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Yuichiro Kato

Publications and source records attributed to Yuichiro Kato.

8 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2006

A comparison of stimulus synchronous activity in the primary motor cortices of athletes and non-athletes.

In this study, we measured primary motor cortex (MI) activity during a reaction time task to examine the appearance of MI activity that synchronized with the stimulus presentation (stimulus synchronous MI activity, SSMA). Because brain activity was expected to be enhanced by the repetitive/extensive activation, we hypothesized that the SSMA would be more clearly observable in athletes who were trained to perform reactive movements than in non-athletes. MI activity was measured in ten athletes and ten non-athletes by magnetoencephalography. The tasks were a simple reaction task and a Go/Nogo reaction task in which the subjects were asked to abduct their right index fingers in response to a visual stimulus. The Go/Nogo reaction time task was adopted to confirm the presence of the SSMA, because the MI activity in response to a Nogo stimulus did not overlap with the MI activity that was synchronous with the execution of the movement. The results show that the SSMA was clearly apparent in the athlete group (9/10). In the non-athlete group, however, only three subjects showed the SSMA (3/10). Moreover, the MI activity of the athletes tended to be larger than that of the non-athletes, even though the athletes did not specifically practice these index finger movements during their daily training. We concluded that long-term physical training promotes MI activity and the effects of reactive task repetition were more clearly apparent in the MI activity of the athletes.

Adult↗
PubMed2005

Automatic and imperative motor activations in stimulus-response compatibility: magnetoencephalographic analysis of upper and lower limbs.

The stimulus-response (S-R) compatibility effect refers to the difference in performance due to the spatial S-R relationship in choice reaction time. We investigated the mechanism of neural activities in S-R compatibility at the level of the primary motor cortices for upper and lower limbs responses using magnetoencephalography (MEG). In the S-R compatible task, subjects were required to respond on the same side of the stimulus light using either an upper or lower limb. In the incompatible task, subjects were required to respond in the reverse manner. Premotor times of upper and lower limbs were faster for the compatible response than for the incompatible response. The neuromagnetic brain activities related to response execution were estimated using a multi-dipole model. Stimulus-locked MEG indicated that the current moments of motor dipoles for both effectors occurred bilaterally and reached the first peak at a constant delay irrespective of whether the task was compatible or incompatible. This indicates that the neural activation of the primary motor cortex is automatically synchronized with the stimulus onset. Response-locked MEG showed that the peak current moment of the motor dipole contralateral to the response was stronger for the compatible task than for the incompatible one regardless of whether the responses were made using the upper or lower limbs. The MEG results suggest that automatic motor activation facilitates imperative motor activation for a compatible response, whereas it is not sufficient to prime imperative motor activation for an incompatible response.

Adult↗
PubMed2005

Stimulus-response compatibility and response preparation: effects on motor component of information processing for upper and lower limb responses.

The effects of stimulus-response compatibility and response preparation on the motor component of the information processing system were investigated by analyzing the fractionated reaction time for the upper and lower limbs. The reaction time was divided into two periods with respect to the onset of electromyographic activity, premotor and motor times. The response preparation was manipulated by the probability that the locations of the precue and subsequent imperative stimulus corresponded. On a stimulus-response compatible task, subjects were required to release a key on the same side as an imperative stimulus, irrespective of the precued side. On an incompatible task, subjects were required to act in the reverse manner. The upper and lower limb responses were measured during both tasks. A repeated-measures design was used with 12 male university students. Analysis of the reaction and premotor times indicated that the stimulus-response compatibility effect became larger as response preparation decreased. The analysis of motor time yielded significant interactions between stimulus-response compatibility and limb and between response preparation and limb. These findings indicated that the motor component of information processing for the lower limb response is affected by both stimulus-response compatibility and response preparation.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2004

Bilateral cerebral activity for unilateral foot movement revealed by whole-head magnetoencephalography.

