Unvealing a functional implication of beta oscillations in the motor cortex

2017 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 15K01854
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Brain biometrics
• Research Institution: Tohoku University
• Principal Investigator: Watanabe Hidenori 東北大学, 医学系研究科, 助教 (00407686)
• Co-Investigator(Renkei-kenkyūsha): MUSHIAKE Hajime 東北大学, 大学院医学系研究科, 教授 (80219849) ; TAKAHASHI Kazutaka 東北大学, 大学院医学系研究科, 講師 (90797945) ; KAJITA Yuki 東北大学, 大学院医学系研究科, 助手 (00791849) ; Nambu Atsushi 生理学研究所, システム脳科学研究領域, 教授 (80180553) ; CHIKEN Satomi 生理学研究所, システム脳科学研究領域, 助教 (30396262) ; SANO Hiromi 生理学研究所, システム脳科学研究領域, 助教 (00363755) ; KOBAYASHI Kenta 生理学研究所, ウィルスベクター開発室, 准教授 (70315662) ; HOSAKA Ryosuke 福岡大学, 理学部, 助教 (80569210)
• Project Period (FY): 2015-04-01 – 2018-03-31
• Keywords: ベータ波 / オプトジェネティス / サル / 皮質運動野

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Beta oscillation is generally known as neural oscillation related to movements with a frequency range between 12 and 30 Hz. It, however, remains unclear what type of information is carried in beta oscillation. Optogenetics is capable of manipulating neural activity by targeting specific cells at millisecond precision. The proposed research will investigate if modulation of beta oscillations induced optogenetically can cause any changes in arm movement of macaque monkeys, thereby elucidating causality between beta oscillation and motor output. Our preliminary results showed a high level of expression of light-gated ion channel (ChR2) in the primary motor cortex in monkeys, and arm-movements were induced by optical stimuli. Thus, our results will be a basis to use optogenetic approaches to macaque monkeys in order to enhance our understanding of motor cortical circuits and their relation to behaviors.

Free Research Field

神経科学