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To investigate the neural substrate underlying the mechanisms of Kanji and Kana writing, we conducted a PET activation study during mental writing task in eight right-handed normal Japanese subjects. During scans subjects were required to mentally write a Kanji or three Kana letters with their right hand, for each stimulant word presented auditorily. The direct comparisons between Kanji writing and Kana writing revealed that the left posterior inferior temporal gyrus was activated in Kanji writing while the left angular gyrus was activated in Kana writing. In addition, more extensive areas were activated in Kanji writing compared with Kana writing. These results suggest that different respective neural substrates are involved in Kanji and Kana writing respectively.

We investigated the hippocampal region in six patients diagnosed with possible Alzheimer's disease (AD), eight patients with probable AD, and eight age-matched controls, using a high-resolution magnetic resonance imaging technique. Coronal T1-weighted images were used for area measurements of the hippocampal formation (HF), parahippocampal gyrus (PHG), and temporal lobe (TL), normalised to cranial area. Both the normalised HF and PHG were significantly smaller in both AD groups than in the controls, but did not differ between patients with possible and probable AD. The normalised TL was significantly smaller in patients with probable AD than in those with possible AD and controls, but did not differ in patients with possible AD and controls. We conclude that hippocampal and parahippocampal atrophy occurs in early AD, and is more useful than neocortical atrophy for early detection of the disease. At a more advanced stage, the neocortical area is involved.