Manual movement can enhance the higher brain function related to body recognition

2021 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 18K10959
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 59030:Physical education, and physical and health education-related
• Research Institution: Nagoya Institute of Technology
• Principal Investigator: Wasaka Toshiaki 名古屋工業大学, 工学(系)研究科(研究院), 准教授 (60390697)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 木田 哲夫 愛知県医療療育総合センター発達障害研究所, 障害システム研究部, 室長 (80419861)
• Project Period (FY): 2018-04-01 – 2022-03-31
• Keywords: 巧緻的運動 / 手指 / 身体認識 / 脳磁図

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Since the cortical areas that innervating the fingers is wider than those of other body parts, it is assumed that the movement of the fingers activates large cortical network in relation to motor control and higher brain function. In this study, we investigated what kind of finger movement activates the sensorimotor region of the brain, and investigated the effect of that movement on higher brain function.
We found that manipulating an object with fingers could enhance the information processing in sensorimotor areas. Furthermore, this manual movement promoted the higher brain function. The results showed that the reaction time to the image of the finger with movement was significantly reduced, whereas there was no difference in the reaction time with the image of the finger without movement. From these findings, present study clarified that the dexterous movement of the fingers affected on the brain function related to the recognition of the body.

Free Research Field

運動生理学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

運動が脳機能に与える影響は注目されており、ジョギングやサイクリングといった全身を用いた持久的運動が認知機能を高めることは一致した見解である。本研究は、全身運動ではなく、局所的な身体運動においても脳機能を高めることができるのかを検討するものである。手指を用いた局所的な運動は、いつでも手軽に行うことが出来るため、小児から高齢者までの幅広い年齢層に対して、高次脳機能を高める新しい神経トレーニング法となる可能性を秘めている。