Functional regeneration program for the damaged brain with hemispatial apraxia using the stereoscopic sensory stimulation and transcranial alternating current stimulation.

2022 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 17K01527
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Rehabilitation science/Welfare engineering
• Research Institution: International University of Health and Welfare
• Principal Investigator: Goto Yoshinobu 国際医療福祉大学, 医学部, 教授 (30336028)
• Project Period (FY): 2017-04-01 – 2023-03-31
• Keywords: 半側空間失認 / 立体感覚刺激 / 経頭蓋交流刺激 / 誘発電位

Outline of Final Research Achievements

To evaluate the 3D-visuo-auditory stimulation to promote the reorganization of the damaged brain with unilateral spatial agnosia (USA). 3D-visuo-auditory movies were presented to the healthy adults and USA patients, aged from 40 to 60 years, for 2 hours a day for 2 weeks. The effects of stimulation were checked by the psychophysical and electromagnetic examinations with visual 3D optic flow stimulation. Transcranial alternating current stimulation (t-ACS) at 10 Hz for 20 min during video presentation was also studied. As a result, the motion recognition threshold was recovered in the healthy and USA groups after this 3D-visuo-auditory training. No significant changes were observed in electrophysiological examinations after t-ACS. Therefore, these results suggest that the sensory stimulation may be able to reorganize the elderly brain function. However, further studies should be needed to decide the optimal parameters for the t-ACS.

Free Research Field

リハビリテーション科学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究では、健常脳と障害脳(USA脳)での立体感覚(視覚)に伴う脳内情報処理メカニズムの相違を解析したことで、USA脳での脳内情報処理ネットワークの時間的・空間的機能連関の一端を明らかにでき、USA脳での情報処理障害モデルの基礎となる結果を得られた。また、脳波周期活動への作用が考えられるt-ACSの効果を明確にすることができず、t-ACSの最適刺激条件を見つけ出すまでには至らなかった。今後、t-ACSの最適条件の設定ができれば、USAに対する部位特異的効果を長期間発揮するニューロリハビリテーションを提案することも可能となると思われる。