Neural correlates of readiness level in humans

2016 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 25280053
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B)
• Allocation Type: Partial Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Cognitive science
• Research Institution: National Institute of Information and Communications Technology
• Principal Investigator: Yamagishi Noriko 国立研究開発法人情報通信研究機構, 脳情報通信融合研究センター脳情報通信融合研究室, 主任研究員 (50395125)
• Research Collaborator: Matthew de Brecht
• Project Period (FY): 2013-04-01 – 2017-03-31
• Keywords: 注意 / 準備 / MEG / fMRI

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The purpose of this study was to determine whether oscillatory brain rhythms play a role in the neural processes involved in self-monitoring attentional status. To achieve this goal, we measured cortical activity using MEG and fMRI while participants were asked to self-monitor their internal status, only initiating the presentation of a stimulus when they perceived their attentional focus to be maximal. Our results show that there was a sustained power decrease of alpha activity in the rCMA on the human medial wall, beginning approximately 430 msec after the trial start. We also show that gamma-band power (41-47 Hz) within this area was positively correlated with task performance from 40-640 msec after the trial start. We conclude that the rCMA is involved in processes governing self-monitoring of internal status. Addition to this, we succeeded the online estimation of attentional direction/readiness level by using brain activity with our newly developed the technology.

Free Research Field

認知心理学