Long-term administration of anticonvulsants is necessary for patients prone to convulsions in order to prevent seizures. However, continuous administration of anticonvulsants can often provoke liver dysfunction and impair cognitive ability. Some Japanese herbal medicines (Kampo formulae) have long been known to inhibit seizures and to have a protective effect on liver function. To elucidate these effects, Kampo formulae (Saikokeishi-to and Shakuyakukanzo-to) were administered to patients with convulsive seizures and liver dysfunction due to cerebrovascular disorders, traumatic brain injury and brain tumors. Administration of anticonvulsant drugs was decreased simultaneously with administration of these Kampo formulae.
The results indicated inhibition of convulsive seizures and a definite recovery of liver function. Improvements were also observed in cognitive function. Based on these findings, it is suggested that Kampo formulae are useful for patients with seizures and/or liver dysfunction, and that the dosage of anticonvulsant drugs may be decreased when Kampo formulae are also being administered.

[Objective] There are two types of image the students have towards elderly people, positive and negative, and it is thought to be difficult for students to interact with elderly people when negative images are the most powerful. Changes in the students' feelings towards elderly people during their time in a nursing home are of importance when assessing the project's educational effectiveness. Given this factor, we have researched the changes in the students' impression towards elderly people before and after the project.
[Method] We carried out a research questionnaire before and after the project.
[Results] Number of valid response was 106 before the project (response rate 89.8%), and 56 after the project (response rate 47.5%). Over half (56%) of the students said that their image of elderly people changed after the project. Negative image comes from realising elderly people's physical disability and difficulty in having conversations with them, and positive image comes from understanding elderly people more by interacting with them.
[Conclusions] Although there was a growing awareness of elderly people and some of the students changed their feeling towards them, there are still students who have a negative image. We think that it is important to provide methods of approaches before and during the project to minimise these negative images.

Disease risk among elderly smokers is considered to be doubled due to their smoking habits and age as compared with elderly non-smokers. The investigators conducted risk assessments of smoking for respiratory symptoms among elderly people.A questionnaire survey on smoking habits and respiratory symptoms was conducted among 3, 000 persons of 56 years of age and over who were randomly selected from suburban residents in a prefecture in Japan in October, 1997. A total 1, 954 or 65.1% of individuals responded, consisting of 42.8% for men and 57.2% for women, with an average age of 73.6 years.In addition to descriptive analysis, multiple logistic regression analysis was conducted. The results are summarized as follows:Smokers accounted for 28.1% of men and 3.6% of women. Among all age-groups, the highest rate of smokers was observed in men of 56-69 years old (34.7%) which was lower than the national average rate for the 60-69 year-old group (56.1% of men and 14.5% of women in ‘97). The odds ratios and 95 percent confidence interval (95%CI) for “having phlegm every day” and “having phlegm for more than 4 days a week” among smokers were 2.06 (95%CI=1.41-3.01) and 2.77(95%CI=1.80-4.27). Significantly higher odds ratios among smokers were also observed for “wheezing” and “shortness of breath when hurrying”.Odds ratios for some respiratory symptoms including “having phlegm for more than 4 days per week” among inhalers were significantly high compared with non-smokers, whereas those among non-inhalers were not significantly different from 1.0.Odds ratios for symptoms of phlegm and wheezing were significantly higher (Odds ratio ≥2.0) among heavy smokers (Brinkman Index [B. I.] >900) compared to non-smokers, while odds ratios of the same symptoms were not different from 1.0 among light smokers (B.I. ≤500).
symptoms <1> ; Respiratory ; Smoking ; Elderly ; Male population group

The following analgesic effects have resulted from irradiating each finger joint (DIP, PIP, and MCP) of patients with rheumatoid arthritis for 20 seconds using the semiconductor laser, “uni-Laser” (10mw, 790nm) from ITO company.
1) Comparison of the post-exposure state with the pre-exposure state in the open test
i) Of 13 cases of joint pain, 7 cases showed improvement and 6 cases showed no change with no case showing aggravation.
ii) Duration of analgesic effect was less than 48 hours in 2 cases, less than 72 hours in 1 case, and more than 96 hours in 3 cases.
2) Comparison of the post-exposure state with the pre-exposure state in the single blind test on a total of 25 patients with rheumatoid arthritis. Twelve patients were exposed to the irradiation twice per week, 10 times a session (irradiated group) and 13 were exposed to the dummy of the above (control group).
i) The irradiated group improved considerably in the number of painful joints, frequency of joint pain, and grasping power. The rate of improvement was superior to that of the control group (P<0.05).
ii) No significant improvement in duration of morning stiffness was shown in either group.

Up until the present, the primary treatment for threatened premature labor has been bed rest, with drug therapy as a supplement. However, with drug therapy the problems of side effects and dosage limitations have made it difficult to achieve therapeutic effectiveness. In this paper, the authors report the favorable results obtained in such cases when moxibustion and a microwave emitter were used for stimulation therapy based on Oriental medical theory. Moxibustion was carried out on Shim, Yusen and Saninko (acupuncture points) in cases of threatened premature labor beyond the 24th week. Despite the short duration of treatment, uterine tension was relieved, fetal movement increased, and resistance in the umbilical artery and uterine artery reduced. Similar results were achieved with multiple microwave stimulation treatments; the effects lasted for long periods and were not accompanied by side effects. Thus, the results showed that through the use of moxibustion therapy in conjunction with drug therapy, the dosage could be reduced, and the frequency of side-effect appearance lowered. These results suggest that moxibustion therapy has potential as an effective and safe new treatment for threatened premature labor.