In Memoriam: Fumio Gotoh, M.D., Ph.D. (1926-2019)by Norihiro Suzuki, MD, PhD, FACP, FWSO
![]() Despite kind and eager offer from NIH, he returned to Keio University in 1966. He established Department of Neurology in Keio University Hospital in 1970, then became Professor in 1972, organizing his own research laboratory, starting to educate students and post graduate students, taking care a lot of patients with neurological diseases, particularly with stroke, in the hospital, and to continue research on CBF and metabolism. This became his life work. Gotoh launched a research with a majestic theme, the mechanism of autoregulation of the brain blood flow. Shy-Drager syndrome (nowadays referred as multiple system atrophy (MSA-P)) with severe orthostatic hypotension revealing frequent syncope was a trigger of this theme. His hypothesis was the autonomic nervous system, particularly the sympathetic nerve might play crucial role to keep CBF constant despite dynamic change of brain perfusion pressure i.e. systemic blood pressure1. In order to elucidate the relevance between autonomic reaction of cerebral vessels and the sympathetic system, he originated several approaches and techniques. He developed a quantitative analysis system of sympathetic nerve terminals in the feline cerebral vessels, an in situ action-potential recording system from the feline pial arteries, a continuous recording system of changes in diameter of feline pial arteries, and an in situ endothelial damage model of cerebral circulation, etc. Consequently, he established “dual control theory of regulation of CBF”2. Gotoh's research activities covered a wide range in the pathophysiology of cerebral circulation and metabolism3. He was appointed the president of the International Stroke Society (currently World Stroke Organization). He served several international meetings, such as the 9th International Congress of Cerebral Blood Flow and Metabolism, Tokyo, 1979, and the 18th Salzburg Conference, Nikko (Japan), 1995 and the 1st International Stroke Scale Workshop, Tokyo, 2000). He received many awards including the Kitasato award (1969), the Mihara Award (1983), the Keio Award (1986) and the Lifetime Achievement Award from the International Society of Cerebral Blood Flow and Metabolism (2001). His international activities are reflected in his list of publications, which contains over 200 peer-review articles. Gotoh enjoyed discussing neurogenic control of cerebral circulation with researchers all over the world. Although his precise criticism or comments is very severe for all researchers, he always directed the way to proceed for them. He also enjoyed collecting antique cameras and taking photographs which might be reflect on his research – detailed imaging analysis, and computer programming which reflect statistics for the data from experiments. The method of the conjoint analysis was one of his favorite one for analysis for complicate and multifactorial objects, which reflect on his unique quantifiable, evidence-based Stroke Severity Scale. With Gotoh’s death, not only Japanese neuroscientists but also many researchers in the field of cerebral circulation in the world have lost one of their most prominent leaders. He was an enthusiastic scientist and an outstanding mentor who was willing to offer his constructive criticism and to elaborate on his insightful ideas to everybody. His death has left an aching void in our hearts; however, his ideas, thoughts and enthusiasm, will forever remain alive in subsequent generations of scientists. References |