Functional localization and corticofugal projections of premotor areas controlling posture and reaching

2023 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 19K06934
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 46030:Function of nervous system-related
• Research Institution: University of Toyama (2020-2023); Asahikawa Medical College (2019)
• Principal Investigator: Nakajima Toshi 富山大学, 学術研究部医学系, 准教授 (00455792)
• Project Period (FY): 2019-04-01 – 2024-03-31
• Keywords: 予期的姿勢調節 / ネコ / 到達運動 / 学習

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Anticipatory postural adjustment (APA), observed in humans and quadrupeds, is a postural adjustment that occurs before the onset of overt limb movements. Empirically, APAs we humans perform in anticipation of our next action depends on the prediction strategy acquired through learning. It is hypothesized that this would be also the case in animals. To test this hypothesis in cats, we trained two cats to perform a delayed forelimb reaching task in which the target location changed regularly (every 3 trials) from left to right or right to left. The horizontal component of the center of gravity (CVP) was measured. As a result of analyzing the CVP before target onset in each trial, we found that the cat learned the regularity of changes in the target location and made APAs according to the predicted target location.

Free Research Field

システム神経科学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

歩行中の転倒予防は高齢者の生活の質を保つための最重要事項の一つである．転倒予防のためには一歩一歩を踏み出す前に適切なAPAを行うことが必要であり，これには脳幹網様体や一次運動野が関与することが示されている．更に，高齢者が日常生活を営む空間内を移動しようとするとき，空間内の障害物や危険個所の位置を記憶し，その記憶に基づいたAPAが行なわれれば，転倒リスクの更なる軽減やスムーズな移動につながると思われる。しかしながらその責任脳領域についての詳しい研究は少ない．本研究の成果は，このような記憶に基づいたAPAを生成する責任脳領域の機能を研究するための動物モデルとしてネコが使用可能であることを示した．