individual differences and neural mechanisms for muscle relaxation

2022 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 18K17866
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Basic Section 59020:Sports sciences-related
• Research Institution: Nanzan University (2019-2022); Waseda University (2018)
• Principal Investigator: KATO KOKI 南山大学, 経済学部, 准教授 (10750771)
• Project Period (FY): 2018-04-01 – 2023-03-31
• Keywords: 筋弛緩 / 反応時間 / 筋活動 / TMS

Outline of Final Research Achievements

In 2018 and 2019, we conducted some experiments on various muscles to determine individual differences for muscle relaxation. Specifically, muscle activity during contraction and relaxation of each muscle was quantified using various criteria. The results revealed that the muscle activity of contraction and relaxation differed among the various muscles and that individual differences were classified into several patterns. In 2019, we published a review article on muscle relaxation in an international journal. In 2020, we were unable to conduct sufficient experiments due to the covid-19, but from 2021, we executed several experiments about reaction time and clarified in detail the differences between short distance track and field runners and the general population.

Free Research Field

スポーツ神経科学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

これまで神経生理学の研究では、動物やヒトのある程度の個人差は無視し、集団を平均化したものを比較することで、その特徴やメカニズムを明らかにしてきた。それに対し、本研究は、複雑な動作が上手く出来る人と出来ない人の“個人差”に着目した。得られた成果は、スポーツや楽器演奏、リハビリなどのあらゆる場面において、“なぜか自分だけ出来ない”という人に対し、学習を手助けする貴重な知見となるだろう。さらに、ヒューマンインターフェース（ヒトの動作とより協調した機械の開発）や高齢者のQuality of Lifeの向上（日常生活動作遂行能力を維持・増進させるトレーニング法の開発）にも貢献できるだろう。