Laboratory Overview

We study human cognitive impairment, especially language impairment, using functional MRI (fMRI), electroencephalography (EEG), and transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS).

Mission of the Higher Brain Dysfunction Laboratory

Higher brain dysfunction is a condition in which brain damage due to illness or accident results in impairment of cognitive functions such as memory, attention, thinking, language, number operations, and emotional control. The mission of our laboratory is to develop rehabilitation methods for higher brain dysfunction. Our research focuses on language impairment in particular. Specifically, we conduct cognitive neuroscience research using functional magnetic resonance imaging (functional MRI), transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), and electroencephalography (EEG), and develop assistive devices.

research task

1. development of rehabilitation for simultaneous impairment of multiple cognitive functions in higher brain dysfunction

It is thought that many people with higher brain dysfunction have difficulty with language, even if it is mild as an aphasia. For example, reading long or complex sentences becomes difficult. The reason for this may be that impairments in working memory and symbol manipulation skills cause difficulties in language operation. In other words, even if grammatical skills are not impaired, impairments in memory and information manipulation may interfere with language production and comprehension. Our laboratory aims to clarify the relationship between language and memory, attention, and executive functions, focusing on syntactic processing ability, which plays a central role in sentence comprehension, and to develop effective rehabilitation methods.

・Language and Mathematics

・Language and executive function

2. basic research to elucidate the neuroscientific effects of rehabilitation

In the field of rehabilitation, there are methods that have been shown to be effective, but the neuroscience is not clear as to how they work.

・Neuroscientific validation of oral shape presentation

３．Gamification of rehabilitation

If rehabilitation can be made game-like (gamification) to motivate people to receive training, the degree of functional recovery may be increased.

・Research on the relationship between functional recovery and the reward system in the brain in rehabilitation

4. rehabilitation based on the action on brain plasticity

We aim to develop technologies that promote rehabilitation by working with the plasticity of the brain.

・Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation and Neurofeedback

Contact

4-1 Namiki, Tokorozawa-shi, Saitama 359-8555

National Rehabilitation Center Research Institute for Persons with Disabilities

Department of Functional Brain Disorders, Division of Higher Brain Dysfunction

 tel ：04-2995-3100 (ext. 2518)

 fax ：04-2995-3132

 mail：kojinokino＠rehab.go.jp