Dr. Kenji Kansaku received his M.D. degree from Chiba University School of Medicine and began his neurosurgical residency in its affiliated hospitals under Dr. Akira Yamaura. Throughout his residency, he observed that impaired brain function caused critical problems and that to overcome these problems, it is necessary for physicians to scientifically understand human brain function. In 1997, he began systems-neuroscience researches using neuroimaging techniques, such as a high field (3T)-functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) technique, at Neuroscience Research Institute, Japan National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology. He received his Ph.D. degree from Chiba University Graduate School of Medicine in 2000 as a winner of Exceptional Graduate Student Award with Early Completion of the Course. His research at Chiba studying language function, which discovered gender differences in lateralization in the posterior language areas, was done under Dr. Shigeru Kitazawa. In 2001, he won a competitive fellowship award from the National Institutes of Health (NIH, USA) and began work in the Human Motor Control Section, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), as a visiting associate. In 2004, he then joined the Division of Cerebral Integration, National Institute for Physiological Sciences as an assistant professor. His main interests there were to understand how human exactly manipulate abstract concepts. In 2006, Dr. Kenji Kansaku became a chief of Cognitive Functions Section, Research Institute of National Rehabilitation Center for Persons with Disabilities. He then launched Systems Neuroscience Section in 2010 and became a chief of the new laboratory. He also served as a special research professor at Chiba University in 2011-12.

Research Interests

The main goal of the Systems Neuroscience Section is to overcome problems caused by impaired brain functions. Toward this end, our section pursues systems-neuroscience researches to understand neural basis of cognitive functions in humans, then we develop new methods to evaluate patients' cognitive functions. We also develop new methods to apply scientific understandings based on the systems-neuroscience researches to practical rehabilitation.

Neuroimaging techniques are the main approaches that we apply in our researches. Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), magnetoencephalography (MEG), electroencephalography (EEG), and near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) are equipped in our research institute.

Language function, especially the process for language comprehension, is one of the principal cognitive functions that we are studying (Kansaku, et al., 2000; Kansaku and Kitazawa, 2001). We are also investigating the process for manipulating abstract concepts (Kansaku, et al., 2006; Kansaku, et al., 2007). Neuronal mechanism underlying human social behavior is also under investigation (Kato, et al., 2009). Based on these systems-neuroscience researches, we seek to understand the mechanisms of developmental disabilities such as autism.

To respond to need for more practical application, we are developing brain-machine interface (BMI)/brain-computer interface (BCI) technologies for persons with physical disabilities. We have developed BMI based assistive products for environmental control and communication, in which we applied P300 cognitive response elicited by green/blue flicker stimuli (Takano, et al., 2009, 2011; Ikegami, et al., 2011). We also added Augmented Reality (AR) to the BMI to make a new AR-BMI system (Kansaku, et al., 2010). Our research group is also developing a BMI based power assist suit for upper extremities (Patent #4618795, Application #2005-206468).

People

SNS Lab Members

Kenji Kansaku, MD, PhD (Chief)

Makoto Wada, MD, PhD (Staff Scientist, 2009-)

Tomoaki Komatsu, PhD (Staff Scientist, 2011-; Research Fellow, 2006-2011)

Kouji Takano, PhD (Research Fellow, 2008-)

Takeshi Sakurada, PhD (Research Fellow, 2011-)

Hiroki Ora, PhD (Research Fellow, 2011-)

Toshihiro Kawase, PhD (Research Fellow, 2012-)

Shiro Ikegami, MD (Visiting Fellow[Chiba University], 2011-; Clinical Fellow, 2009-2011)

Atsuko Kawasaki (Secretary, 2006-)

Hiroko Kosugi (Secretary, 2012-)

Sachiko Iwama (Technical Assistant, 2011-)

Former Members

Miyoko Shibata (Secretary, 2009-12)

Yuki Shiraito, MS (Visiting Fellow[The University of Tokyo], 2009-10)

Kazusa Ako (Technical Assistant, 2008-10)

Hiroko Ide, MS (Visiting Fellow[The University of Tokyo], 2007-9)

Kotoe Sakihara, PhD (Research Fellow, 2007-8)

Klevest Gjini, MD, PhD (Visiting Fellow[The University of Tokyo], 2007-8)

David H Salat, PhD (Visiting Researcher[MGH/Harvard Medical School], 2007-8)

Event Information

Conference on Systems Neuroscience and Rehabilitation [SNR2012]

Date: March 14-15, 2012

Place: 6F Conference room, College of NRCD

Host: Research Institute of NRCD

Facilitator: Kenji Kansaku, MD, PhD

Speakers List

Dr Mark Hallett (NIH, NINDS (USA)): Keynote Lecture

Dr Patrick Haggard (UCL (UK)): Special Lecture

Dr Tadashi Isa (NIPS): Special Lecture

Dr Kenji Kansaku (NRCD)

Dr Toru Ogata (NRCD)

Dr Yasuharu Koike (Tokyo Institute of Technology)

Dr Lauri Parkkonen (Aalto University/Elekta (Finland))

Dr Hiroshi Yokoi (UEC/The University of Tokyo)

Dr Tatsuya Mima (Kyoto University)

Dr Toru Takumi (Hiroshima University)

Special Discussant

Dr Hiroshi Imamizu (NICT/ATR)

Dr Shigeru Kitazawa (Osaka University)

> for more details.... <

Conference on Systems Neuroscience and Rehabilitation [SNR2011]

