Investigation of brain regions associated with central command during exercise

2020 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 19K24333
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Research Activity Start-up
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: 0909:Sports sciences, physical education, health sciences, and related fields
• Research Institution: National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology
• Principal Investigator: Asahara Ryota 国立研究開発法人産業技術総合研究所, 情報・人間工学領域, 研究員 (90847584)
• Project Period (FY): 2019-08-30 – 2021-03-31
• Keywords: 随意運動 / 循環調節 / セントラルコマンド / 運動イメージ / 床歩行 / 巧緻運動

Outline of Final Research Achievements

A feedforward signal descending from higher brain centers (termed central command) plays an important role in autonomic control of the cardiovascular system during exercise. However, little is known about the neural circuits responsible for generating central command. In the current study, concentration of the oxygenated hemoglobin (Oxy-Hb, as an index of tissue blood flow) in the ventrolateral and dorsolateral prefrontal cortices increased prior to the onset of arbitrary walking, suggesting that the activation in the prefrontal regions may be in association with central command. Furthermore, we demonstrated that contralateral skillful hand movement evoked a selective increase in Oxy-Hb of the noncontracting forearm muscle. It is suggested that the increased muscle Oxy-Hb may be mediated, at least partly, by central command.

Free Research Field

運動生理学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究成果は、ヒトの手指運動時の骨格筋血流量増加に見込み的循環指令に関わっている可能性を、この循環指令の生成に大脳皮質前頭前野の一部領域が関わっている可能性を示唆する。大脳皮質前頭前野は、ヒトならびに動物実験で積極的に研究が進められている脳領域で、この領域の有する多種多様な高次脳機能が明らかにされてきている。本研究は、前頭前野の新しい役割についての示唆を与える。この知見から、将来的に運動時における中枢性循環調節機構が解明されれば、教育生理学に限らず、運動科学、リハビリテーション医学など幅広い学問の進展に貢献できるだろう。