Understanding of functional roles and formation rules in cross-modal inhibition from motor cortices to visual cortices

2023 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 20H04492
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 90030:Cognitive science-related
• Research Institution: National Institute of Information and Communications Technology (2021-2023); Osaka University (2020)
• Principal Investigator: Morita Tomoyo 国立研究開発法人情報通信研究機構, 未来ICT研究所脳情報通信融合研究センター, 主任研究員 (60543402)
• Project Period (FY): 2020-04-01 – 2024-03-31
• Keywords: 機能的MRI / クロスモーダル抑制 / 運動 / 発達 / Negative BOLD

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Neuronal inhibition that occurs between functional brain regions is believed to allow one area to engage in a specific function without interference from unrelated regions, but the underlying mechanism is less understood. In this study, we investigated the functional roles, action dynamics, and formation process of cross-modal inhibition by focusing on the negative BOLD signals (inhibition) observed in the visual cortex during motor tasks that do not require vision. We found that inhibition in the visual cortex is related to reducing interference with other sensory information processing, that it varies depending on the activity state of the visual cortex, and that it is formed in dependence on the experience of using the visual cortex. These results suggest that during development, while the responsiveness of one sensory region increases, a system that can inhibit the area may be also formed simultaneously.

Free Research Field

神経科学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

これまで、人の脳領域間の抑制機構に関して、主に成人の脳における現象の記述に留まる程度で、その理解は遅れていた。本研究では、成人に加えて、子供、高齢者、視覚障碍者を対象として、機能的MRIを用いてクロスモーダル抑制を多角的観点から調査した。一連の結果から、ある領域が発達に伴い反応性を獲得することに加え、その領域を抑制するシステムが同時に形成されることによって、脳システムの安定した作動が実現されている可能性が示唆された。これは、人の脳に対する理解を大きく前進させるだけでなく、人工知能システムの構築に対して新たな視点を付け加える重要な意義をもつ。