Neural mechanisms of spatiotemporal flexibility of body perception

2016 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 25242058
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (A)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Developmental mechanisms and the body works
• Research Institution: Shizuoka University (2015-2016); Yamaguchi University (2013-2014)
• Principal Investigator: MIYAZAKI Makoto 静岡大学, 情報学部, 教授 (30392202)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 竹内 成生 上武大学, ビジネス情報学部, 准教授 (10329162) ; 関口 浩文 上武大学, ビジネス情報学部, 准教授 (20392201) ; 荒牧 勇 中京大学, スポーツ科学部, 教授 (40414023) ; 野崎 大地 東京大学, 教育学研究科(研究院), 教授 (70360683) ; 小幡 博基 東京大学, 総合文化研究科, 助教 (70455377) ; 中澤 公孝 東京大学, 総合文化研究科, 教授 (90360677)
• Co-Investigator(Renkei-kenkyūsha): KADOTA Hiroshi 高知工科大学, 情報学群, 准教授 (00415366) ; KOCHIYAMA Takanori 株式会社国際電気通信基礎技術研究所, 脳情報通信総合研究所, 研究員 (90380146)
• Research Collaborator: YAMADA Yuki 九州大学, 基幹教育院, 准教授 (60637700) ; FUNAI Tomomi (D. Tomomi) 山口大学, 時間学研究所, 研究補佐員 ; KURODA Tsuyoshi 静岡大学, 情報学部, 特任助教 (50725950) ; NIHASHI Kei 静岡大学, 情報学部, 事務補佐員
• Project Period (FY): 2013-04-01 – 2017-03-31
• Keywords: 身体 / 時間 / 空間 / 知覚 / 適応性 / 最適化 / 脳

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Based on psychophysical findings, in this study, we investigated the neural mechanisms of spatiotemporal flexibility of body perception in humans. Using functional magnetic resonance imaging, we detected brain regions that are possibly correlated with probabilistic optimization in somatosensory temporal-order judgment across the hands, and using electroencephalography, we estimated activation time ranges of potential neural correlates, and then applied disruptive transcranial magnetic stimulations over these correlates. Results from the brain function measurements revealed a brain region that is involved in improving judgment accuracy of temporal orders across the body on the basis of prior experiences. Furthermore, we found novel psychophysical phenomena, e.g., the Kappa effect, an illusion of spatiotemporal relativity, appearing in an opposing manner between the tactile-judgment and motor-reproduction tasks.

Free Research Field

身体教育学 (脳高次機能学)，認知神経科学，心理物理学