Research activity information

• Jan. 2019, The Japanese Society for Cognitive Psychology, JSCP Distinguished Presentation Award
  自己同一化された二次元キャラクターに対する視線シフト
  FUMIHITO IMAI;CHIHO SATO;KEIKO TAGAI;JUN KAWAHARA, Japan society

• Shared neural representation between motor execution and kinesthetic imagery in the primary motor cortex
  Fumihito Imai; Jun Shinozaki; Hidekazu Saito; Hiroshi Nagahama; Yuki Sakurai; Kenji Ogawa
  Imaging Neuroscience, 4, MIT Press, 17 Feb. 2026, [Peer-reviewed], [Lead author]
  Scientific journal, Abstract
  
  Although motor imagery activates higher-order motor-related areas, the role of the primary motor cortex (M1) in motor imagery remains unclear. This study aimed to investigate whether motor imagery recruits a neural representation of fingers similar to that of motor execution in the hand M1. Ten healthy right-handed adults executed and kinesthetically imagined tapping using one of four fingers. Using functional magnetic resonance imaging with multi-voxel pattern analysis, we trained the decoder to classify which finger the participants were moving using brain activation during motor execution and tested whether it could predict which finger the participants were imaging to move during motor imagery (cross-classification). We also performed the classification in the reverse direction. The average accuracy of these cross-classifications (mean = 32.71%, SD = 8.31) was significantly higher than chance in the left hemisphere hand M1 (hand-M1). Analysis of the representational geometry showed that the distance of neural representations for the same fingers was statistically shorter than that for different fingers between motor execution and imagery. Furthermore, we conducted a replication study with 14 participants and found results similar to those of the original study (mean cross-classification accuracy = 37.5%, SD = 7.18). Our results suggest that the neural representation of kinesthetic motor imagery is partially similar, but not equivalent, to that of motor execution in the contralateral hand M1.
• Human Sensorimotor Cortex Reactivates Recent Visuomotor Experience during Awake Rest
  Kenji Ogawa; Yuxiang Yang; Huixiang Yang; Fumihito Imai; Hiroshi Imamizu
  eneuro, 12, 4, ENEURO.0134, 25.2025, Society for Neuroscience, 17 Apr. 2025, [Peer-reviewed]
  Scientific journal, The re-emergence of task-related activation patterns during awake rest has been reported to play a role in memory consolidation and perceptual learning. This study aimed to test whether such reactivation occurs in the primary sensorimotor cortex following a visuomotor task. During functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) scanning, 42 healthy participants (13 women and 29 men) learned visuomotor tracking, while a rotational perturbation was introduced between the cursor position and joystick angle. This visuomotor task block was interleaved with a control block, during which participants passively viewed a replay of their previously performed cursor movements. Half of the participants used their right hand, whereas the other half used their left hand to control the joystick. Resting-state scans were acquired before and after the visuomotor task sessions. A multivariate pattern classifier was trained to classify task and control blocks and was then tested on resting-state scans collected before and after the task session. Results revealed a significant increase in the number of volumes classified as “task” during post-task rest compared with pre-task rest, indicating re-emergence of task-related activity. Representational similarity analysis also showed a greater similarity to task-related patterns during the post-task rest period. Furthermore, this effect was specific to the left primary sensorimotor cortex contralateral to the hand used and significantly correlated with motor improvement following rest. Our findings reveal the reactivation of recent task-related experience in the primary sensorimotor cortex.
• Neural substrates of top-down processing during perceptual duration-based timing and beat-based timing.
  Mitsuki Niida; Yusuke Haruki; Fumihito Imai; Kenji Ogawa
  Experimental brain research, 241, 8, 2133, 2143, Aug. 2023, [Peer-reviewed], [International Magazine]
  English, Scientific journal, Temporal context is a crucial factor in timing. Previous studies have revealed that the timing of regular stimuli, such as isochronous beats or rhythmic sequences (termed beat-based timing), activated the basal ganglia, whereas the timing of single intervals or irregular stimuli (termed duration-based timing) activated the cerebellum. We conducted a functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) experiment to determine whether top-down processing of perceptual duration-based and beat-based timings affected brain activation patterns. Our participants listened to auditory sequences containing both single intervals and isochronous beats and judged either the duration of the intervals or the tempo of the beats. Whole-brain analysis revealed that both duration judgments and tempo judgments activated similar areas, including the basal ganglia and cerebellum, with no significant difference in the activated regions between the two conditions. In addition, an analysis of the regions of interest revealed no significant differences between the activation levels measured for the two tasks in the basal ganglia as well as the cerebellum. These results suggested that a set of common brain areas were involved in top-down processing of both duration judgments and tempo judgments. Our findings indicate that perceptual duration-based timing and beat-based timing are driven by stimulus regularity irrespective of top-down processing.
