Elucidating the Neural Basis of Hand Choice: Focusing on the Frontal-Parietal Network

2023 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 21K20293
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Research Activity Start-up
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: 0110:Psychology and related fields
• Research Institution: Waseda University
• Principal Investigator: Hirayama Kento 早稲田大学, 人間科学学術院, その他(招聘研究員) (00907131)
• Project Period (FY): 2021-08-30 – 2024-03-31
• Keywords: 手の選択 / 行動選択 / 意思決定 / 脳波 / 経頭蓋交流電気刺激法 / 神経リハビリテーション

Outline of Final Research Achievements

This study aimed to elucidate the brain networks involved in hand choice. By using EEG and non-invasive neuromodulation methods, we focused on the posterior parietal cortex (PPC) and the premotor cortex (PMC), which are predicted to play significant roles in hand choice, and investigated their relationship with hand choice. The EEG experiments suggested that the activities of the PPC and PMC in the 15-30 Hz and 45-60 Hz EEG frequency bands were highly correlated with hand choice. In the brain stimulation experiments, we have not yet collected the planned number of subject data and are currently continuing the measurements. This study suggests that the network between the PMC and PPC is crucial for hand choice.

Free Research Field

認知神経科学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究では、これまで明らかでなかった運動前野と後頭頂葉のネットワークが手の選択に重要な役割をもつことを、脳波計と脳刺激法を用いて示した。脳刺激法によって、手の選択傾向を変化させることができれば、脳卒中後の片麻痺患者の麻痺手の使用を促し、麻痺手の機能向上のためのリハビリテーションとして応用する可能性が期待される。今後は、脳卒中患者に対する臨床研究に発展させる予定である。