Date: March 9-10, 2011

Place: 6F Conference room, College of NRCD

Host: Research Institute of NRCD

Facilitator: Kenji Kansaku, MD, PhD

Speakers List

Dr Niels Birbaumer (University of Tuebingen (Germany)): Keynote Lecture

Dr Charles Spence (Oxford University (UK)): Special Lecture

Dr Kenji Kansaku (NRCD)

Dr Toru Ogata (NRCD)

Dr Hiroshi Imamizu (NICT/ATR)

Dr Guenter Edlinger (g.tec medical engineering (Austria))

Dr Daichi Nozaki (The University of Tokyo)

Dr Hiroaki Gomi (NTT)

Dr Noritaka Kawashima (NRCD)

Dr Shigeru Kitazawa (Juntendo University)

Special Discussant

Dr Herta Flor (University of Heidelberg (Germany))

> for more details.... <

Lab Seminar

Thursday, August 26, 2010 16:00-

"Neuroimaging of Aging and Alzheimer's Disease across multiple scales: Microstructural, Structural, Vascular, and Functional."

David H Salat, PhD

Assistant Professor, Department of Radiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston MA, USA

Research Institute 1st Building, E-209

Conference on Systems Neuroscience and Rehabilitation [SNR2010]

Date: March 10-11, 2010

Place: 6F Conference room, College of NRCD

Host: Research Institute of NRCD

Facilitator: Kenji Kansaku, MD, PhD

Speakers List

Dr Leonardo G. Cohen (NIH, NINDS (USA)): Keynote Lecture

Dr Yves Rossetti (INSERM/Lyon Medical School (France)): Special Lecture

Dr Shigeru Kitazawa (Juntendo University): Special Lecture

Dr Kenji Kansaku (NRCD)

Dr Yasuharu Koike (Tokyo Institute of Technology)

Dr Toru Ogata (NRCD)

Dr Tatsuya Mima (Kyoto University)

Dr Katsumi Watanabe (The University of Tokyo)

> for more details.... <

Lab Seminar

Thursday, October 9, 2008 16:00-

"Human interface based on musculoskeletal model."

Yasuharu Koike, Dr Eng

Associate Professor, Precision and Intelligence Laboratory, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Yokohama, Japan

Research Institute 1st Building, E-209

Lab Seminar

Friday, September 14, 2007 16:00-

"Structural and functional neuroimaging of aging and Alzheimer's disease."

David H Salat, PhD

Assistant Professor, Department of Radiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston MA, USA

Research Institute 1st Building, E-209

Lab Seminar

Wednesday, January 31, 2007 13:30-

"Combination of MEG and fMRI for visualizing higher-order visual fields."

Sunao Iwaki, Dr Eng

Research Scientist, Living Informatics Group, Institute for Human Science and Biomedical Engineering, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, Osaka, Japan

Research Institute 1st Building, E-209

Lab Seminar

Monday, November 20, 2006 13:30-

"Measurement of olfactory event-related magnetic fields."

Mitsuo Tonoike, Dr Eng

Professor, Department of Medical System Engineering, National University Corporation Chiba University, Chiba, Japan

Research Institute 1st Building, E-209

Lab Seminar

Wednesday, September 6, 2006 16:00-

"Where tactile signals are ordered in time."

Shigeru Kitazawa, MD, PhD

Professor, Department of Neurophysiology, Juntendo University Graduate School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan

Research Institute 1st Building, E-209

Selected Publications

Research and Review Articles

• Kansaku, K., Hata, N., Takano, K. My thoughts through a robot's eyes: an augmented reality-brain-machine interface. Neuroscience Research 66: 219-222, 2010.
• Takano, K., Komatsu, T., Hata, N., Nakajima, Y., Kansaku, K. Visual stimuli for the P300 brain-computer interface: a comparison of white/gray and green/blue flicker matrices. Clinical Neurophysiology 120: 1562-1566, 2009.
• Kansaku, K., Carver, B., Johnson, A., Matsuda, K., Sadato, N., Hallett, M. The role of the human ventral premotor cortex in counting successive stimuli. Experimental Brain Research 178(3): 339-350, 2007.
• Kansaku, K., Muraki, S., Umeyama, S., Nishimori, Y., Kochiyama, T., Yamane, S., Kitazawa, S. Cortical activity in multiple motor areas during sequential finger movements: an application of independent component analysis. NeuroImage, 28(3): 669-681, 2005.
• Garraux, G., Mckinney, C., Wu, T., Kansaku, K., Nolte, G., Hallett M. Shared brain areas but not functional connections controlling movement timing and order. The Journal of Neuroscience, 25(22): 5290-5297, 2005.
• Wu, T., Kansaku, K., Hallett M. How self-initiated memorized movements become automatic: a functional MRI study. Journal of Neurophysiology, 91(4): 1690-1698, 2004.
• Bushara K.O., Hanakawa, T., Immisch I., Toma, K., Kansaku, K., Hallett M. Neural correlates of cross-modal binding. Nature Neuroscience, 6(2): 190-195, 2003.
• Kansaku, K., Kitazawa, S. Imaging studies on sex differences in the lateralization of language. Neuroscience Research 41(4): 333-337, 2001. (review, invited)
• Kansaku, K., Yamaura, A., Kitazawa, S. Sex-differences in lateralization revealed in the posterior language areas. Cerebral Cortex 10(9): 866-872, 2000.
• Kansaku, K., Kitazawa, S., Kawano, K., Sequential hemodynamic activation of motor areas and the draining veins during finger movements revealed by cross-correlation between signals from fMRI. NeuroReport 9(9): 1969-1974, 1998.

Editing

• Kansaku, K., Cohen L.G. (Eds) Systems Neuroscience and Rehabilitation, Springer, 2011. (ISBN: 978-4-431-53998-8)

Contact Information