An accurate population-based prospective cohort study has been conducted in the elderly population of the town of Hisayama in Japan since 1985 to elcidate the trends in the prevalece of dementia and examine risk and protective factors for dementia in the Japanese population. To examine secular trends in the prevalence of dementia, five cross-sectional surveys were conducted among Hisayama residents aged 65 years or older in 1985, 1992, 1998, 2005, and 2012. The prevalence of all-cause dementia significantly increased from 1985 to 2012. In regard to subtypes of dementia, a similar trend was observed for Alzheimer’s disease (AD), while the prevalence of vascular dementia (VaD) did not change with time. In a prospective study of risk factors for dementia in Hisayama elder residents without dementia, midlife and late-life hypertension were significant risk factors for the development of VaD but not for AD, and people with midlife hypertension were at an increasing risk of late-life onset of VaD regardless of late-life hypertension status. We revealed the significant associations between glucose intolerance/diabetes and the risk of developing both AD and VaD. In addition, elevating 2‐hour postload glucose levels were closely associated with increased risk of AD and VaD. Meanwhile, physical activity and a dietary pattern which was roughly correspondent to a customary Japanese diet rich in vegetables in addition to milk and dairy products were significant protective factors of AD and VaD.

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Imagery Rehearsal Therapy （IRT）, Imagery Rescripting （IRS）, and Exposure, Relaxation, and Rescripting Therapy （ERRT） are typical non-pharmacological treatments for managing nightmares in patients with Posttraumatic Stress Disorder （PTSD）. A recent meta-analysis indicated that imagery rehearsal had medium to large effect on such factors as nightmare frequency, sleep quality, and PTSD symptoms. The clinical implications of imagery rehearsal and psychoeducational intervention using a booklet are discussed. Imagery rehearsal is one of the promising psychotherapies for managing nightmares in patients with PTSD, and further research should be carried out to identify the effectiveness of this treatment strategy in Japanese patients with PTSD.

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Many patients with adolescent or adult high-functioning autistic spectrum disorders suffer from secondary mental disorders, and do not receive mental services or organized consultations. In this study psychiatrists and psychologists held a group on psychotherapy comprising cognitive behavioral therapeutic techniques for 15- to 40-year-old patients with high-functioning autistic spectrum disorders in order to improve communication skills with sessions lasting for sixty minutes once a week at our hospital. All participants were examined using the Wechsler intelligence scale before the group psychotherapy, as we attempted to communicate with all participants based on their traits. Our protocol for psychotherapy began with ice‐breaking technique; for example, tongue-twisters, riddles, charades, etc., followed by practice with self-introduction, job interviews, changing expressions, and playing various roles in terms of apologies, praise, declining requests, and asking questions, etc. The group psychotherapy sessions were held 79 times, and a total of 320 patients participated. Some of the participants showed improved communication skills, as well as remarkable results with respect to employment, including four subjects who found full-time employment, three subjects who found part-time jobs, and two subjects who proceeded to the next stage of their education.

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