders in the central neural mechanisms of saccade and vestibular eye movements also cause abnormalities in eye movements, making it necessary to understand the eye movement abnormalities that occur with disorders of the saccade and vestibular eye movement neural mechanisms.</p>","PeriodicalId":52507,"journal":{"name":"Brain and Nerve","volume":"78 4","pages":"323-336"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147678567","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"[Quantitative Assessment of White Matter Lesions].","authors":"Ajinkya Deepa Deepak Anjikar, Athira Padinharayil, Junpei Naito, Manabu Ishida","doi":"10.11477/mf.188160960780030261","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.11477/mf.188160960780030261","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Cerebral White Matter Lesions (CWMLs) contribute to normal human behavioral and memory impairments, leading to life-threatening diseases and disorders. Quantitative assessment is crucial to enable accurate microstructural diagnosis and to mitigate associated morbidity. In this review, we examined contemporary trends and available strategies across scientific, commercial, and automation domains, and identified neuroimaging assisted by Artificial Intelligence (AI) as a promising approach for advancing CWML evaluation. In addition, brain docking with voxel-based morphometry techniques indicate that age, lifestyle, and stress are major contributors to CWML formation and may serve as useful parameters for monitoring and therapeutic planning. Our study may help guide future research into the microstructural-level pathological mechanisms of CWML and the development of real-time diagnosis.</p>","PeriodicalId":52507,"journal":{"name":"Brain and Nerve","volume":"78 3","pages":"261-265"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147391685","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}