Effects of visual and auditory stimuli on motion perception: A magnetencephalogram study

2019 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 17K04490
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Experimental psychology
• Research Institution: Shinshu University
• Principal Investigator: Imai Akira 信州大学, 学術研究院人文科学系, 教授 (80211754)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 田中 慶太 東京電機大学, 理工学部, 准教授 (10366403)
• Project Period (FY): 2017-04-01 – 2020-03-31
• Keywords: 運動知覚 / 脳磁図 / 仮現運動 / 視覚刺激 / 聴覚刺激 / 視聴覚複合刺激

Outline of Final Research Achievements

We examined neural basis of motion perception by magnetoencepharographic (MEG) study. We applied visual, auditory, and audiovisual multi-modal stimulations. In the visual stimulation, we presented a 2-dimentional (2D) stimulus and compared its effects to that of a 3-dimentional (3D) stimulus. In the audiovisual stimulation, there were two conditions that the spacial location of visual stimulation was set to the same as that of auditory one (same condition), and set to the different (different condition). The brain activation in connection with motion perception was transferred from the primary visual area to temporal and frontal areas, but the effects of 2D and 3D presentation was only found at posterior area. Furthermore, in the audiovisual stimulation, it was shown that the brain was activated differently between the same and the different conditions. These results suggest that the information in the brain would be transferred to the area where that information is instantly needed.

Free Research Field

実験心理学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

運動知覚の仕組みを支える脳内基盤の解明は，未だに明らかになっていない。本研究では，脳磁図(MEG)を取得して，運動に関わる脳内ネットワークの解明を目指した。その結果，運動感に関わる脳活動は他領野に伝えられる一方，立体感に関わる情報は視覚領野に留まることが示唆された。このことは，脳内ネットワークにおいては，運動などの情報の「重要性」が処理の促進と抑制を決めていることを示唆しており，脳機能解明の新たな手がかりとなる知見を得た点で，本研究結果は学術的のみならず社会的な意義も大きい成果といえる。