Member introduction
Aya Ihara
(Senior researcher & CiNet PI)
Degree
Ph.D. (Health science)
Research theme
My research focuses on language comprehension mechanisms in the human brain and the practical applications of brain information related to language comprehension measured in real-life environments.
In daily communication, language does not always provide complete information; however, the human brain can comprehend a message quickly and flexibly depending on contextual cues. We use non-invasive brain activity measurement and brain stimulation modalities to investigate the neural basis of flexible language comprehension, mainly lexical access and contextual processing.
Additionally, we are currently developing electroencephalogram-based techniques for the objective evaluation of information comprehension and mental state in real-life environments. We are also performing neuromodulatory experiments aimed at improving language functions in healthy adults and patients with aphasia.
Education
2000 B.M. School of Allied Health Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Osaka University
2002 M.A. Graduate school of Language and Culture, Osaka University
2005 Ph.D. Graduate school of Medicine, Osaka University
Employment
2003-2005 Research Fellow, Department of Integrative Physiology, National Institute for Physiological Sciences
2005-2008 Expert Researcher, Brain Information Group, Kansai Advanced Research Center, National Institute of Information and Communications Technology
(2006 Reorganized, Biological ICT Group, Kobe Advanced ICT Research Center)
2008-2009 Researcher, Biological ICT Group, Kobe Advanced ICT Research Center, National Institute of Information and Communications Technology
2009-2011 Senior researcher, Biological ICT Group, Kobe Advanced ICT Research Center, National Institute of Information and Communications Technology
2011- Invited teacher, Graduate school of Medicine, Osaka University
2011- Senior Researcher, Brain ICT Laboratory, Advanced ICT Research Institude, National Institute of Information and Communications Technology
Prize history
2003 Fellowship award, 27th International Congress of Clinical Neurophysiology
2018 Excellent Presentation Award, The Japanese Psychological Association Conference 2018
Publications
Research papers
- Fuseda, K., Watanabe, H., Matsumoto, A., Saito, J., Naruse, Y. & Ihara, A.S. Impact of depressed state on attention and language processing during news broadcasts: EEG analysis and machine learning approach. Sci Rep 12, 20492 (2022).
- Ihara, A.S., Matsumoto, A., Ojima, S., Katayama, J., Nakamura, K., Yokota, Y., Watanabe, H. and Naruse, Y. Prediction of second language proficiency based on electroencephalographic signals measured while listening to natural speech. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience 15:665809 (2021).
- Matsumoto, A., Fujimaki, N., Soshi, T. and Ihara, A.S. Distinctive responses in anterior temporal lobe and ventrolateral prefrontal cortex during categorization of semantic information. Scientific Reports 11:13343 (2021).
- Ihara, A.S., Nakajima, K., Kake, A.,Ishimaru, K., Osugi, K. and Naruse Y. Advantage of Handwriting Over Typing on Learning Words: Evidence From an N400 Event-Related Potential Index. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience 15:6791919 (2021).
- Ihara, A.S., Miyazaki, A., Izawa, Y., Takayama, M., Hanayama, K. & Tanemura, J. Enhancement of Facilitation Training for Aphasia by Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience 14:573459 (2020).
- Osugi, K., Ihara, A.S., Nakajima, K., Kake, A., Ishimaru, K., Yokota, Y. & Naruse, Y. Differences in Brain Activity After Learning With the Use of a Digital Pen vs. an Ink Pen?An Electroencephalography Study. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience 13:275 (2019).
- Soshi, T., Fujimaki, N., Matsumoto, A., & Ihara, A.S. Memory-Based Specification of Verbal Features for Classifying Animals into Super-Ordinate and Sub-Ordinate Categories. Frontiers in Communication 2:12 (2017).
- Nihonsugi, T., Ihara, A., & Haruno, M. Selective increase of intention-based economic decisions by noninvasive brain stimulation to the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. Journal of Neuroscience 35:8,3412-9 (2015) .
- Leroy, F., Cai, Q., Bogart, S., Dubois, J., Coulon, O., Monzalvo, K., Fischer, C., Glasel, ., Van der Haegen, H., Benezit, H., Lin, C.P., Kennedy, D., Ihara, A.S., Hertz-Pannier, L. Moutard, M.L., Poupon, C., Brysbaert, M., Roberts, N., Hopkins, W., Mangin, J.F., Dehaene-Lambertz, G. A new human-specific brain landmark: The depth asymmetry of superior temporal sulcus. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 112:4, 1208-13 (2015).
- Shinshi, M., Yanagiawa, T., Hirata, M., Goto, T., Sugata, H., Araki, T., Okamura, Y., Hasegawa, Y., Ihara, A. & Yorifuji, S. Temporospatial Identification of Language-Related Cortical Function by a Combination of Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation and Magnetoencephalography. Brain and Behavior 5:3,e00317 (2015).
- Ihara, A.S., Ihara, S. A, Mimura, T., Soshi, T., Yorifuji, S., Hirata, M., Goto, T., Yoshinime, T., Umehara, H. &Fujimaki, N. Facilitated lexical ambiguity processing by transcranial direct current stimulation over the left inferior frontal cortex. Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience 27:1,26-34 (2015).
