Certification

In accordance with recent ever increasing numbers in elder population in Japan, number of patients of age-related neurological diseases such as stroke, dementia and neurodegenerative diseases, etc., also remarkably increasing. Naturally, social needs for medical intervention in neurological fields inevitably become indispensable. The role of the neurologists, especially specialists of neurology, must be substantially important in the near future. The Japanese Society of Neurology has already launched the system for quality-certified specialists for neurology in 1970's.

OBJECT: Research suggests that there may be a growing disparity between the supply of and demand for both pediatric specialists and neurosurgeons. Whether pediatric neurosurgeons are facing such a disparity is disputable, but interest in pediatric neurosurgery (PNS) has waxed and waned as evidenced by the number of applicants for PNS fellowships. The authors undertook a survey to analyze current neurosurgical residents' perceptions of both benefits and deterrents to a pediatric neurosurgical career.

Questions from patients about pain conditions and analgesic pharmacotherapy and responses from authors are presented to help educate patients and make them more effective self-advocates. Hypnotherapy, its uses and process, and certification and training of hypnotherapy professionals are addressed.