Hayashi Laboratory - CiNet, NICT

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

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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.

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 MAGNETOM Prisma, PrismaFit, Vida (3 Tesla)
Siemens MAGNETOM Terra(7 Tesla)

Magnetoencephalography

Elekta Neuromag 360-channel MEG System

LAB FACILITIES

Transcracial Magnetic Stimulation

Magstim 200², BiStim²
Deymed DuoMAG MP-Quad

TMS Navigation System

Rogue Research Brainsight

TMS Cobot

Axilum TMS-Cobot

Transcranial Static Magnetic Stimulation

Neurek MAG45r+, MAG50r+

Transcranial electrical stimulation (tDCS/tACS) devices, an electroencephalography (EEG) system, eye trackers, and sound-proof experimental rooms are also available.

TEAM

Researcher

Masamichi HAYASHI, Ph.D.

Principal Investigator

Senior Researcher, CiNet

Guest Associate Professor, Graduate School of Frontier Biosciences, The University of Osaka

perception of time and space
subjectivity
efficient coding
human augmentation

Sofia NAGISA, Ph.D.

Fixed-term Researcher, CiNet

Visiting Researcher, RIKEN Center for Brain Science

vision
time perception
effort
vigilance
psychophysics

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