- Fujimaki, N., Terazono, Y., Ihara, S. A., Hayakawa, T., Matani, A. & Umehara, H. Accuracy of estimating strengths of dipole moments from a small number of magnetoencephalographic trial data. Brain Topography 27, 635-647 (2014).
- Leibnitz, K., Shimokawa, T., Ihara, A., Fujimaki, N. & Peper, F. On the Topological Changes of Brain Functional Networks under Priming and Ambiguity. IEICE Transactions on Communications E96-B, 2741-2748 (2013).
- Ihara, A., Wei, Q., Matani, A., Fujimaki, N., Yagura, H., Nogai, T., Umehara, H. & Murata, T. Language comprehension dependent on emotional context: A magnetoencephalography study. Neuroscience Research 72, 50-58 (2012).
- Fujimaki, N., Hayakawa, T., Ihara, A., Matani, A,. Wei, Q., Terazono, Y. & Murata, T. Masked immediate-repetition-priming effect on the early lexical process in the bilateral anterior temporal areas assessed by neuromagnetic responses. Neuroscience Research 68, 114-124 (2010).
- Ihara, A., Hirata, M., Fujimaki, N., Goto, T., Umekawa, Y., Fujita, N., Terazono, Y., Matani, A., Wei, Q., Yoshimine, T., Yorifuji, S. & Murata, T. Neuroimaging study on brain asymmetries in situs inversus. Journal of the Neurological Sciences 288, 72-78 (2010).
- Fujimaki, N., Munetsuna, S., Sasaki, T., Hayakawa, T., Ihara, A., Wei, Q., Terazono, Y. & Murata, T. Neural activations correlated with reading speed during reading novels. Neuroscience Research 65, 355-342 (2009).
- Fujimaki, N., Hayakawa, T., Ihara, A., Wei, Q., Munetsuna, S., Terazono, Y., Matani, A. & Murata, T. Early neural activation for lexico-semantic access in the left anterior temporal area analyzed by an fMRI-assisted MEG multidipole method. Neuroimage 44, 1093-1102 (2009).
- Wei, Q., Ihara, A., Hayakawa, T., Murata, T. & Fujimaki, N. Phonological influences on lexcio-semantic processing of kanji words. Neuroreport 18, 1775-1780 (2007).
- Ihara, A., Hayakawa, T., Wei, Q., Munetsuna, S. & Fujimaki, N. Lexical access and selection of contextually appropriate meaning for ambiguous words. Neuroimage 38, 576-588 (2007).
- Sakihara, K., Hirata, M., Nakagawa, S., Fujiwara, N., Sekino, M., Ueno, S., Ihara, A. & Yorifuji, S. Late response evoked by cerebellar stimuli: effect of optokinetic stimulation. Neuroreport 18, 891－894 (2007).
- Miyanari, A., Kaneoke, Y., Ihara, A., Watanabe, S., Osaki, Y., Kubo, T., Kato, A., Yoshimine, T., Sagara, Y. & Kakigi, R. Neuromagnetic changes of brain rhythm evoked by intravenous olfactory stimulation in humans. Brain Topography 18, 189－199 (2006).
- Ihara, A. & Kakigi, R. Oscillatory activity in the occipitotemporal area related to the visual perception of letters of a first/second language and pseudoletters. Neuroimage 29, 789－796 (2006).
- Hirata, M., Kato, A., Taniguchi, M., Saitoh, Y., Ninomiya, H., Ihara, A., Kishima, H., Oshino, S., Baba, T., Yorifuji, S. & Yoshimine, T. Determination of language dominance with synthetic aperture magnetometry: comparison with Wada test. Neuroimage 23, 46－53 (2004).
- Sakihara, K., Yorifuji, S., Ihara, A., Takahashi, Y., Koreeda, S., Sakagami, A. & Hirata, M. Long latency response in soleus muscle evoked by magnetic stimulation at the foramen magnum. Neuroreport 15, 2279－2282 (2004).
- Osaki, Y., Doi, K., Takasawa, M., Noda, K., Nishimura, H., Ihara, A., Iwaki, T., Imaizumi, M., Yoshikawa, T., Oku, N., Hatazawa, J. & Kubo, T. Cortical processing of tactile language in a postlingually deaf-blind subject. Neuroimage 15, 287－291 (2004).
- Sakihara, K., Yorifuji, S., Ihara, A., Izumi, H., Kono, K., Takahashi, Y., Imaoka, H. & Ogino, S. Transcranial magnetic stimulation over the cerebellum evokes late potential in the soleus muscle. Neuroscience Research 46, 2257－2262 (2003).
- Ihara, A., Hirata, M., Sakihara, K., Izumi, H., Takahashi, Y., Kono, K., Imaoka, H., Osaki, Y., Kato, A., Yoshimine, T. & Yorifuji, S Gamma-band desynchronization in language areas reflects syntactic process of words. Neuroscience Letters 339, 135－139 (2003).
- Ihara, A., Hirata, M., Yanagihara, K., Ninomiya, H., Imai, K., Ishii, R., Osaki, Y., Sakihara, K., Izumi, H., Imaoka, H., Kato, A., Yoshimine, T. & Yorifuji, S Neuromagnetic gamma-band activity in the primary and secondary somatosensory areas. Neuroreport 14, 273－277 (2003).