New approach for neurorehabilitation with the intermanual transfer

2023 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 20K11213
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 59010:Rehabilitation science-related
• Research Institution: Fukushima Medical University
• Principal Investigator: Ryoji Fukabori 福島県立医科大学, 医学部, 助教 (40457784)
• Project Period (FY): 2020-04-01 – 2024-03-31
• Keywords: intermanual transfer

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Memory of movement learning with a hand or a foot are stored in the corresponding cortical motor cortex. It has been suggested that these memories also affect the other hand or foot. In the present study, to evaluate the interference of movement learning between hands, rats learned a lever-pressing action in one forelimb (original learning) and the then learned same action in the opposite forelimb (transfer learning). Rats were assigned to two groups. Rats in the long training group had 400 trials in the original learning period, whereas rats in the short training group had 40 trials in the original learning period. In the long training group, the response time from the onset of trial start tone to the end of lever-pressing was shorter than in the short training group. The number of immature responses of lever-pressing action was less in the long training group. These results indicate that the movement memory formed by the long training period influenced the contralateral movement.

Free Research Field

Neuroscience, Behavioral Science

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究は頭部拘束型オペラント実験装置を用いて、ラットの一方の前肢の動作学習が反対側の前肢の動作学習に影響を与えることを示し、げっ歯類を用いて両手間転移が起こることを明らかにした。人を被験者とした研究で示されていた動作の反応スピードや正確さに関する結果と同様に、ラットの行動でも反応時間や正確さについて評価できた。人における研究では非侵襲的な手法しか用いることができなかったが、ラットにおける侵襲的な研究を推し進めることによってより詳細な神経回路基盤を解明することができる。本研究を発展させ、脳機能障害モデル動物の研究を進め、神経科学的な知見に基づいたリハビリテーションの発展に寄与する。