We measured regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) using positron emission tomography (PET) to deter... more We measured regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) using positron emission tomography (PET) to determine which brain regions are involved in the assessment of facial emotion. We asked right-handed normal subjects to assess the signalers’ emotional state based on facial gestures and to assess the facial attractiveness, as well as to discriminate the background color of the facial stimuli, and compared the activity produced by each condition. The right inferior frontal cortex showed significant activation during the assessment of facial emotion in comparison with the other two tests. The activated area was located within a triangular area of the inferior frontal cortex in the right cerebral hemisphere. These results, together with those of previous imaging and clinical studies, suggest that the right inferior frontal cortex processes emotional communicative signals that could be visual or auditory and that there is a hemispheric asymmetry in the inferior frontal cortex in relation to the...
Neuroscience Research the Official Journal of the Japan Neuroscience Society, Jul 1, 2004
We studied the effect of habitual jogging on the performance of a frontal lobe functioning test. ... more We studied the effect of habitual jogging on the performance of a frontal lobe functioning test. Fourteen subjects were divided into a jogging trained group (TG) or a jogging untrained group (NG). The TG jogged for 12 weeks, for 30 min, 2.6 times per week, while the NG did not. We administered a prefrontal branching task (BR) combining a Spatial Delayed-Response Test (DR) and a Go/No-Go Test (GNG). Each test alone and a Simple Reaction Time Test (SR) were given as controls. All tests were given three times at 6 week intervals over 12 weeks in both groups. In the TG, the tests were given two times after termination of the jogging. The maximal oxygen uptake (VO2max) was measured in the TG during the 12 weeks. After 12 weeks, the correct performance rates in the BR task were more improved in the TG than in the NG. The control and reaction time tests were unchanged in both groups. The improved performance in the BR task in the TG decreased after stopping the jogging. The VO2max increased significantly during the 12 weeks of jogging in the TG. Thus, the habitual jogging improved performance in a prefrontal BR.
An attempt was made to clarify the laminar distributions of neurons activated during a symmetrica... more An attempt was made to clarify the laminar distributions of neurons activated during a symmetrically reinforced, visually guided GO/NO-GO task with visual cues for which Brodmann's area 8 (Walker, 1940) is considered an essential region (cf. Petrides, 1986). We systematically recorded single unit activities in area 8 in 200 microns steps from the surface to the bottom of the cortex, using a glass-coated microelectrode that contained a carbon fiber. The GO/NO-GO task consisted of four periods in sequence: an intertrial interval (ITI; waiting period, warning period (which started with a warning cue), GO/NO-GO period (which started with a GO/NO-GO cue), and reward period. Activities of GO cue-coupled neurons, intermediate neurons and movement-coupled neurons in GO trials were recorded in layers II-VI, layers II-VI and layers III-VI of the area 8, respectively. Activities of NO-GO cu-coupled and NO-GO response-related neurons in NO-GO trials were recorded in layers II-VI and layers III-VI, respectively. It was considered that task-related visual information may be fed to layer III and IV, as a GO/NO-GO cue coupled activity, and then flow upward and/or downward to layers III-VI where movement-coupled activities are recorded. NO-GO response-related activity appears to suppress GO activity in layers III-VI. It was noted that the laminar distribution of NO-GO response-related neurons was similar to that of movement-coupled neurons in GO trials, and that the shape of spikes of NO-GO response-related neurons in our study resembled that of spikes of putative GABAergic neurons in a previous study. These results suggest that NO-GO response-related neurons are involved in response inhibition through GABAergic mechanisms.
We measured regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) using positron emission tomography (PET) to deter... more We measured regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) using positron emission tomography (PET) to determine which brain regions are involved in the assessment of facial emotion. We asked right-handed normal subjects to assess the signalers’ emotional state based on facial gestures and to assess the facial attractiveness, as well as to discriminate the background color of the facial stimuli, and compared the activity produced by each condition. The right inferior frontal cortex showed significant activation during the assessment of facial emotion in comparison with the other two tests. The activated area was located within a triangular area of the inferior frontal cortex in the right cerebral hemisphere. These results, together with those of previous imaging and clinical studies, suggest that the right inferior frontal cortex processes emotional communicative signals that could be visual or auditory and that there is a hemispheric asymmetry in the inferior frontal cortex in relation to the...
Neuroscience Research the Official Journal of the Japan Neuroscience Society, Jul 1, 2004
We studied the effect of habitual jogging on the performance of a frontal lobe functioning test. ... more We studied the effect of habitual jogging on the performance of a frontal lobe functioning test. Fourteen subjects were divided into a jogging trained group (TG) or a jogging untrained group (NG). The TG jogged for 12 weeks, for 30 min, 2.6 times per week, while the NG did not. We administered a prefrontal branching task (BR) combining a Spatial Delayed-Response Test (DR) and a Go/No-Go Test (GNG). Each test alone and a Simple Reaction Time Test (SR) were given as controls. All tests were given three times at 6 week intervals over 12 weeks in both groups. In the TG, the tests were given two times after termination of the jogging. The maximal oxygen uptake (VO2max) was measured in the TG during the 12 weeks. After 12 weeks, the correct performance rates in the BR task were more improved in the TG than in the NG. The control and reaction time tests were unchanged in both groups. The improved performance in the BR task in the TG decreased after stopping the jogging. The VO2max increased significantly during the 12 weeks of jogging in the TG. Thus, the habitual jogging improved performance in a prefrontal BR.
An attempt was made to clarify the laminar distributions of neurons activated during a symmetrica... more An attempt was made to clarify the laminar distributions of neurons activated during a symmetrically reinforced, visually guided GO/NO-GO task with visual cues for which Brodmann's area 8 (Walker, 1940) is considered an essential region (cf. Petrides, 1986). We systematically recorded single unit activities in area 8 in 200 microns steps from the surface to the bottom of the cortex, using a glass-coated microelectrode that contained a carbon fiber. The GO/NO-GO task consisted of four periods in sequence: an intertrial interval (ITI; waiting period, warning period (which started with a warning cue), GO/NO-GO period (which started with a GO/NO-GO cue), and reward period. Activities of GO cue-coupled neurons, intermediate neurons and movement-coupled neurons in GO trials were recorded in layers II-VI, layers II-VI and layers III-VI of the area 8, respectively. Activities of NO-GO cu-coupled and NO-GO response-related neurons in NO-GO trials were recorded in layers II-VI and layers III-VI, respectively. It was considered that task-related visual information may be fed to layer III and IV, as a GO/NO-GO cue coupled activity, and then flow upward and/or downward to layers III-VI where movement-coupled activities are recorded. NO-GO response-related activity appears to suppress GO activity in layers III-VI. It was noted that the laminar distribution of NO-GO response-related neurons was similar to that of movement-coupled neurons in GO trials, and that the shape of spikes of NO-GO response-related neurons in our study resembled that of spikes of putative GABAergic neurons in a previous study. These results suggest that NO-GO response-related neurons are involved in response inhibition through GABAergic mechanisms.
Uploads
Papers by Kisou Kubota