• Distinct neural representations of hand movement direction between motor imagery and execution in the presupplementary motor area.
  Yuxiang Yang; Huixiang Yang; Fumihito Imai; Kenji Ogawa
  Neuroscience research, 11 Jan. 2023, [Peer-reviewed], [International Magazine]
  English, Scientific journal, Motor simulation theory proposes a functional equivalence between motor execution (ME) and its simulation, suggesting that motor imagery (MI) is the self-intentioned simulation of one's actions. This study used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) with multivoxel pattern analysis to test whether the direction of hand movement is represented with a similar neural code between ME and MI. In our study, participants used their right hand to move an on-screen cursor in the left-right direction with a joystick or imagined the same movement without execution. The results indicated that the left-right direction as well as their modality (ME or MI) could be decoded significantly above the chance level in the presupplementary motor area (pre-SMA) and primary visual cortex (V1). Next, we used activation patterns of ME as inputs to the decoder to predict hand move directions in MI sessions and found a significantly higher-than-chance accuracy only in V1, not in pre-SMA. Moreover, the representational similarity analysis showed similar activation patterns for the same directions between ME and MI in V1 but not in pre-SMA. This study's finding indicates distinct spatial activation patterns for movement directions between ME and MI in pre-SMA.
• Effects of neurofeedback on the activities of motor-related areas by using motor execution and imagery.
  Huixiang Yang; Zhengfei Hu; Fumihito Imai; Yuxiang Yang; Kenji Ogawa
  Neuroscience letters, 746, 135653, 135653, 20 Jan. 2021, [Peer-reviewed], [International Magazine]
  English, Scientific journal, Previous studies have reported that real-time functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) neurofeedback using motor imagery can modulate the activity of several motor-related areas. However, the differences in these modulatory effects on distinct motor-related target regions using the same experimental protocol remain unelucidated. This study aimed to compare neurofeedback effects on the primary motor area (M1) and the ventral premotor cortex (PMv). Of the included participants, 15 received blood oxygenation level-dependent (BOLD) signals from their left M1, and the other 15 received signals from their left PMv. Both groups were instructed to try to increase the neurofeedback score (NF-Score), which reflected the averaged activation level of the target region, by executing or imagining a right-hand clenching movement. The result revealed that during imagery condition, the left M1 was deactivated in the PMv-group but not in the M1-group, whereas the left PMv was activated in the PMv-group but not in the M1-group. Our finding indicates that neurofeedback from distinct motor-related regions has different effects on brain activity regulation.
• Long-term training-dependent representation of individual finger movements in the primary motor cortex.
  Ogawa K; Mitsui K; Imai F; Nishida S
  NeuroImage, 202, 116051, Jul. 2019, [Peer-reviewed]
• Neural representational similarity of individual finger movements: the study including a skilled piano player who suffered from focal hand dystonia
  Imai, F; Ogawa, K; Nihashi, J; Abe, J
  Proceeding of the Conference of the Asia-Pasific Society for the Cognitive Sciences of Music, 6, 164, 169, 2017, [Peer-reviewed]
  English, International conference proceedings
• Hand-independent representation of tool-use pantomimes in the left anterior intraparietal cortex
  Kenji Ogawa; Fumihito Imai
  EXPERIMENTAL BRAIN RESEARCH, 234, 12, 3677, 3687, Dec. 2016, [Peer-reviewed]
  English, Scientific journal