The primary motor cortices controlling foot movement are located on opposite sides of the longitudinal fissure. As a separation of closely located activity sources is not successful, the possibility of bilateral activation for lower limb movement remains undetermined. We therefore examined cerebral activity during unilateral foot movement to investigate the possibility of bilateral activation of primary foot motor cortices. Self-paced foot movement and finger movement (for comparison) were performed on ten subjects. Brain magnetic fields were recorded using a 64-channel whole-cortex magnetoencephalography (MEG) system. Brain activities were identified using 1- to 3-dipole models. Results evaluating finger movement were similar to previous reports. Equivalent current dipoles (ECDs) for foot movements were estimated in the primary foot motor and sensory regions. Sensory activity was always localized to the contralateral hemisphere. Motor activity was estimated by one ECD, but the laterality differed between subjects. Additional activity was discovered together with the primary motor activity, localized around the precentral sulcus. In contrast to consistent results of primary sensory activity, the variation of laterality of the foot primary motor ECD can be explained with a cancellation model, in which the magnetic fields generated from two closely spaced ECDs overlap to cancel each other out. Consequently, activation of the primary foot motor cortices was determined to be bilateral. Furthermore, it was estimated that additional activity may occur in the premotor area. This work suggests not only the bilateral activation of the primary foot motor cortices but also the possibility of a contribution of the premotor area.

Adult↗
PubMed2004

Response preparation and stimulus-response congruence to fractionating reaction time of upper and lower limbs.

We measured the fractionating reaction time for upper and lower limbs of 18 young men, using an electromyogram to clarify the interaction of response preparation and stimulus-response congruence on premotor and motor time. The reaction time was divided into two periods with respect to the onset of the electromyogram, premotor and motor components. Manipulating the probability of the Go versus NoGo signals varied three different amounts of response preparation. Prior to the imperative stimulus, precue information about the position of a stimulus was presented. In the stimulus-response congruent task, subjects were required to release a key on the same side of the body using either an upper or lower limb in response to an imperative Go stimulus. In the stimulus-response incongruent task, subjects were required to act in a reverse manner. Subjects were not supposed to respond to the NoGo stimulus. The premotor time of the upper and lower limb responses was affected by the respective effects of response preparation and stimulus-response congruence. The motor time of the upper and lower limb responses increased as the probability of the Go signal decreased but not in relation to stimulus-response congruence. These results suggest that response preparation affects not only information processing time but also peripheral motor activity due to motor programming, and that the stimulus-response congruence effect on motor time disappears when information about the position of the imperative stimulus is precued.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2003

Asymmetrical allocation of NMDA receptor epsilon2 subunits in hippocampal circuitry.

Despite its implications for higher order functions of the brain, little is currently known about the molecular basis of left-right asymmetry of the brain. Here we report that synaptic distribution of N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor GluRepsilon2 (NR2B) subunits in the adult mouse hippocampus is asymmetrical between the left and right and between the apical and basal dendrites of single neurons. These asymmetrical allocations of epsilon2 subunits differentiate the properties of NMDA receptors and synaptic plasticity between the left and right hippocampus. These results provide a molecular basis for the structural and functional asymmetry of the mature brain.

Animals↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Changes in metacarpal bone mineral density with age and menopause using computed X-ray densitometry in Japanese women: cross-sectional and longitudinal study.

BACKGROUND: Bone mineral density (BMD) loss with age and menopause is widely accepted in elderly women. However, only a few studies have utilized a multiple regression model that includes physical characteristics to assess comprehensive lifetime changes in BMD. OBJECTIVE: A prospective study was conducted to characterize the normal patterns in metacarpal BMD changes in Japanese women, and to assess the applicability of a fitting model using cross-sectional data compared with longitudinal variability. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: The study consisted of 5422 healthy women in cross-sectional data and a 1-year follow-up of 359 women. The metacarpal BMD was measured by computed X-ray densitometry. Multiple linear and nonlinear regression analyses were performed in cross-sectional subjects. Nonparametric analysis was used to compare percentage rates of BMD changes between actual and estimated values. RESULTS: The cross-sectional data showed that the best-fit equation was a nonlinear change model using the variables of age and height in premenopausal women, and years since menopause (YSM), age and height in postmenopausal women. The results of longitudinal data indicated the following. In premenopausal women, the actual BMD changes were greater in the 30-39 age group than the 20-29 age group and were less in the 50-59 group than the 40-49 group. The rates of annual change in BMD between the actual value and estimated value by change model were very similar. In postmenopausal women, the actual changes in BMD indicated that the rapid rate of reduction observed was over 3% at 0-5 YSM and 1.5% at 6-10 YSM, and thereafter showed a slower rate of decline at 11 YSM. The change model represented the trend of actual change in BMD for postmenopausal women, whereas the rates of estimated BMD loss underestimated the actual changes at 1-10 YSM. CONCLUSION: The change model for premenopausal women using cross-sectional data is beneficial in evaluating the actual metacarpal BMD variability, whereas that for postmenopausal women is insufficient in estimating the longitudinal BMD variability.

Adult↗