National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry, Japan

Greetings from the President

You might have heard a song titled “The Only Flower in the World”. This center may be called “the only psychiatry and neurology center in the world”. Of course, there are similar medical institutions in the world. For instance, Max Planck Institute in Munich, Germany, is one of them. This Institute, however, is specialized mainly in the research of depression, and patients with depression are mainly treated at its hospital. Psychiatric diseases are extensively investigated there but neurological diseases are not. The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) in the U.S. is also a research institution solely for the psychiatry field. This center is very unique and rare in that mental disorder, neurological disorder, muscular diseases, and developmental disorders are treated and researched at the same hospital and institution.

The missions of the national center are to investigate the cause of diseases yet to be elucidated, to establish the treatment method, and to develop a model medical care. Advancing the basic researches required for promoting the researches is also included in its missions. We will make more efforts to fulfill the missions of the national center by closer affiliation of the two institutions (National Institute of Neuroscience, National Institute of Mental Health) and National Center Hospital of Neurology and Psychiatry.

The future concept for this center has been discussed in the past few years and it was established. Based on this concept, the construction of the new hospital is going to be completed in few years.The national center will become an independent corporation in 2010. Nonetheless, we will continue to fill the role as the national center: regarding medical treatment and care for mental disorder, neurological and muscular diseases, and developmental disorders, we try to provide better treatments and cutting edge information, while carrying on researches, developing technology. We also give training to doctors, and co-medical.

We at the national center will cooperate to realize the new concept for the national center, while aiming to conquer diseases of the brain, mind and muscles.Further support and cooperation of the fellow citizens will be very much appreciated.

Sincerely,
President Teruhiko Higuchi