Parkinson’s disease is a neurodegenerative disorder affecting approximately 1 in 100 people over the age of 60. However, the sporadic cases, which account for 90% of the total cases, are expected to be diverse based on the clinical symptoms. Therefore, stratification of each case and clarification regarding the pathophysiology are essential for developing effective treatments. We have established and analyzed various types of Parkinson’s disease iPS cells. Further, we have recently screened 320 compounds using midbrain-specific neurons differentiated from iPS cells obtained from patients with familial Parkinson’s disease showing abnormal mitochondrial clearance. We successfully identified four compounds that could restore the disease phenotypes and cellular vulnerability. The candidate compounds also showed phenotypic restoring effects in Drosophila models and sporadic iPS cells. Thus, in Parkinson’s disease, drug discovery using iPS cells derived from rare familial cases may lead to the development of novel therapeutics for sporadic cases.

The department of neurology deals with diseases, such as dementia and stroke. Additional to physical symptoms, its pathology include deterioration of cognitive function and changes in psychology and behavior. Upon diagnosis, cognitive function is assessed by neuropsychological tests alongside blood tests and neuroimaging.

Thereafter, drug therapy and rehabilitation are introduced. However, there are cases in which the course is progressive and prognosis is grave, and diseases for which have no established treatment method. According to the 2020 report on the professional activities of certified psychologists, 30% of all registered psychologists work within the medical and health fields ; of them, 2.7% are affiliated with the department of neurology.

The role of psychologists in the field of neurology includes conducting neuropsychological examinations and providing counseling services. During examinations, I often encounter concerns about disease progress and prognosis. In my practice, I strive to surpass simply conducting neuropsychological tests ; I aim to reduce anxiety by listening to the patients’ chief complaints and providing information on their condition and assess them on a holistic perspective to form an outlook for the future.

Perinatal period is a time filled with joy at the birth of a new life into the world. However, this is also a time of risks, such as various diseases and changes in family relationships. The Perinatal Medical Center provides advanced and specialized medical care required during this period. The author works for the center’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), which provides care for premature babies, those with low birth weight, and newborns and infants with various diseases. It is not difficult to imagine the bewilderment that parents feel when they unexpectedly see their baby lying in an incubator, or how a mother and family are overwhelmed and stunned by the reality of the situation in which their child is born facing risks. Perinatal medical care also includes both emergency medical and parental care, in which psychological support is essential. Although the number of psychologists in perinatal care is increasing, their activities are still not widely known. Therefore, this study aimed to introduce the activities in which psychologists are engaged in the NICU and consider their roles in the context of the origins of psychosomatic medicine.

Over time, the need for psychologists has increased. Accordingly, I introduce my current work as a new field. Based on my past experience, I report on the duties and roles of psychologists. Currently, I am working as a psychologist at the center for the Promotion of Health and Employment Support, which provides support for balancing treatment and work for “cases where it is difficult to continue working or return to work after taking a leave of absence, even if there is motivation and ability to work.” I work with nurses and MSWs to provide psychological assessment and support. I not only work with mentally ill patients, but also with various diseases such as cancer and chronic diseases. It seems that the same way of understanding and dealing with diseases that require holistic medical care, such as the physical, psychological, and social aspects of psychosomatic medicine, is required. It is a consultation service and not medical treatment. Even now, I think that working independently and functioning as a psychologist are important issues. I believe that the same question applies to other areas.

Currently, there are four psychologists affiliated with the Department of Psychosomatic Medicine at Kyushu University, one affiliated with the Faculty of Medicine, and three affiliated with the hospital. The Department of Psychosomatic Medicine has four laboratories, and the psychologists are members of the Clinical Psychology Laboratory. The three psychologists affiliated with the hospital also perform neuropsychological testing at the hospital’s Brain Center. The work of the Department of Psychosomatic Medicine includes teaching, research, and clinical work. Education is provided to third- to sixth-year medical students, post-graduate residents, and young physicians who have joined the Department of Psychosomatic Medicine. Lectures and practical training in psychological testing and psychotherapy mainly comprise the course content. The newly admitted physicians receive practice in formulating hypotheses of patient pathology and reviewing verbatim records of interviews. Research is conducted using psychotherapies in which psychologists specialize and in collaboration with other laboratories (Allergy and Neurophysiology Laboratory, Chronic Pain and Gastroenterology Laboratory, and Endocrinology Laboratory). The clinical expertise of psychologists is complementary to that of physicians. Physicians have their own specialties in psychotherapy, and psychologists bring their own specialties to treatment. In the early years of our department, the treatment was administered using an altered state of consciousness (ASC) induced by hypnotherapy. Autogenic training and art therapy also have the potential to induce an ASC. For psychosomatic patients who are unaware of the psychosomatic correlation, the ASC can be used to help loosen suppression and intellectualization. In severe cases that require hospitalization, treatment using ASC is effective and demonstrates the expertise of psychologists.

I joined the medical consultation office in 1988 as the hospital’s first psychologist and was in charge of psychological testing and consultation requested by the Physical Medicine Department, handling two cases that were considered the starting point of psychosomatic medicine. At that time, I learned about the perspective of psychosomatic correlation and became acutely aware of my lack of knowledge of physical diseases and my professional immaturity as a psychologist. A few years later, as clinical psychologists gained more recognition in the society, the scope of the profession in hospitals expanded. With the support of various people, the Center for Mental Health Care was established in the Central Clinical Department, in 2012, and a clinical psychology department was set up within it, creating a system that allows direct requests to psychologists from doctor in all departments. What has been important to us since the beginning is the process of carefully interacting with each patient and communicating psychologists’ expertise to other professionals through such interactions. Such encounters and connections with patients and others gave the impetus to creating a place for psychologists within the hospital. Based on these experiences, we will also consider psychologists’professionalism and their future mission.

Objectives : This study investigated patients’ awareness of psychosomatic medicine visits and infectious disease countermeasures in medical treatment. We assessed patients’ psychological status to clarify the medical care system for psychosomatic medicine during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Method : This was a retrospective study of data from psychological tests and questionnaires distributed to outpatients attending the Department of Psychosomatic Medicine at Kindai University from May 12 to June 22, 2020.

Results : We collected 142 valid responses. The results indicated that 40% of patients were in the high-risk group for posttraumatic stress disorder, 70% felt they needed medical treatment, and more than 40% did not feel reluctant to visit the hospital during widespread infection. Regarding infectious disease countermeasures in medical treatment, significantly more patients said infectious disease countermeasures were necessary and significantly fewer said they felt reluctant. However, there were differences by patients’ awareness, age, and psychological status.

Discussion : During the COVID-19 pandemic, many patients needed medical treatment. Implementing infectious disease countermeasures in medical treatment led to a sense of security for patients, but patients’ demographics and psychological status need to be considered.

Objectives : In long-term treatment of HIV infection, controlling of sleep disorders is an important issue. This study aims to compare the rates of sleep disorders between HIV-positive and HIV-negative individuals, evaluate sleep disorders in HIV-positive individuals, and determine the prevalence of depression.

Method : We conducted a meta-analysis of previous studies that compared sleep disorders in HIV-positive and HIV-negative individuals that met the inclusion criteria.

Results : HIV-positive individuals had a significantly higher prevalence of sleep disorders and depression than those who were HIV-negative. The Pittsburgh Sleep Questionnaire was used in most of the studies.

Conclusion : Screening and treatment of sleep disturbances and depression should be integrated into HIV clinical practice. Therefore, it is necessary to build a team medical care system that includes psychiatry and psychosomatic medicine.