Rinsho Shinkeigaku (Clinical Neurology)

The 47th Annual Meeting of the Japanese Society of Neurology

Personal recollection of episodes devoted to my study of Neuropathplogy

Asao Hirano, M.D.

Division of Neuropathology, Montefiore Medical Center

I graduated from Kyoto University Faculty of Medicine in 1952. Following neurological residency training, I received neuropathological training at Montefiore Hospital under Dr. Zimmerman since 1956. During 1959-65, on the recommendation from Dr. Zimmerman and Dr. LT Kurlands, I was engaged in Guam project of NIH, as a visiting scientist, investigating ALS and parkinsonism-dementia complex, endemic fatal neurological disorders among the native Chamorro population. In 1965 I was appointed as head of the Division of Neuropathology at Montefiore Medical Center. I have been Professor of Pathology at Albert Einstein College of Medicine since 1971, Professor in the Dominick Purpura Department of Neuroscience at Albert Einstein College of Medicine since 1974, and The Harry M, Zimmerman Professor of Neuropathology, Montefiore Medical Center 1995.
For over four decades, with the late Dr. Zimmerman, I have been host to 40 Japanese neurologists who have come to Montefiore for training in Neuropathology. Over 700 papers, 20 books have been published in our laboratory.
Personal recollections of selected episodes devoted to study of neuropathology are described in this communication. These include fine structural investigation of brain edema demonstrating electron dense hematogenous edema fluid spreading expanding extracellular space in white matter, application of model of unrolled myelin sheath for elucidate structural alteration of myelin, the independent development of the pre- and postsynaptic terminals, study of SOD1 positive Lewy body-like inclusion in familial ALS and Hirano body.

(CLINICA NEUROL, 46: 774－780, 2006)
key words: brain edema, myelin, parkinsonism-dementia complex, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, Hirano body

(Received: 11-May-06)