A Neuroimaging Study of Japanese Lexical and Sentential Processing

2009 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 18320062
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Linguistics
• Research Institution: Tohoku University
• Principal Investigator: MIYAMOTO Tadao Tohoku University, 大学院・国際文化研究科, 教授 (30374979)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): RIERA Jorge 東北大学, 加齢医学研究所, 准教授 (80374982)
• Co-Investigator(Renkei-kenkyūsha): YOKOYAMA Satoru 東北大学, 加齢医学研究科, 助教 (20451627) ; GOTO Takakuni 東北大学, 加齢医学研究所, 教育研究支援者 (40447181)
• Research Collaborator: OSHIMA Hideki 東北大学, 大学院・国際文化研究科・博士課程後期 ; KAMBARA Toshimune 東北大学, 加齢医学研究所医科学専攻博士課程 ; SUMIYOSHI Akira 東北大学, 加齢医学研究所医科学専攻博士課程 ; HATANAKA Rieko (森戸 里衣子) 東北大学, 加齢医学研究所医科学専攻博士課程 ; OGAWA Takeshi 東北大学, 加齢医学研究所医科学専攻博士課程
• Project Period (FY): 2006 – 2009
• Keywords: 言語の生物学的基盤

Research Abstract

To understand the nature of Japanese language processing, this research project based on neuroimaging techniques examined lexical, morphological, sentential, and pragmatic aspects of the language. The Japanese language processing was also examined by contrasting the performance of native speakers with that of non-native speakers. These fMRI studies were able to demonstrate that some aspects of the Japanese language processing is unique、while some others are universal in nature. In addition, we conducted basic neurological studies in which we proposed a new methodology for simultaneous recording of EEG and fMRI and provided a new insight for better understanding of EEG source localization.

Research Products

• [Journal Article] Brain Oscillations : Ideal Scenery to Understand the Neurovascular Coupling (2010)
  • Author(s): Riera J., A. Sumiyoshi
  • Journal Title: Current Opinion in Neurology (印刷中)
  • Peer Reviewed
• [Journal Article] Lexical Categories and the Human Brain : An fMRI Study (2010)
  • Author(s): Kambara T., S. Yokoyama, K. Takahashi, N. Miura, T. Miyamoto, D. Takahashi, S. Sato, R. Kawashima
  • Journal Title: Studies in Language Sciences (印刷中)
  • Peer Reviewed
• [Journal Article] Working Memory System as a Sentence Processor in the Human Brain (2007)
  • Author(s): Yokoyama, S., K. Takahashi, T. Kambara, T. Miyamoto, K. Yoshimoto, R. Kawashima
  • Journal Title: IEICE Technical Report TL2007-9～33 Pages: 89-92
  • Peer Reviewed
• [Journal Article] Cortical Mechanisms Involved in the Processing of Verbs : An fMRI Study (2006)
  • Author(s): Yokoyama, S., T. Miyamoto, J. Riera, J. Kim, Y. Akitsuki, K. Iwata, K. Yoshimoto, K. Horie, S. Sato, R. Kawashima
  • Journal Title: Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience 18 Pages: 1304-1313
  • Peer Reviewed
• [Presentation] Kanji and Kana Processing (2009)
  • Author(s): Tadao Miyamoto
  • Organizer: Cuban Neuroscience Center and Department of Foreign Languages・Havana University
  • Place of Presentation: キューバ・ハバナ(招待講演)
  • Year and Date: 2009-09-08
• [Presentation] The Most Important Neuronal Signatures in Neuroimaging : A View of the Mesoscale (2009)
  • Author(s): Jorge Riera
  • Organizer: 24^<th> Annual Meeting of Japan Biomagnetism and Bioelectromagnetics Society
  • Place of Presentation: 金沢
  • Year and Date: 2009-05-29