2005 Fiscal Year Final Research Report Summary
Research on the neural process relating to biofeedback by fMRI and MEG measurement
| Project/Area Number |
15500331
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| Research Category |
Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
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| Allocation Type | Single-year Grants |
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| Section | 一般 |
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| Research Field |
Biomedical engineering/Biological material science
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| Research Institution | Toho University |
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Principal Investigator |
NISHIMURA Chiaki Toho University, School of Medicine, Professor, 医学部, 教授 (50011193)
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| Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha) |
TERADA Kazuko Toho University, School of Medicine, Lecturer, 医学部, 講師 (10217424)
WANG Li-Qun Tokyo Denki University, Research Center for Advanced Technologies, Lecturer, 先端工学研究所, 講師 (40312037)
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| Project Period (FY) |
2003 – 2005
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| Keywords | biofeedback / fMRI / state alteration of consciousness / autonomic activity / neural model / learning / autobiographical memory / MEG |
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| Research Abstract |
Biofeedback is considered as a learning process of mind-body interaction relating to both supra- and sub-consciousness. To investigate the neural process relating to biofeedback, we conducted fMRI and MEG measurements from four viewpoints : (1)the state alteration of consciousness, (2)familiarization in information acquisition, (3)memory and imagery in mediation, and (4)neural activity in central nervous system to control autonomic system. In experiment (1), neural activity in bilateral prefrontal region was closely related to the alteration process. In experiment (2), auditory familiarization was correlated with the area change of active auditory region. In experiment (3), images associated with the autobiographical memory were shown to be effective in assisting the learning process in biofeedback. And in experiment (4), activity in autonomic nervous system was accompanied by activities in the limbic system and the ganglia as well as some cortical areas. Referring the results a mathematical model was proposed in which a learning system on the conscious level learns characteristics of a subconscious regulation system corresponding to the target biological function. When the learning converges, the learning system itself becomes an inverse system of the regulation system. Then, if a regulation command is put to the learning system on the conscious level, it drives the regulation system strictly following the command without the outer feedback pathway, which enables voluntary control of the biological function. The model well explains characteristics of biofeedback: addition of outer informational pathway in the learning process, a series of self-learning referring it,. and eventual acquisition of ability to voluntarily control the target biological function without the aid of the outer feedback pathway.
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