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. Copyright © by Association of Military Surgeons of U.S., 2007.