“Adaptive dynamics of the cortico-cortical neural networks controlling emotion and attention”

We use transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) as a tool for investigating the function of the brain in animal experiments. Application of TMS facilitates or inhibits the local neural activity, which in turn leads to the change of the network dynamics of the whole brain and the change of emotional or attentional state. By measuring the brain activity during this operation by various methods such as electrocorticogram (ECoG) or PET/fMRI, we aim to understand the operating principles of the brain network controlling emotion and attention. Furthermore, we try to understand various emotional/attentional disorders within this framework: there must be a shift in the network dynamics when the malfunction of emotion or attention is taking place.

 
Recent Publications
1. Tsutsui KI, Grabenhorst F, Kobayashi S, Schultz W (2016) A dynamic code for object valuation in prefrontal cortex neurons. Nature Communications, in print
2. Tsutsui KI, Hosokawa T, Yamada M, Iijima T (2016) Representation of Functional Category in the Monkey Prefrontal Cortex and Its Rule-Dependent Use for Behavioral Selection. Journal of Neuroscience 36: 3038-3048.
3. Oyama K, Tateyama Y, Hernádi I, Tobler PN, Iijima T, Tsutsui KI (2015) Discrete coding of stimulus value, reward expectation, and reward prediction error in the dorsal striatum. Journal of Neurophysiology 114, 2600-2615.

Posted:2016/02/26