Brain mechanisms of internal thought processes during the resting period investigated by examining neural and neurochemical activities

2016 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 26540073
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Exploratory Research
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Cognitive science
• Research Institution: Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Medical Science
• Principal Investigator: WATANABE Masataka 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)
• Research Collaborator: KODAMA Tohru ; HONNDA Yoshiko ; KOJIMA Takashi
• Project Period (FY): 2014-04-01 – 2017-03-31
• Keywords: 認知科学 / デフォルト脳部位 / 実行系脳部位 / ワーキングメモリー課題 / 競争的シューティングゲーム / ローカルフィールドポテンシャル / マイクロダイアリシス

Outline of Final Research Achievements

To investigate neural and neurochemical mechanisms of “default mode of brain activity”, I conducted microdialysis and LFP (Local field potential) recording studies on monkeys. Monkeys were trained on a working memory (WM) task, and brain fluid samples were obtained during the monkey’s performance of the WM task as well as during the resting state. During the resting state, neurotransmitter dopamine increased significantly in the anterior default system (medial prefrontal cortex) compared with during the WM task performance, indicating the importance of dopamine for the default mode of brain activity. Monkeys were then trained also on a monkey-monkey video shooting game. It was found that during the WM task, Gamma (γ) component of LFP was prominent in the executive system (lateral prefrontal cortex) while it was prominent in the default system (medial prefrontal) during rest. During the socially-interacting monkey-monkey video game, γcomponent was prominent in the default system.

Free Research Field

認知神経科学