• Imagery and Body Movements and Mental Imagery of an Operational Object
  IMAI Fumihito
  The Japanese Journal of Mental Imagery, 13, 1, 23, 27, 日本イメージ心理学会, 2015, [Invited]
  Japanese, Scientific journal
• The relationship between navigation ability and sex difference: Focusing on the usability of mark knowledge
  Nakamura, M; Imai, F; Hishitani, S
  Tne Annals of the Hokkaido Psychological Society, 38, 38, 15, 27, 北海道心理学会, 2015, [Peer-reviewed]
  Japanese, Scientific journal
• Interaction between Mental Rotation and Manual Rotation with and without Motor Planning
  Nishihara, S; Imai, F; Fujiki, A; Majima, Y
  Psychology, 6, 1086, 1095, 2015, [Peer-reviewed]
  English, Scientific journal
• Review of Trajectory imagery of Objects in Motor Planning and Execution
  IMAI Fumihito
  The Japanese Journal of Mental Imagery, 10, 9, 13, 日本イメージ心理学会, 2012, [Peer-reviewed], [Invited], [Lead author]
  Japanese, Scientific journal
• The role of outcome imagery in motor control
  Imai, F; Matsumoto, S
  Journal of Mental Imagery, 35, 1&2, 47, 62, 2011, [Peer-reviewed], [Lead author]
  English, Scientific journal
• 心理学実験におけるマイクロコントローラの利用 −ATtiny2313用テストボードの製作−
  藤木晶子; 今井史; 菱谷晋介
  Research Support Notes, (北海道大学大学院文学研究科報告), 9, 1, 25, 2008
  Japanese, Research institution
• ダーツ競技における照準時間, スローイング動作計測装置の試作
  今井史; 菱谷晋介
  Research Support Notes, (北海道大学大学院文学研究科報告), 7, 1, 20, 2007
  Japanese, Research institution

• 運動の実技とイメージに共通した一次運動野の神経表象 -表象類似性分析を用いた検討-
  今井 史; 篠崎 淳; 齊藤 秀和; 長濱 宏史; 櫻井 佑樹; 長峯 隆; 小川 健二
  日本イメージ心理学会第23回大会, 26 Nov. 2022, Japanese, Oral presentation
• Visual motion imagery の鮮明性に球技経験が及ぼす効果の検討
  今井 史; 小川 健二
  北海道心理学会・東北心理学会第13回合同大会, 05 Nov. 2022, Japanese, Oral presentation
• 運動妨害がVisual motion imageryの鮮明性に及ぼす影響
  今井 史・小川 健二
  日本イメージ心理学会第22回大会, 04 Dec. 2021, Japanese, Oral presentation
• 運動実行と筋感覚運動イメージに共通した一次運動野の神経表象
  今井 史; 篠崎 淳; 齊藤 秀和; 長濱 宏史; 櫻井 佑樹; 長峯 隆; 小川 健二
  日本イメージ心理学会第21回大会, 14 Nov. 2020, Japanese, Oral presentation
  14 Nov. 2020 - 15 Nov. 2020
• 動的視覚イメージの身体的要素と運動シミュレーションの関係
  今井史・小川健二
  日本認知心理学会第17回大会, 26 May 2019, Japanese, Poster presentation
  25 May 2019 - 26 May 2019
• A right-gaze bias for self-identified avatar faces
  Imai, F; Chiho, S; Keiko, T; Kawahara, J
  Psychonomic society 59th Annual meeting, 16 Nov. 2018, English, Poster presentation
  [International presentation]
• イメージ内容の実現性，身体性が視覚イメージ鮮明性に及ぼす効果
  今井史; 小川健二
  日本イメージ心理学会第19回大会, 03 Nov. 2018, Japanese, Oral presentation
  [Domestic Conference]
• 自己同一化された二次元キャラクターに対する視線シフト
  今井史; 佐藤智穂; 互恵子; 河原純一郎
  日本認知心理学会第16回大会, 01 Sep. 2018, Japanese, Oral presentation
  [Domestic Conference]
• Changes of imagery vividness caused by realizability of imagined content
  Imai, F
  International Congress of Psychology 2016, 26 Jul. 2016, English, Poster presentation
  [International presentation]
• 運動と操作対象のイメージ
  今井史
  日本イメージ心理学会第15 回大会, 05 Sep. 2015, Japanese, Nominated symposium
  [Invited], [Domestic Conference]
• The effect of imagery controllability on Origami performance
  Imai, F; Hishitani, S
  The 6th International Meeting on Origami in Science, Mathematics and Education, 13 Aug. 2014, English, Oral presentation
  [International presentation]
• VVIQ, MRT 得点と折り紙成績の関係に関する事例的研究
  今井史; 菱谷晋介
  日本イメージ心理学会第14回大会, 01 Dec. 2013, Japanese, Oral presentation
  [Domestic Conference]
• ダーツの軌跡のイメージによる投動作, 着矢点の変化
  今井史
  若手イメージ研究者のためのブラッシュアップセミナー, 17 Mar. 2013, Japanese, Oral presentation
  [Domestic Conference]
• The systematic changes of the throwing movement caused by imagery of the object trajectory.
  Imai, F; Hishitani, S
  The European Workshop on Imagery and Cognition 2012, 20 Jun. 2012, English, Poster presentation
  [International presentation]
• ダーツの飛び方をイメージすることによる着矢点の変化 −事前に行う練習の量が異なる群同士の比較−
  今井史; 菱谷晋介
  日本イメージ心理学会第12回大会, 16 Oct. 2011, Japanese, Oral presentation
  [Domestic Conference]
• The effect of outcome imagery on motor performance in dart throwing.
