The brain mechanism of imagery generation process: About the functions which suppress mental imagery and visual perceptual information

• Project/Area Number: 24730616
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Experimental psychology
• Research Institution: Ibaraki University (2013-2015); Hokkaido University (2012)
• Principal Investigator: Motoyama Hiroki 茨城大学, 人文学部, 准教授 (30555230)
• Co-Investigator(Renkei-kenkyūsha): HISHITANI SHINSUKE 北海道大学, 名誉教授 (30128079) ; KAWABATA YASUHIRO 北海道大学, 大学院文学研究科, 教授 (30260392)
• Research Collaborator: IMAI FUMIHITO 北海道大学, 大学院文学研究科, 専門研究員 (40758413)
• Project Period (FY): 2012-04-01 – 2016-03-31
• Project Status: Completed (Fiscal Year 2015)
• Budget Amount: ¥4,420,000 (Direct Cost: ¥3,400,000、Indirect Cost: ¥1,020,000); Fiscal Year 2014: ¥1,300,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,000,000、Indirect Cost: ¥300,000); Fiscal Year 2013: ¥1,300,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,000,000、Indirect Cost: ¥300,000); Fiscal Year 2012: ¥1,820,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,400,000、Indirect Cost: ¥420,000)
• Keywords: 心的イメージ / 視知覚処理 / 抑制 / fMRI / 感情 / 視覚処理 / イメージ / イメージ鮮明度 / 注意

Outline of Final Research Achievements

This study examined existence of the functions which suppress mental imagery generation and inputted visual perceptual processing from external world during imagery generation.
First, It was suggested that left posterior cingulate gyrus was involved in suppression of mental imagery generation. This result corresponds to previous study of this reporter and this shows existence of this function which suppresses mental imagery generation.
Second, It was shown that the visual perceptual processing was reduced during mental imagery generation. That is, this result suggests existence of the function which suppresses the visual perceptual processing during mental imagery generation. However, the brain regions which involved in the latter function were not foundd in this study.

Research Products

• [Journal Article] The brain mechanism that reduces the vividness of negative imagery (2016)
  • Author(s): Hiroki Motoyama and Shinsuke Hishitani
  • Journal Title: Consciousness and Cognition Volume: 39 Pages: 59-69
  • DOI: 10.1016/j.concog.2015.11.006
  • Peer Reviewed / Int'l Joint Research / Acknowledgement Compliant
• [Presentation] イメージ生成中に視知覚情報処理は抑制されるか (2015)
  • Author(s): 本山宏希・菱谷晋介
  • Organizer: 日本イメージ心理学会第16回大会
  • Place of Presentation: 西南学院大学
  • Year and Date: 2015-11-28
• [Presentation] イメージと記憶の抑制 (2013)
  • Author(s): 本山宏希
  • Organizer: 日本心理学会第77会大会 公開シンポジウム 企画代表者・話題提供者
  • Place of Presentation: 札幌コンベンションセンター
• [Presentation] 修飾句付加による感情刺激の作成ー視覚イメージ対象としての使用を目的としてー (2013)
  • Author(s): 本山宏希・宮﨑拓弥・菱谷晋介
  • Organizer: 日本イメージ心理学会第14回大会
  • Place of Presentation: 常葉大学
• [Presentation] イメージ生成を抑制する機構の実在性について：fMRI実験からの検証 (2013)
  • Author(s): 本山宏希・菱谷晋介
  • Organizer: 若手イメージ研究者のためのブラッシュアップセミナー：イメージ研究における理論と実践の対話
  • Place of Presentation: 北海道大学，札幌
• [Presentation] An fMRI study of brain regions that involve suppression of memory retrieval while watching the visual stimulus (2012)
  • Author(s): Motoyama Hiroki and Hishitani Shinsuke
  • Organizer: 13th European Workshop on Imagery and Cognition
  • Place of Presentation: Ruhr-University Bochum, Germany