Investigation of human time perception: a case study of amnesia

2018 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project Area: The Science of Mental Time: investigation into the past, present, and future
• Project/Area Number: 25119006
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research on Innovative Areas (Research in a proposed research area)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Review Section: Complex systems
• Research Institution: Showa University
• Principal Investigator: Kawamura Mitsuru 昭和大学, 医学部, 客員教授 (20161375)
• Project Period (FY): 2013-06-28 – 2018-03-31
• Keywords: 時間処理障害 / パーキンソン病 / 辺縁系脳炎 / 分離脳 / 作話 / 見当識障害 / 展望記憶 / 成人発達障害

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The present study has the following findings: 1) Time compression in PD internal clock may be entrained even after learning accurate time duration. This may be associated with disrupted cognition in PD; 2) these is impaired cross-modal function for vision/olfaction due to posterior putamen deficit. Cross-modal dysfunction may serve as the basis of a novel precursor for PD; 3) AD patients alternate past and present without complete awareness and cannot imagine a future other than one ending in death; 4) Correct age awareness is essential for realistic recognition of the remote past in relation to the present.

Free Research Field

脳科学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究の学術的意義は多岐に渡る神経疾患の障害を横断的に検討することによって「こころの時間」を生成・表出・保持するメカニズムが脳部位ごとに分かれており、またそれぞれの機能によって中心的な役割を担う脳部位があることを示した点である。一方社会的意義としては、これらの研究成果は疾患の診断に有用である点、また治療法の選択肢が増えることで、患者の希望に合わせたより柔軟な治療方針を作成するのに役立つと考えられる。