The Three Essential Elements of Outreach: A Greeting on Being Selected as a Neuro-Navigator for the Japan Neuroscience Society

Slurred Speech on a Long Autumn Night

In the emergency room (ER), many people's lives change course. Both patients and doctors.

It was the first autumn night after I became a neurologist. While I was examining patients in the usual chaotic ER, where orders for blood tests and X-rays were flying about, news of an emergency transport arrived.

“A man in his 50s, with dysarthria and right-sided hemiparesis that started during the day and is gradually progressing.”
As I hadn't had much experience, I listed the potential diseases that could cause these symptoms in my head and thought through the treatment steps so that I could respond calmly.

When the patient arrived and I examined him, I suspected a cerebral infarction. I immediately took him to the MRI room and stared at the scan screen. The result was as expected: a cerebral infarction. Specifically, a type called branch atheromatous disease.

This type of infarction progresses gradually over several days, and the symptoms worsen. Immediate treatment is necessary.

I returned to the ER ahead of the patient from the MRI room, told the nurses to prepare for treatment and admission, and the team began to move quickly. Soon the patient returned to the ER, and I began to explain his current medical condition and the need for inpatient treatment while showing him the MRI results. And the moment that followed opened my eyes.

Instead of the patient, whose tongue was tied, his wife interrupted the explanation with tears in her eyes.
“Doctor, will my husband be able to speak again?”
At that moment, I was startled. I had diagnosed it correctly. I had prepared the appropriate treatment. But could I explain what was happening to him in a way that was easy to understand, accurate, and hopeful?

I took a deep breath and began to explain in the calmest tone possible.
“This cerebral infarction is progressive. In addition to the difficulty in moving his tongue, there is a high possibility that the paralysis will worsen within a few days. However, these motor symptoms can be expected to improve with early detection and early rehabilitation. Let's do the best we can right now.”
Seeing the expressions of the two soften a little, I continued to explain the situation and answered several questions. After admission, the patient's paralysis progressed to the point where he could no longer hold chopsticks, but because I had explained it beforehand, he did not panic or fall into despair, continued his rehabilitation, and eventually returned to society without any aftereffects.

The Third Pillar Alongside Diagnosis and Treatment

Medically, this is a common case, but by being in charge of it, I realized something important. You don't need special words. You don't need universal words. What is important is to convey the right content to the right person, in a tailor-made way, in advance. Alongside correct diagnosis and correct treatment, correct explanation is also just as, if not more, important. And unlike diagnosis and treatment, explanation is not constrained by testing equipment or the hospital environment.

“Correct explanation” is the driving force behind my career choice. Without specialized knowledge and experience, you cannot explain things with the correct content. That is why I became a specialist and obtained a Ph.D. in medicine. What is the right timing? Who is the right target? The answer is not limited to patients who come to the hospital. Instead of just working within my specialty, I learned the appeal of using my knowledge and skills in the wider world outside.

The trinity of diagnosis, treatment, and explanation is not limited to medicine. For example, in research, even if you set up a research question appropriately and come up with a brilliant solution, if you cannot explain that solution to the person who needs it in a way they can understand, you cannot help the person in trouble. This trinity holds true in almost every field involving humans.

I used my experience in emergency medicine as a member of a disaster medical team and as a lifeguard. My knowledge of neuroscience and cognitive function was useful when I became an officer of an international high-IQ society. Currently, in parallel with my main job, I also serve as a director of a rescue-related foundation, giving back my experience and knowledge to society. The specialized knowledge and skills I possess are only useful when demonstrated outside my home ground, and that experience further expands the scope of my activities.

My appointment as a Neuro-Navigator for the Japan Neuroscience Society is also an extension of these outreach activities.

Appointed as Neuro-Navigator 2025

The Japan Neuroscience Society is engaged in various initiatives to deepen the penetration of neuroscience into society and to increase public understanding and trust in research activities. As part of this, the Neuro-Navigator system was created to introduce neuroscience papers and news to the general public via social media.

Neuro-Navigators are recruited from young members and selected through a screening process. The other Neuro-Navigator in the field of clinical and pathological neuroscience is none other than Koma Kanzaki (@Komadog2631564), who is also familiar on note. We have collaborated many times in the past, so we will be working together even more closely in the future.

In outreach activities, the trinity is more important than ever. Interesting neuroscience news, papers, findings, and tips have often already had their problems set appropriately and solved. Nevertheless, if that information is not reaching the people who need it or the people who would find it interesting, the only missing piece is to convey it correctly.

Therefore, I will actively disseminate not only the latest news but also information that is interesting but not yet widely known, and conversely, I would like to match what kind of research is providing answers to the mysteries and questions that everyone tends to encounter.

The advantage of using social media for outreach is that, unlike traditional mass communication, two-way communication is possible. So, if you are reading this and have any questions like “What kind of phenomenon is this from a neuroscience perspective?” or “What kind of brain function is causing this?”, please feel free to ask questions or leave comments. You can send them via this article, as a reply on X, or anonymously via the link below.

Neuro-Navigator posts are required to include the hashtag “#日本神経科学学会ニューロナビゲータ” (Japan Neuroscience Society Neuro-Navigator), so you can use this hashtag to check other Neuro-Navigators and past posts (although the number is not large as it is a system that has not been around for long).

If there is anything I can help you with, please feel free to contact me at connectomancer@gmail.com.

Biography

Graduated from Kyoto University Faculty of Medicine. Worked as a neurologist specializing in dementia care, entered the doctoral program at Kyoto University Graduate School in 2020, and obtained a Ph.D. in Medicine in 2024.
Currently, while working as the Director of Neurology at a Dementia Disease Medical Center, I serve as a board member for a foundation supporting professional first responders, including mountain rescuers and lifeguards, and work as a part-time lifeguard. I plan to move to the U.S. as a postdoc starting in the fall of 2024.

Qualifications
Physician, Board Certified Neurologist, Regional DMAT
Diver, Basic Lifesaver, Occupational Physician

Skills
Public Speaking
Data Science (including data visualization)
Clinical Neurology
Disaster Medicine and Field Rescue
Water Safety Management