Neural Mechanism of Individual Differences in Working Memory Capacity: Studies from a Perspective of Functional Hierarchical Organization of the Brain

• Project/Area Number: 16K21689
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Cognitive science; Experimental psychology
• Research Institution: Shimane University (2018-2019); National Institute of Information and Communications Technology (2016-2017)
• Principal Investigator: Minamoto Takehiro 島根大学, 学術研究院人間科学系, 准教授 (40611306)
• Project Period (FY): 2016-04-01 – 2020-03-31
• Project Status: Completed (Fiscal Year 2019)
• Budget Amount: ¥3,770,000 (Direct Cost: ¥2,900,000、Indirect Cost: ¥870,000); Fiscal Year 2018: ¥910,000 (Direct Cost: ¥700,000、Indirect Cost: ¥210,000); Fiscal Year 2017: ¥1,820,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,400,000、Indirect Cost: ¥420,000); Fiscal Year 2016: ¥1,040,000 (Direct Cost: ¥800,000、Indirect Cost: ¥240,000)
• Keywords: ワーキングメモリ / 前頭前野 / 脳機能画像法 / 個人差 / 機能的結合 / 脳機能 / 注意 / 前頭葉 / 実験心理学 / 認知科学

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The present study elucidated neural mechanism mediating individual differences in working memory capacity. Mainly focusing on function of the lateral prefrontal cortex (lPFC), the present project not only investigated activity level of the lPFC, but also functional coupling of the lPFC during task-related and task-free states. Three possible neural mechanisms are proposed to mediate individual differences in working memory capacity, which need to be validated by further investigations.

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

近年では，前頭前野の活動だけでなく，前頭前野と他の脳領域との連携が，高度な認知機能にとって重要な役割を果たすことが示されている。本研究により，ワーキングメモリ機能の個人差においても領域間の連携が関与することが示唆されたことから，認知機能の改善を目指すプログラムを考案する上では，これらの神経メカニズムを念頭に置きながら研究開発を進めるべきであると言える。

Research Products

• [Journal Article] Activity in the dorsal ACC causes deterioration of sequential motor performance due to anxiety (2019)
  • Author(s): Ganesh Gowrishankar、Minamoto Takehiro、Haruno Masahiko
  • Journal Title: Nature Communications Volume: 10 Issue: 1 Pages: 4287-4287
  • DOI: 10.1038/s41467-019-12205-6
  • Peer Reviewed / Open Access / Int'l Joint Research
• [Journal Article] Moderate sedation induced by general anaesthetics disrupts audio-spatial feature binding with sustained P3 components in healthy humans (2018)
  • Author(s): Minamoto, T., Ikeda, T., Kang, H., Ito, H., Vitayaburananont, P., Nakae, A., Hagihira, S., Fujino, Y., Mashimo, T., and Osaka, M.
  • Journal Title: Neuroscience of Consciousness Volume: 4 Issue: 1
  • DOI: 10.1093/nc/niy002
  • Peer Reviewed / Open Access / Int'l Joint Research
• [Journal Article] Effects of sedation on subjective perception of pain intensity and autonomic nervous responses to pain: A preliminary study (2017)
  • Author(s): Kang Hongling、Nakae Aya、Ito Hiroshi、Vitayaburananont Piyasak、Minamoto Takehiro、Ikeda Takashi、Osaka Mariko、Mashimo Takashi、Fujino Yuji、Hagihira Satoshi
  • Journal Title: PLOS ONE Volume: 12 Issue: 9 Pages: e0183635-e0183635
  • DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0183635
  • Peer Reviewed / Open Access / Int'l Joint Research
• [Journal Article] Neural mechanisms of individual differences in working memory capacity: Observations from functional neuroimaging studies (2017)
  • Author(s): Minamoto, T., Tsubomi, H., and Osaka, N.
  • Journal Title: Current Directions in Psychological Science Volume: 印刷中
  • Peer Reviewed / Open Access / Acknowledgement Compliant
• [Presentation] 認知的なストレスと情動的なストレスは脳のどこで統合されるのか？ (2019)
  • Author(s): 源健宏・春野雅彦
  • Organizer: 日本心理学会第83回大会
• [Presentation] 低酸素環境下ではリスキーな判断をしやすくなる (2019)
  • Author(s): 川上直秋・辻本健彦・源健宏
  • Organizer: 日本心理学会第83回大会
• [Presentation] 音楽性を支える脳の仕組み (2018)
  • Author(s): 源 健宏
  • Organizer: 日本音楽教育学会 第49回大会
• [Presentation] 加害者と結びつくポジティブな感情情報の想起は許しを促すのか？ (2018)
  • Author(s): 源 健宏
  • Organizer: 日本心理学会第82回大会
• [Presentation] 怒りがもたらす負の記憶検索の向進と正の記憶検索の抑圧 (2018)
  • Author(s): 源健宏・春野雅彦
  • Organizer: 日本心理学会第81回大会
• [Presentation] 感情的妨害効果の制御に関わる前部帯状回とその機能分離：感情と認知ストレスを付加的に操作したfMRI研究 (2017)
  • Author(s): 源健宏・春野雅彦
  • Organizer: 第40回日本神経科学大会
• [Presentation] The Prefrontal Cortex, A Critical Source for Individual Differences in Working Memory Capacity. (2016)
  • Author(s): Minamoto, T.
  • Organizer: The 31st International Congress of Psychology
  • Place of Presentation: Pacifico Yokohama (Minatomirai, Yokohama-shi Nishi-ku, Kanagawa, Japan)
  • Year and Date: 2016-07-25
  • Int'l Joint Research
• [Presentation] An Effect of Positive Emotion on Working Memory Depends on Stimulus Type and Task Difficulty: An fMRI Study. (2016)
  • Author(s): Minamoto, T., Yaoi, K., Osaka, M. and Osaka, N.
  • Organizer: 第40回日本神経科学大会
  • Place of Presentation: パシフィコ横浜（神奈川県横浜市西区みなとみらい）
  • Year and Date: 2016-07-21
• [Book] 心理学実験 (2019)
  • Author(s): 山口 真美、金沢 創、河原 純一郎
  • Total Pages: 240
  • Publisher: 遠見書房
  • ISBN: 9784866160566
• [Book] 生理心理学と精神生理学 第III巻 展開 (2018)
  • Author(s): 堀 忠雄、尾崎 久記、室橋 春光、苧阪 満里子
  • Total Pages: 380
  • Publisher: 北大路書房
  • ISBN: 4762830194
• [Book] 絆の音楽性 (2018)
  • Author(s): スティーヴン マロック、コルウィン トレヴァーセン、根ケ山 光一、今川 恭子
  • Total Pages: 656
  • Publisher: 音楽之友社
  • ISBN: 9784276139091
• [Remarks] Takehiro's HP
  • URL: http://hp4takehiro.html.xdomain.jp/
• [Remarks] Takehiro's HP
  • URL: http://hp4takehiro.html.xdomain.jp/index.html