Effects of non-invasive stimulation to brain area relating to motivation on spinal plasticity

2017 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 16K12926
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Exploratory Research
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Rehabilitation science/Welfare engineering
• Research Institution: The University of Tokyo
• Principal Investigator: Nakazawa Kimitaka 東京大学, 大学院総合文化研究科, 教授 (90360677)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 関口 浩文 上武大学, 商学部, 教授 (20392201) ; 小幡 博基 九州工業大学, 教養教育院, 准教授 (70455377)
• Project Period (FY): 2016-04-01 – 2018-03-31
• Keywords: やる気 / リハビリテーション / 経頭蓋直流電気刺激

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The purpose of this study is to explore rehabilitation strategy that can facilitate rehabilitation outcome with enhancing patient's motivation level. To this end the transcranial direct current electrical stimulation (tDCS) was utilized to stimulate the brain area related to motivation. The operant conditioning to the spinal stretch reflex (H-reflex) was compared between two subject groups, tDCS and sham groups. The results showed that in tDCS group the H-reflex conditioning effect seemed to be higher than the Sham group. It was suggested that the higher motivation level that was augmented with tDCS can enhance spinal plasticity and as the result increase rehabilitation outcome.

Free Research Field

リハビリテーション科学