Development of behavioral paradigms to evaluate cerebellar cognitive functions

2014 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 24500455
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Neurophysiology and muscle physiology
• Research Institution: Hokkaido University
• Principal Investigator: KURKIN SERGEY 北海道大学, 医学(系)研究科(研究院), 助教 (00344466)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): TANAKA Masaki 北海道大学, 大学院医学研究科, 教授 (90301887)
• Co-Investigator(Renkei-kenkyūsha): SASAKI Hidenao 北海道大学, 大学院医学研究科, 教授 (80281806) ; YABE Ichiro 北海道大学, 大学院医学研究科, 准教授 (60372273)
• Research Collaborator: UEMATSU Akiko ; MATSUYAMA Kei ; YOSHIDA Atsushi ; ITOH Sayaka ; MATSUSHIMA Ayano
• Project Period (FY): 2012-04-01 – 2015-03-31
• Keywords: 脊髄小脳変性症 / 高次機能 / 脳画像 / 課題開発 / 半月小葉 / マカクサル

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The cerebellum is interconnected with the association areas in the frontal and parietal cortices, and therefore is thought to play roles in non-motor cognitive functions such as time perception and prediction. We devised a variety of psychophysical tests to evaluate cerebellar cognitive functions and examined the performance of patients with spinocerebellar degeneration (type 6). We found that some behavioral parameters differed significantly between patents and matched controls, and correlated with the volume of lateral cerebellum (Crus I and II). Furthermore, we trained monkeys in similar behavioral paradigms for future physiological studies.

Free Research Field

神経科学