The Fist-Edge-Palm task, a manual hand task, has been used to detect frontal dysfunctions in clinical situations: its performance failures are observed in various prefrontal cortex -related disorders, including schizophrenia. However, previous imaging studies reported that the performance of the FEP task activated motor-related areas, but not the PFC. Here, we aimed to investigate the relationships between the performance of the FEP task and PFC functions. Hemodynamic activity in the PFC, including the dorsolateral PFC and frontal pole, was recorded. Healthy (...) young subjects performed the FEP task as well as a palm tapping task three times. The subjects also completed a Wisconsin Card Sorting Test and Schizotypal Personality Scale questionnaire. We found that hemodynamic activity in the PFC increased in the first trial of the FEP task but decreased considerably in the second and third trials compared to the PT task. The number of performance errors in the FEP task also decreased in the second and third trials. Error reduction in the FEP task between the first and second trials was negatively correlated with schizotypal trait and the number of perseveration errors in the WCST. Furthermore, changes in the PFC hemodynamic activity between the first and second trials were positively correlated with error reduction in the FEP task between the first and second trials, and negatively correlated with the number of perseveration errors in the WCST. These results suggest that learning in the FEP task requires PFC activation, which is negatively associated with perseveration errors in the WCST. The results further suggest that the FEP task, in conjunction with near-infrared spectroscopy, may be useful as a diagnostic method for various disorders with PFC dysfunction. (shrink)

京都を知る，アルゴリズムを知る。アルゴリズムとはそもそも，何か物事を行うときの“具体的手順”のことである。私たちは日々，意識するかしないかに関わらず，次々とアルゴリズムの設計をしながら生活をしている。 本書は，岩間一雄教授が京都の町を題材にアルゴリズムの思考を伝える，読み物的手法をとった数学書である。読者はその奥深い世界へと誘われてゆくだろう。 巻末には本書で取り上げた京都関連の名所・行事などの索引があり，逆引きで読んでいくことができる。 【目次】 1．斜め横断 2．アイドルタイム 3．人事部長の悩み 4．チームワーク 5．神様との勝負 6．アルゴリズムからメカニズムへ 7．一番でなくとも 8．千年に1回も起こらない 9．自分のページランクを上げたい 10．対話のアルゴリズム 11．ビットコインの素晴らしさ 12．P対NP問題：ノーベル賞以上？ 13．アルゴリズムから見た進化論.