Can Onomatopoeia modulate the efficiency of human movement? - insights gained from higher brain function-

2023 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 18K10821
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 59020:Sports sciences-related
• Research Institution: Tohoku Bunka Gakuen University
• Principal Investigator: FURUBAYASHI Toshiaki 東北文化学園大学, 健康社会システム研究科, 教授 (80583963)
• Project Period (FY): 2018-04-01 – 2024-03-31
• Keywords: オノマトペ / 運動制御 / 中枢神経系

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Movements include motor forms such as strength, speed, and timing that are coordinated with movements of power and dexterity. When humans perform these forms of movements, they experience that the use of onomatopoeia (OP), which represents the movements, facilitates the movements. The purpose of this study is to physiologically examine this experiential effect. To this end, the participants were asked to perform a motor task using OPs that represent strength and speed, and the activation state of the central nervous system was observed using transcranial magnetic stimulation and F waves. The results suggest that the OP may reduce the load on the primary motor cortex and increase excitability in the anterior horn cells of the spinal cord in order to exert the prescribed power level.

Free Research Field

運動生理学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

我々が行う日常の活動において、高い筋力発揮を求められる場面や巧緻性の高い運動ではむしろ力の発揮レベルを抑制した方がよい場合もある。実践すべき運動をイメージしやすいオノマトペを用いることで運動を上手に制御できることが明確に証明できれば、上手な力の入れ方が分からなかったり、タイミングの取り方が苦手であったり、リラックスできずに力み過ぎで運動が上手にできない場合の改善策として、オノマトペを積極的に用いらせる根拠にもなる。体育やスポーツの指導場面だけでなく、リハビリテーションや福祉領域の介護の場面でも応用可能となるはずである。