  Imai, F; Hishitani, S
  Progress in Motor Control VIII, 21 Jul. 2011, English, Poster presentation
  [International presentation]
• 結果イメージによるダーツが刺さる位置の変化 −制限時間内での投擲を求めた場合−
  今井史; 菱谷晋介
  日本心理学会第74回大会, 22 Sep. 2010, Japanese, Poster presentation
  [Domestic Conference]
• 結果イメージが動作計画過程に及ぼす効果 −ダーツ投げ課題における着矢点の変化−
  今井史; 菱谷晋介
  日本イメージ心 理学会第11回大会, 24 Aug. 2010, Japanese, Oral presentation
  [Domestic Conference]
• Changes of the bodily movement caused by outcome imagery: An analysis of dart release points
  Imai, F; Hishitani, S
  The 12th European Workshop on Imagery and Cognition, 17 Jun. 2010, English, Poster presentation
  [International presentation]
• 結果イメージが運動の計画過程に及ぼす影響 −ダーツの飛び方のイメージを研究対象として−
  今井史; 菱谷晋介
  日本イ メージ心理学会第10回大会, 05 Dec. 2009, Japanese, Oral presentation
  [Domestic Conference]
• The effects of outcome imagery on motor control in dart throwing: An analysis of the stability at the dart release point.
  Imai, F; Hishitani, S
  BPS 26th Annual Cognitive Psychology Section, 03 Sep. 2009, English, Poster presentation
  [International presentation]
• 運動結果イメージがダーツ課題の運動準備時間に及ぼす影響 −イメージを行わなかった場合との比較−
  今井史; 菱谷晋介
  日本心理学会第73回大会, 27 Aug. 2009, Japanese, Poster presentation
  [Domestic Conference]
• outcome imageryがターゲット命中率および運動準備時間に及ぼす影響 −ダーツ課題を用いて−
  今井史; 菱谷晋介
  日本心理学会第72回大会, 19 Sep. 2008, Japanese, Poster presentation
  [Domestic Conference]
• イメージ能力の向上に運動がどのように関与すると考えられるか−心の機能の成長に対する基礎研究からの提言−
  今井史
  広島大学・北海道医療大学・北海道大学 合同シンポジウム 「心と社会の学際的研究に向けて」−人、社会、環境の調和を考える−, 18 Sep. 2008, Japanese, Nominated symposium
  [Invited], [Domestic Conference]
• Effect of outcome imagery on motor planning and control in dart throwing: An analysis of motor preparation time and fluctuation of dart landing points.
  Imai, F; Hishitani, S
  International Congress of Psychology 2008, 24 Jul. 2008, English, Poster presentation
  [International presentation]
• 運動のイメージの適切性がダーツ課題成績に及ぼす効果 −自己効力感理論と運動プログラム理論の比較−
  今井史; 菱谷晋介
  日本心理学会第71回大会, 19 Sep. 2007, Japanese, Poster presentation
  [Domestic Conference]

• Investigation of finger movement abilities based on individual cortical sensorimotor map and manipulation with neurofeedback.
  Grants-in-Aid for Scientific Research
  01 Apr. 2016 - 31 Mar. 2018
  Ogawa Kenji
  This study aimed to investigate the relationship between individual finger movement abilities and their cortical sensorimotor map. In our experiment, participants performed individual finger-tapping of four digits (index, middle, ring, and little fingers), which was visually cued by a single Japanese character. Synchronized with the timing of this visual cue, the subjects made repeated tapping movements with the same finger 12 times, once for every second. Our results showed that the individual piano experience affects the multi-voxel pattern activities in the primary sensorimotor cortex. Furthermore, the neurofeedback was used to increase the activities in the primary sensorimotor cortex to enhance the motor learning.
  Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Exploratory Research, Hokkaido University, 16K12440
• The brain mechanism of imagery generation process: About the functions which suppress mental imagery and visual perceptual information
  Grants-in-Aid for Scientific Research
  01 Apr. 2012 - 31 Mar. 2016
  Motoyama Hiroki; HISHITANI SHINSUKE; KAWABATA YASUHIRO; IMAI FUMIHITO
  This study examined existence of the functions which suppress mental imagery generation and inputted visual perceptual processing from external world during imagery generation.
  First, It was suggested that left posterior cingulate gyrus was involved in suppression of mental imagery generation. This result corresponds to previous study of this reporter and this shows existence of this function which suppresses mental imagery generation.
  Second, It was shown that the visual perceptual processing was reduced during mental imagery generation. That is, this result suggests existence of the function which suppresses the visual perceptual processing during mental imagery generation. However, the brain regions which involved in the latter function were not foundd in this study.
  Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B), 24730616

• 情報処理装置及びプログラム
  Patent right, 河原 純一郎; 薮崎 智穂; 小林 恵子; 今井 史
  特願2018-086366, 27 Apr. 2018
  特開2019-192072