A decade after the Tokyo sarin attack: a review of neurological follow-up of the victims.
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.
Hoffman
Azik
A
Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear Medicine Branch, Medical Corps, Israel Defense Forces, Tel Hashomer Military Base, Ramat Gan, Israel 02149.
Eisenkraft
Arik
A
Finkelstein
Arseny
A
Schein
Ophir
O
Rotman
Eran
E
Dushnitsky
Tsvika
T
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
D002619:Chemical Warfare Agents; D012524:Sarin