Measurement of brain activity related to qualia structure and pharmacological load manipulation to elucidate causal relationships

2022 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project Area: Understanding the relationship between the structure of qualia and the structure of information processing extracted from brain activity
• Project/Area Number: 20H05711
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Transformative Research Areas (B)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Review Section: Transformative Research Areas, Section (I)
• Research Institution: National Institutes for Quantum Science and Technology
• Principal Investigator: Yamada Makiko 国立研究開発法人量子科学技術研究開発機構, 量子生命科学研究所, 上席研究員 (50557444)
• Project Period (FY): 2020-10-02 – 2023-03-31
• Keywords: クオリア / 意識 / 脳イメージング

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The purpose of this study was to identify brain regions corresponding to qualia structures based on the similarity of their brain activity patterns. First, color-qualia similarity reports were conducted in all visual fields, and then color-qualia structures based on subjective reports were evaluated. We found that color qualia based on subjective reports had equivalent structures in both central and peripheral visual fields. Furthermore, we successfully extracted qualia structures from brain activity data by performing a color-qualia similarity reporting task during fMRI imaging, and established a methodology that enables the mapping of color qualia structures to brain activity. Furthermore, we conducted PET measurements targeting monoamine neurotransmitters and clarified the relationship between dopamine and serotonin and subjectivity.

Free Research Field

認知神経科学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

クオリアの構造がわかると、他の感覚意識（痛み、匂い、感情）への手法の一般化や、他人のクオリアとの比較、人間以外の生物が持っているかもしれないクオリアの理解など、意識研究の重要な基盤構築に繋がる。社会的還元としては、例えば、盲人に触覚・聴覚を通して視覚入力を行う「感覚代行」の技術の洗練化や、言語コミュニケーションの取れない脳損傷患者や未熟児などとのコミュニケーションを可能にする技術にもつながり、臨床・工学・社会への応用が期待できる。意識の質を明らかにする測定技術とデータ解析法の開発は、情報表現やネットワーク解析などの他分野へ広く波及すると期待できる。