Hayashi Lab.

Our perceptual experiences are created by our brains and do not necessarily correspond to the physical properties of the world. To clarify the mechanisms by which the human brain generates perceptual experiences, Hayashi Laboratory in the Center for Information and Neural Networks (CiNet) studies human brains using psychophysics and functional brain imaging techniques. Furthermore, we are trying to clarify the causal relationship between the brain and perception by investigating how the perceptual experience changes when magnetic or electric current stimulation is applied to the brain. Our goal is to apply the findings from these studies to develop technologies that allow us to control our subjective senses at will and to create new perceptual experiences that we have never experienced before.

NEWS

UPCOMING
EVENTS

• An article titled "Recent advances in brain stimulation technique: The interface with cognitive psychology" will be published in The Japanese Journal of Cognitive Psychology(vol.20(2), 2023).
• Kimura at RIKEN will present a poster on our collaborative study at OHBM2023（Jul 22nd-26th, 2023）.

• Mar 26th, 2023

  Masaki TERANISHI joined our team as an NICT Internship student. Welcome!

• Mar 23rd, 2023

  Sugimoto and Hosoya received their masters degree from Osaka University.

• Mar 20th, 2023

  We launched our new website!

• Mar 10th, 2023

  Sugimoto’s research proposal was accepted for The Cross-Boundary Innovation (CBI) Program of the Osaka University.

• Mar 7th, 2023

  Kimura presented a posters at The 8th CiNet Conference.

APPROACH

Uncovering
Neural Correlates

Through psychophysical and neuroimaging experiments, we clarify the neural basis of perception and cognition. Recently, we have been studying the neural mechanisms of temporal and numerical processing, with particular focus on their neural representations and its relationship with our percepts. In the future, I would like to deepen these researches, and also to study how the way information is represented constrains human thoughts and language.

• Hayashi MJ, Ivry RB (2020) J Neurosci.
• Hayashi MJ, van der Zwaag W, Bueti D, Kanai R (2018) Commun Biol.
• Hayashi MJ, Ditye T, Harada T, Hashiguchi M, et al. (2015) PLoS Biol.

Revealing
Causal Relationships

A weakness of neuroimaging techniques is that while it can reveal the correlation between perception / cognition and brain activity, it cannot reveal the causal relationship between them. Therefore, we use techniques such as transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS, tSMS) and transcranial electrical stimulation (tDCS, tACS) techniques, which can stimulate the brain non-invasively, to temporarily modulate neural activity and clarify the causal relationship between brain activity and perception / cognition. Currently, we are mainly investigating how the perception of time and number is modulated by brain stimulation.

• Hayashi MJ, Kanai R, Tanabe HC, Yoshida Y, et al. (2013) J Neurosci.

Augmenting
Human Abilities

Based on the knowledge obtained from psychophysical experiments, neuroimaging, and brain stimulation experiments, we will develop technologies that can improve human perception and cognitive abilities and control them at will. To achieve this goal, we combine wearable devices which allows us to collect external and internal biological information, machine learning techniques, and sensory and brain stimulation methods. In the future, we further expand this idea to develop a new technology that helps us to acquire new abilities that humans have never had before, and to implement it in society.

• JST PRESTO[The Future of Humans and Interactions]

FACILITIES

COMMON FACILITIES

Magnetic Resonance Imaging

Siemens Prisma, PrismaFit, Vida (3 Tesla）
Siemens MR7T900PS(7 Tesla）

Magnetoencephalography

Elekta Neuromag 360-channel MEG System

LAB FACILITIES

Transcracial Magnetic Stimulation

Magstim 2002, BiStim
Deymed DuoMAG MP-Quad

TMS Navigation System

Rogue Research Brainsight

TMS Cobot

Axilum TMS-Cobot

Transcranial Static Magnetic Stimulation

Neurek MAG45r+, MAG50r+

TEAM

RESEARCHER

Masamichi HAYASHI, Ph.D.

Principal Investigator
Researcher (tenure-track), CiNet
Guest Associate Professor, Graduate School of Frontier Biosciences, Osaka University

• subjectivity
• perception of time and space
• brain
• human augmentation

• research map
• Google Scholar

COOPERATIVE VISITING RESEARCHER

Teruaki KIDO

Graduate student, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, The University of Tokyo
JSPS Research Fellow (DC1)

• neuroimaging
• Bayesian inference
• neural representation of information

Masakazu SUGIMOTO

Graduate student, Graduate School of Frontier Biosciences, Osaka University

• brain stimulation
• MRI
• time perception
• cognitive neuroscience

Kohhei HOSOYA

Graduate student, Graduate School of Frontier Biosciences, Osaka University

• rate perception
• neuroimaging
• neuroimaging

Ryo KANECHI

Graduate student, Graduate School of Frontier Biosciences, Osaka University

• duration perception
• temporal resolution
• psychophysics

Tomoki TAKAHASHI

Graduate student, Graduate School of Frontier Biosciences, Osaka University

• numerosity perception
• synesthesia
• multisensory integration

TECHNICAL STAFF

Natsuha FUJIHARA

Administrative Specialist, CiNet

VACANCIES