Development of a magnetic stimulation method for magnetic pharmacy: application of a sparse modeling method to magnetic stimulation systems

2021 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 19H04178
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 61040:Soft computing-related
• Research Institution: Hokkaido University
• Principal Investigator: Tateno Takashi 北海道大学, 情報科学研究院, 教授 (00314401)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 神保 泰彦 東京大学, 大学院工学系研究科(工学部), 教授 (20372401)
• Project Period (FY): 2019-04-01 – 2022-03-31
• Keywords: 磁気刺激

Outline of Final Research Achievements

We aimed to develop a new technology that can provide minimally invasive magnetic stimulation to the central nervous system. In the technology, coil devices locally drive the brain, and evoked neural signals are accurately sent to targeted internal organs and peripheral system effectors, resulting in the effective releases of synthetic substances produced in our own bodies. We have developed coils that are smaller and more efficient than conventional magnetic stimulation coils for animal experiments. As magnetic stimulation devices, millimeter- to micro-sized coils were manufactured using microfabrication technology. In animal experiments, we evaluated evoked responses in the brain by using the fabricated coils. As a result, evoke neural responses were obtained by the stimulation devices in accordance with their original design. Our results are expected to contribute to the development of magnetic stimulators for humans with higher spatial localization and efficiency in the future.

Free Research Field

神経工学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究課題の最終的な狙いは，脳疾患の治療や体内合成物質を効果的に放出させる脳刺激法に関する新技術の開発である．本研究課題の実施によって，空間的な刺激局所性を実現するコイルの製作に目処が立った．今後は，さらに空間局在性を向上させると共に，深部到達性を向上させる磁気刺激デバイス構成の開発を行いたいと考えている．将来的には，体内生産物質を効果的に利用する新分野の創成に寄与することが目標である．