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The factors that determine the brain plastic changes and its functional role in various athletes

Research Project

Project/Area Number 20K19584
Research Category

Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists

Allocation TypeMulti-year Fund
Review Section Basic Section 59020:Sports sciences-related
Research InstitutionWaseda University

Principal Investigator

Nakagawa Kento  早稲田大学, スポーツ科学学術院, 講師(任期付) (80735457)

Project Period (FY) 2020-04-01 – 2023-03-31
Project Status Discontinued (Fiscal Year 2022)
Budget Amount *help
¥4,160,000 (Direct Cost: ¥3,200,000、Indirect Cost: ¥960,000)
Fiscal Year 2022: ¥520,000 (Direct Cost: ¥400,000、Indirect Cost: ¥120,000)
Fiscal Year 2021: ¥1,430,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,100,000、Indirect Cost: ¥330,000)
Fiscal Year 2020: ¥2,210,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,700,000、Indirect Cost: ¥510,000)
KeywordsMRI / 脳の可塑性 / アスリート / H反射 / 可塑性
Outline of Research at the Start

アスリートの巧みな運動を支える脳は一般人と比べて特殊であることは知られているが、特に運動を司る一次運動野の変化パターンはアスリートによって異なる。本研究では、アスリートの一次運動野機能・構造の変化パターンがどのような要因で決定されるか、またパターンごとの機能的役割を明らかにすることを目的とする。MRIにて様々な競技のアスリートの脳機能・構造を計測し、競技タイプごとにどのような一次運動野の特徴があるかを検討する。

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The objective of the current study series was to investigate the difference in the brain structure of elite athletes depending on type of sports and athletic level. We examined the characteristics of brain structures in various types of athletes using 3-Tesla MRI. Results showed that 1) higher white matter volume of cerebellum in baseball athletes, 2) higher gray matter and white matter volume of parietal lobe in elite skiers, and 3) higher gray matter volume of cerebellum and hypothalamus, and increased volume of dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and precuneus with increasing athletic level in swimmers. These brain characteristics likely reflect the properties of each sport.

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

アスリートの競技力を高めるために脳を中心とする神経系の貢献は少しずつ理解が進んでいる。一方で、競技力を高めるための中枢神経系への介入やトレーニングをどのように実施すればよいのかはほとんどわかっていない。その原因の一つとして、競技によって脳の特徴が異なることが予想されるため、現状打破の第一歩として、脳の可塑的変化における競技特異性を検討する必要がある。本研究では、従来の研究で多く行われてきた非運動選手との比較ではなく、他競技選手との比較を行い、競技特異的な脳の特徴を明らかにしたことで、競技によって介入する脳領域を変える必要性があるかもしれないということを提言できる。

Report

(3 results)
  • 2022 Final Research Report ( PDF )
  • 2021 Annual Research Report
  • 2020 Research-status Report
  • Research Products

    (6 results)

All 2022 2021 2020

All Journal Article (5 results) (of which Int'l Joint Research: 1 results,  Peer Reviewed: 5 results,  Open Access: 3 results) Presentation (1 results)

  • [Journal Article] Difference in gaze control ability between low and high skill players of a real-time strategy game in esports2022

    • Author(s)
      Jeong I, Nakagawa K, Osu R, Kanosue K.
    • Journal Title

      PLOS ONE

      Volume: 17 Issue: 3 Pages: e0265526-e0265526

    • DOI

      10.1371/journal.pone.0265526

    • Related Report
      2021 Annual Research Report
    • Peer Reviewed / Open Access
  • [Journal Article] Dynamic Control of Upper Limb Stretch Reflex in Wrestlers2021

    • Author(s)
      Ito S, Nakagawa K, Nakajima T, Iteya M, Crawshaw L, Kanosue K.
    • Journal Title

      Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise

      Volume: 54 Issue: 2 Pages: 313-320

    • DOI

      10.1249/mss.0000000000002799

    • Related Report
      2021 Annual Research Report
    • Peer Reviewed / Open Access / Int'l Joint Research
  • [Journal Article] Para-Sports can Promote Functional Reorganization in the Ipsilateral Primary Motor Cortex of Lower Limbs Amputee2021

    • Author(s)
      Nakanishi T, Mizuguchi N, Nakagawa K, Nakazawa K.
    • Journal Title

      Neurorehabilitation and Neural Repair

      Volume: 35 Issue: 12 Pages: 1112-1123

    • DOI

      10.1177/15459683211056660

    • Related Report
      2021 Annual Research Report
    • Peer Reviewed / Open Access
  • [Journal Article] Specific Brain Reorganization Underlying Superior Upper Limb Motor Function After Spinal Cord Injury: A Multimodal MRI Study2021

    • Author(s)
      Nakanishi Tomoya、Nakagawa Kento、Kobayashi Hirofumi、Kudo Kazutoshi、Nakazawa Kimitaka
    • Journal Title

      Neurorehabilitation and Neural Repair

      Volume: 35 Issue: 3 Pages: 220-232

    • DOI

      10.1177/1545968321989347

    • Related Report
      2020 Research-status Report
    • Peer Reviewed
  • [Journal Article] Sports Exercise can Induce Cortical Expansion of Upper Limb in Individuals with Complete Spinal Cord Injury2020

    • Author(s)
      中西 智也、中川 剣人、小林 裕央、中澤 公孝
    • Journal Title

      Physical Therapy Japan

      Volume: 47 Issue: 6 Pages: 577-586

    • DOI

      10.15063/rigaku.11790

    • NAID

      130007957881

    • ISSN
      0289-3770, 2189-602X
    • Related Report
      2020 Research-status Report
    • Peer Reviewed
  • [Presentation] 野球選手に特異的な脳構造2021

    • Author(s)
      中川剣人, 石田佳輝, 彼末一之
    • Organizer
      第76回日本体力医学会大会
    • Related Report
      2021 Annual Research Report

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Published: 2020-04-28   Modified: 2024-01-30  

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