About Us

I would like to express my appreciation for visiting the website of the Japan Brain Dock Society. First, I would like to explain the history of the society, which was founded in the early 1990s by Dr. Kazuo Hashi, the present advisor to the society, and Dr. Toshio Nakagawa, the present director and president of the Japan Medical Association. The initial goal was to eradicate subarachnoid hemorrhage, by screening for unruptured cerebral aneurysms. Dr. Nakagawa proposed an extremely new concept of medical care, “to reduce the risk of correctable subarachnoid hemorrhage by prophylactic surgical treatment of unruptured cerebral aneurysms.” He also developed a guideline for brain checkup, that includes the standardization of diagnosis and appropriate response to patients. Dr. Isamu Saito continued his presentation by revising the guidelines and establishing an accreditation system for brain-dock facilities, out of concern for the social situation where easy brain examinations have temporarily become common. In addition, Dr. Kazuo Watanabe established a corporation to establish the social foundation of our society. At present, the number of subarachnoid hemorrhages in Japan has decreased by approximately 1,000 cases per year compared to the past, and it is believed that radical surgery for unruptured aneurysms as well as blood pressure control and smoking cessation after a brain checkup are effective. The initial concept of the brain dock has been proven, and its usefulness is unquestionable. Parallel to these efforts to reduce the risk of subarachnoid hemorrhage, Dr. Shotai Kobayashi has established another pillar of brain dock by clarifying the relationship between asymptomatic cerebral infarction, cerebral white matter lesions, microbleeds, and other findings and the onset of stroke and cognitive decline through MR brain docking. Dr. Yasuro Katayama was instrumental in organizing the subtitle of our society's name, "Medical Society for Stroke and Dementia Prevention," in line with the reality that cases of dementia are increasing in Japan's super-aged society.

Next, I would like to think about the future map of our society, looking back at the past, and looking at the present. Since the inauguration of the brain check, the question that has often been asked is: "Is the brain dock effective?” Since the cost benefit of preventive medicine is now being actively discussed, the answer to this question cannot be avoided. As opposed to 30 years ago, when brain checkup patients were reassured that there were no apparent unruptured cerebral aneurysms on imaging, today, it is necessary to provide a scientific answer. Despite evidence from the brain dock, the world's leading preventive medicine system, continuously emerging, I feel that quantified evidence of reduced risk of disease onset obtained through a series of "preemptive medicine" frames such as diagnosis of various images and biomarkers in individuals, prediction of disease onset in individuals, and therapeutic intervention, is also essential. Fortunately, we have a group of accredited facilities and a brain-dock database that are being constructed. If we can improve the accuracy of data and accumulate comprehensive data with the help of our members, we can obtain big data from a very large cohort that is unparalleled in the world. Furthermore, if the rate of repeat visits can be improved, risk reduction can be quantitatively demonstrated. These anonymized big data will undoubtedly become a new asset for the medical industry in the areas of drug discovery, diagnostic imaging, and biomarker development for various diseases, and I expect that the amount of health information returned to brain dock recipients will also increase dramatically. The Brain Dock Society is truly a "medical society for the prevention of stroke and dementia.” We are currently preparing to reorganize the Brain-Dock Database Committee and to establish the Academic Committee, the Public Relations Committee, and the Certification and Education System Committee after consulting the board members. I would be more than happy to share the big map of the future with our members and request your continued support and cooperation.