Convalescence of atypical reversible posterior leukoencephalopathy syndrome in human immunodeficiency virus infection

Reversible Posterior Leukoencephalopathy Syndrome (RPLS) is an uncommon neurological disorder which shows the diffuse edema in white matter of occipital lobe of brain. In this report, we describe a RPLS case with Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) infection, whose lesion was improved with Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy (HAART). A HIV-infected man, who was diagnosed as a mental deterioration with Central Pontine Myelinolysis (CPM) appearing high intensity pontine lesion in brain Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), improved with HAART. No episode of hyponatremia or hypertension was observed in his clinical course. Evaluation of apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) mapping in diffusion weight imaging (DWI) was performed in brain MRI at the onset and four months after commencement of HAART. ADC mapping enabled to interpret the pontine lesion as RPLS. HAART improved the mental deterioration within two weeks and the elevated ADC value at the onset was normalized at four-month clinical course

住民の精神障害者に対する意識調査

精神障害者が地域で生活するためには地域住民の理解と協力が不可欠である．精神障害者が参加する行事への住民の参加度と精神障害者に対する意識に加え，彼らとのつきあい方との関係を明らかにし，さらに，それによって精神障害および精神障害者に対する理解を促進するための住民への啓発方法を検討することが本報告の目的である．A県のB保健所の管轄区域の住民６００人を対象とした郵送法による質問紙調査を行った．回収率は４８．８％（２９３人）であった．地域住民のなかで精神障害者が参加する行事に参加した経験のある人は，１）精神障害への認識度が高かった，２）精神障害者の社会復帰のために「何か役に立ちたい」と思っている人が多かった，一方で３）精神障害者の社会復帰への支援に，協力できないと回答した人は全回答者の１割しかいなかった．精神障害者が地域で生活するために必要なものは「地域住民の精神障害についての関心と理解そして精神障害者に対する支援である」と，住民自らが感じていた．住民を巻き込んだ体験的啓発活動の実践が，精神障害者に対する理解や支援を拡大させることになるということが示唆された．Background : It is essential for mentally disabled persons who live in the community to be understood and cooperated by local residents. Aim : This study investigated the relationship between the participation of the residents to the event held in the psychiatric hospital and their attitudes towards mentally handicapped persons. The research objective is to find the method to the residents for promoting an understanding of mental disorders. Method : A mail survey was conducted in the area covered by the B health center in A prefecture. The candidate６００ residents（２．２％ of all residents）who live in B county were selected（age range : ２０-６０ y.o.）. Participants comprised ２９３ respondents（recovery ratio : ４８．８％）. Comparison was carried out by the respondents who joined or did not join the event held in the psychiatric hospital. Results : Their understanding of mental disorders is relatively high in the participants. Most of them are willing to do something for mentally disabled persons’ social rehabilitation. Ten percent of all respondents would choose ‘can’t go along with mentally handicapped persons’ social rehabilitation support’. Conclusion : The results suggest that the provision of the opportunity for personal contact with mentally handicapped persons are important for improving the educational activity of the public about mental illnesses and considered to be important measures for promoting the acceptance and support of the mentally handicapped persons by the local residents