Physiological mechanism of the Forehead NIRS response during mental load

Research Project

Project/Area Number	16H02890
Research Category	Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B)
Allocation Type	Single-year Grants
Section	一般
Research Field	Kansei informatics
Research Institution	Dokkyo Medical University (2018) Osaka University (2016-2017)
Principal Investigator	Takahashi Toshimitsu 獨協医科大学, 医学部, 助教 (00250704)
Research Collaborator	Kitazawa Shigeru
Project Period (FY)	2016-04-01 – 2019-03-31
Project Status	Completed (Fiscal Year 2018)
Budget Amount *help	¥16,770,000 (Direct Cost: ¥12,900,000、Indirect Cost: ¥3,870,000) Fiscal Year 2018: ¥650,000 (Direct Cost: ¥500,000、Indirect Cost: ¥150,000) Fiscal Year 2017: ¥5,590,000 (Direct Cost: ¥4,300,000、Indirect Cost: ¥1,290,000) Fiscal Year 2016: ¥10,530,000 (Direct Cost: ¥8,100,000、Indirect Cost: ¥2,430,000)
Keywords	皮膚血流 / 感性情報学 / ヒューマンインターフェース
Outline of Final Research Achievements	Our previous study (Takahashi et al., 2011) suggested that hemodynamics in the forehead skin vessels during mental load was affected by slight change in mental state, which was difficult to measure before. The aim of this study was to explore the central mechanism of autonomic nervous system involved in the dilation of the forehead skin vessels to mental load. In the results, the hemodynamics in the forehead skin vessels during mental load was unique compared to that of the fingertips or the other face sites. We also analyzed neural activity networks using the simultaneous recording data of brain function imaging method (fMRI, MEG), blood flow on the forehead skin vessels, and pupil diameter.
Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements	前額部の近赤外分光法(NIRS)を用いた精神疾患の臨床検査では、言語課題時の前額部のNIRS波形による診断の補助法が確立しているが、一方でその前額部の信号が皮膚血流によるものが大半であるとの報告がある。本研究で、前額部の皮膚血流に精神状態を反映するとの仮説のもとに、心理負荷時の前額部皮膚血流信号を、他の身体部位の皮膚血流や種々の生理信号と同時計測することで、その生理学的機序の一端に迫ったことは、学術的に意義がある。また、「こころ」の状態を測るヒューマンインターフェースの新たな生理指標の提供という社会的な意義がある。