A integrative study of genetics, neural growth factors, and performance on upper-limb motor learning

2014 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 24650329
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Exploratory Research
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Rehabilitation science/Welfare engineering
• Research Institution: Keio University
• Principal Investigator: USHIBA JUNICHI 慶應義塾大学, 理工学部, 准教授 (00383985)
• Project Period (FY): 2012-04-01 – 2015-03-31
• Keywords: リハビリテーション / 神経科学 / 遺伝子 / 医療・福祉 / 運動学習

Outline of Final Research Achievements

BDNF level in the peripheral blood was measured by ELISA using microarray. BDNF related polymorphism on gene was also measured from oral mucosa by PCR. Data received was then classified in accordance with the previous findings and gene database. A number of persons with polymorphism was actually much lower than that reported previously, thus a sufficient statistical analysis has not been given to study correlation between BDNF and behavior in motor learning. On the contrary, in a more macroscopic view, I found a nice association between brain structural change and motor performance. Primary motor cortex and hippocampu increased their volume at Day 1 and Day2, and the extent of volume increase explained following motor learning process in horizontal reaching paradigm. Integrity change in the corticospinal tract was also a predictor of following learning process. These study suggests that brain structural change is not only a foot print, but also a driving force of motor learning.

Free Research Field

リハビリテーション神経科学