2017 Fiscal Year Final Research Report
Brain mechanisms behind executive function: Uncovering operating principles of the mind by applying innovative techniques to the structural and functional organizations of neural circuits
| Project/Area Number |
24223004
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| Research Category |
Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (S)
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| Allocation Type | Single-year Grants |
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| Research Field |
Experimental psychology
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| Research Institution | Tohoku University |
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Principal Investigator |
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| Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha) |
大原 慎也 東北大学, 生命科学研究科, 助教 (10570038)
渡辺 正孝 公益財団法人東京都医学総合研究所, 認知症・高次脳機能研究分野, 特任研究員 (50092383)
櫻井 芳雄 同志社大学, 脳科学研究科, 教授 (60153962)
飯島 敏夫 東北大学, 生命科学研究科, 名誉教授 (90333830)
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| Co-Investigator(Renkei-kenkyūsha) |
FUJIWARA Juri 福島県立医科大学, 医学部, 助教 (30569322)
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| Project Period (FY) |
2012-05-31 – 2017-03-31
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| Keywords | 高次脳機能 / 単一ニューロン電気穿孔法 / 経頭蓋磁気刺激 |
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| Outline of Final Research Achievements |
Using in-vivo single neuron electroporation technique that has been developed in our lab, we for the first time identified working-memory neurons histologically. As many of them project to striatum, it was suggested that the cortico-basal ganglia circuit may be playing an important role in the maintenance of working memory. By the world’s first transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) experiment using behaving monkeys, it was suggested that the prefrontal, parietal, and premotor cortices are forming different components of the working memory function, i.e., sensory, motor, and sensorimotor. Furthermore, by the detailed analysis of neural activity driven by computational models, it was suggested that there may be some specific circuits, such as integral and XOR logic, within the prefrontal cortex, which are dedicated for neural computations for decision making and logical thinking.
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| Free Research Field |
生理心理学、システム神経科学
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