Human responses to inhalation of emissions from timber on psychological and physiological factors: objective evaluations by functional brain imaging

2017 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 15H04090
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Architectural environment/Equipment
• Research Institution: Kindai University
• Principal Investigator: AZUMA Kenichi 近畿大学, 医学部, 准教授 (80469246)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 磯田 則生 奈良女子大学, その他部局等, 名誉教授 (60016871) ; 久保 博子 奈良女子大学, 生活環境科学系, 教授 (90186437) ; 東 実千代 畿央大学, 健康科学部, 教授 (10314527) ; 萬羽 郁子 東京学芸大学, 教育学部, 講師 (20465470)
• Project Period (FY): 2015-04-01 – 2018-03-31
• Keywords: 脳血流量 / 脳波 / におい / 木材 / 放散物質

Outline of Final Research Achievements

We examined human responses to inhalation of emissions from timber on psychological and physiological factors using functional brain imaging. Nasal region of healthy subjects was exposed to non-odorant, plywood, and cedar timbers that dehydration temperature and/or production region were different. Regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) in prefrontal cortex and electroencephalogram (EEG) were simultaneously measured. Result indicated the activation of rCBF significantly increased in plywood that emission of formaldehyde were the highest. The result suggested the plywood acted as irritation to nose of the subjects. Cedar timber that were produced at middle dehydration temperature rather than lower and higher temperature, showed good responses in human brain imaging both rCBF and EEG. This suggests the subjects received irritation and discomfort from timber of lower dehydration temperature because the emission of total volatile organic compound was the highest at natural air-dried timber.

Free Research Field

衛生・公衆衛生学、健康リスク評価学、疫学