title: A decade after the Tokyo sarin attack: a review of neurological follow-up of the victims.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  On March 20, 1995, sarin gas was used in Tokyo by members of the Japanese "Uhm-Shinrikiu" cult, killing 12 and injuring >5,500 innocent people. Most of the casualties were mildly injured. This article reviews the neurological follow-up data for some of the victims over the past decade.
  
  
  METHODS
  We reviewed the published literature regarding neurological follow-up of the victims, dividing the data according to the time elapsed after the attack.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The digit span test, finger-tapping test, and computerized posturography were the only performance tests that showed statistically significant differences between the victims and the control groups in some of the surveys. The main sequela 7 years after the attack was post-traumatic stress disorder.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results emphasize the need for a national preparedness program for such mass casualty events, led by national health systems. This should include long-term, neurological, follow-up monitoring with performance tests and a post-traumatic stress disorder screening test.
authors.affiliation: Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear Medicine Branch, Medical Corps, Israel Defense Forces, Tel Hashomer Military Base, Ramat Gan, Israel 02149.
authors.forename: Azik
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hoffman
authors.forename: Arik
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Eisenkraft
authors.forename: Arseny
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Finkelstein
authors.forename: Ophir
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Schein
authors.forename: Eran
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Rotman
authors.forename: Tsvika
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Dushnitsky
mesh_terms: D001927:Brain Diseases / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000209:etiology*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D051337:Chemical Terrorism; D002619:Chemical Warfare Agents / Q000633:toxicity*; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000209:etiology*; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan; D012524:Sarin / Q000633:toxicity*; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000209:etiology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D017741:Survivors; D013997:Time Factors; D014186:Transportation
chemical_list: D002619:Chemical Warfare Agents; D012524:Sarin