Biology subjects

Fujimaki, T.

Publications and source records attributed to Fujimaki, T..

4 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2026

Modulating supplementary motor area excitability enhances groove-related pleasure during music listening

Pleasurable urge to move to music is often referred to as groove. Although previous studies have shown an association between the supplementary motor area (SMA) and the groove experience, its causal role remains unclear. Here, we investigated whether the SMA is causally involved in groove experience during music listening using repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation. Fifteen healthy participants completed three sessions on separate days: excitatory stimulation (intermittent theta burst stimulation; iTBS) over the SMA, inhibitory stimulation (continuous theta burst stimulation; cTBS) over the SMA, and sham stimulation (iTBS or cTBS) over the vertex. After each stimulation session, participants listened to five high-groove and five low-groove musical excerpts and rated urge-to-move and pleasure on a 0-100 scale. Heart rate was additionally recorded as an exploratory physiological measure during music listening. Linear mixed-effects models (LMM) showed that pleasure ratings, but not urge-to-move ratings, were higher following both iTBS and cTBS compared with sham stimulation. In exploratory LMMs, reduced log-transformed heart rate variability (HRV) significantly predicted higher pleasure ratings. These findings suggest that SMA stimulation modulates the pleasurable component of the groove experience, likely via network-level mechanisms rather than a simple linear relationship between SMA excitability and pleasure. They also raise the possibility that reduced parasympathetic activity, reflected by lower HRV, mediates the stimulation-related increase in musical pleasure. Future studies should investigate the causal roles of other brain regions as well as clarify the directionality between autonomic changes and the groove experience.

neuroscience↗

bioRxiv2025

Does wearable neurofeedback training improve memory aptitudes in healthy adults?--A systematic review and meta-analysis

Neurofeedback training (NFT) provides individuals with real-time feedback on their brain activity, enabling voluntary modulation. Interest in NFT for memory enhancement has surpassed the cumulative evidence in healthy adults, especially for modalities feasible outside of laboratory settings. To address this gap, this systematic review and meta-analysis focused on electroencephalography (EEG) and functional near- infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS), both of which are portable and widely accessible. Randomized controlled trials published between January 1990 and September 2022 were retrieved from PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and APA PsycInfo. Of the 44 eligible studies, 24 reported sufficient data for inclusion in the meta-analysis. Using a random-effects model, we found that NFT produced a small-to-moderate improvement in memory performance (standardized mean difference = 0.28; 95% confidence interval = 0.065-0.48; t(11.9) = 2.86; p = 0.014), with moderate heterogeneity. No publication bias was detected. Subgroup meta-analyses revealed significant effects in younger adults, for EEG-based protocols, and in tasks assessing verbal and short-term memory tasks. Meta-regression identified a positive association between daily session duration and effect size, with sessions longer than 30 minutes more likely to produce positive effects. As effects also varied by targeted brain regions and EEG frequency bands used for neurofeedback, protocol differences likely contributed to the observed variability in outcomes. Long- term follow-up is warranted to determine the persistence of NFT effects.

neuroscience↗

bioRxiv2024

Enhanced human sensorimotor integration via self-modulation of the somatosensory activity

Kinesthetic motor imagery, the mental rehearsal of movement and its associated sensations1,2, activates somatosensory and motor cortices3,4. Motor imagery improves performance in neurorehabilitation5, sports6, and instrument play7. However, the mechanism that enhances performance through repetitive motor imagery remains unclear. Here, we combined individually tailored motor imagery training combined with closed-loop neurofeedback training, neurophysiology, and behavioral assessment to characterize how the training can modulate the somatosensory system and improve performance. The closed-loop training using real-time feedback of human electroencephalogram (EEG) signals enhanced participants self-modulation ability of intrinsic neural oscillations in the primary somatosensory cortex (S1) within 30 minutes. Further, the short-term reorganization in S1 was corroborated by the post-training reactivity enhancement revealed by changes in somatosensory evoked potential (SEP) amplitude of early component originating from S18. Meanwhile those derived from peripheral sensory fibers were maintained, suggesting that the closed-loop training manipulated cortical activities. Behavioral evaluation demonstrated improved performance during keyboard touch-typing indexed by resolved the speed-accuracy trade-off9. Collectively, our results provide evidence that mentally rehearsed movement during kinesthetic motor imagery induces functional reorganization of S1 activities that can contribute to performance improvement.

neuroscience↗

bioRxiv2021

Prevalence of floating toe and its relationship with static postural stability in children: The Yamanashi adjunct study of the Japan Environment and Childrens Study (JECS-Y)

Floating toe (FT) is a frequently seen condition in which a toe is inadequately in contact with the ground. Although toes play an important role in stabilizing standing posture and walking, many aspects of the effects of FT on the body remain unclear. To our knowledge, there have been no reports about the relationship between FT and postural stability, especially in children. This study aimed to clarify the prevalence of FT and its relationship with static postural stability in children. Of the 400 children aged 8 years who participated in our cohort study, 396, who were examined for static postural stability, were included in this study. Postural stability and FT were assessed using a foot pressure plate. The sway path length of the center of pressure and the area of the ellipse defined as the size of the area marked by the center of pressure were measured as an evaluation of static postural stability. We calculated the "floating toe score (FT score: small FT score indicates insufficient ground contact of the toes)" using the image of the plantar footprint obtained at the postural stability measurement. The FT rate was very high at more than 90%, and the FT score in the eyes-closed condition was significantly higher than that in the eyes-open condition in both sexes. The FT score significantly correlated with the center of pressure path and area. Our results suggest that ground contact of the toes is not directly related to static postural stability in children, but it may function to stabilize the body when the condition becomes unstable, such as when the eyes are closed.

physiology↗