| Project/Area Number |
18K19492
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| Research Category |
Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Research (Exploratory)
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| Allocation Type | Multi-year Fund |
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| Review Section |
Medium-sized Section 51:Brain sciences and related fields
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| Research Institution | University of Tsukuba |
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Principal Investigator |
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| Project Period (FY) |
2018-06-29 – 2021-03-31
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| Project Status |
Completed (Fiscal Year 2020)
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| Budget Amount *help |
¥6,500,000 (Direct Cost: ¥5,000,000、Indirect Cost: ¥1,500,000)
Fiscal Year 2020: ¥2,080,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,600,000、Indirect Cost: ¥480,000)
Fiscal Year 2019: ¥2,210,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,700,000、Indirect Cost: ¥510,000)
Fiscal Year 2018: ¥2,210,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,700,000、Indirect Cost: ¥510,000)
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| Keywords | 光遺伝学 / サル / 認知機能 / 前頭葉 / 線条体 / 計算論 / 価値判断 / 脳 / 動物モデル / 意欲 / 判断 / 光操作 / 霊長類 |
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| Outline of Final Research Achievements |
We conducted experiments for the purpose of establishing a method of applying optogenetics to primates. Among the cortico-striatal projection observed in a wide area in the brain, the activity of the fronto-striatal projection is manipulated in the striatum. An experiment was conducted to clarify the mechanism that causes the activity of striatal neurons by cortical inputs. After recording and analyzing neural activity from the prefrontal cortex where the virus was injected, the virus was injected and the striatum of the brain region and the projection region was light-stimulated.
When the striatum was stimulated optically, few responding cells were observed, so light stimulation of the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex at the injection site was performed. As a result, it was confirmed that a small number of responding cells were observed. In the future, I hope to continue to improve the current method and lead the experiment to success.
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| Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements |
本研究は、神経科学の最先端の技術として開発が進む光遺伝学の技術を霊長類に適用することを目指して研究を行った。現在、神経科学は様々な技術開発が進み転換期を迎えている。新たな実験技術を導入・適用することで、これまで調べることが難しかった脳の活動の仕組みを、ヒト認知機能のモデル動物のサルで調べることを目指した本研究は、ヒトの心が生まれる仕組みの解明に繋がる可能性を持つ。今後、更に方法を精査することで、本研究の更なる成功により、霊長類の脳が複雑な認知機能を生み出す仕組みの解明に繋がると期待される。
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