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1. Title

Creation of innovative fundamental technologies for utilizing information related to action and judgment in the brain

2. Content

Brain-Machine Interfaces (BMI) decode information in the brain when bodily movement or judgment is made, and enable mental control of external devices to aid in physical functions. Research in BMI contributes to creation of innovations for recovering or supplementing physical functions limited by disability, etc.
Accordingly, this strategic sector aims at creation of unconventional, innovative fundamental technologies necessary for development of BMI: e.g., a technology for retrieving information from brain activities and decoding brain information, a device control technology for controlling external devices based on the obtained information in the brain, a technology for feeding external information back to the brain, and other technologies.

3. Policy position (relationship with "Science and Technology Basic Plan" and "Strategic Prioritized cience and Technology")

This strategic sector is closely related to "Science and technology for reconstruction of complex systems of life" and "Research for bridging to clinical research and practice" in life sciences and "World-leading core robot technology useful for daily life at home and outdoors" in information and communication in the Phase 3 Basic Program for Science and Technology.
From the aspects of basic research into the fundamental principles of brain activity, as well as development of key technologies based on its expansion and understanding, this strategic sector is directly involved in development of human healthcare technologies (Research for bridging to clinical research and practice) through integrated comprehension of complex and higher brain functions (Science and technology for reconstruction of complex systems of life) and development of neuroprosthetic limbs. Moreover, this strategic sector is important for development of control technologies incorporated with human judgment (World-leading core robot technology useful for daily life at home and outdoors) and is closely related to such strategic prioritized science and technology.
"Innovation 25," a guideline for long-term strategy, and reports such as "New frontier for health" also advocate that technologies similar to those included in this strategic sector should be developed for supplementing or expanding lost physical functions.

4. Position of this research project among research promotion measures in relevant research fields, ifferences from other related measures, and differences in effects of policy

There are two brain science-related projects: the FY 2007 Strategic Sector, "Creation of innovations toward the development of diagnosis and treatment of psychiatric and neurological disorders based on elucidation of complex and higher brain functions," and a new project for 2008, "Strategic promotion program for brain science research." The FY 2007 Strategic Sector, "Creation of innovations toward the development of diagnosis and treatment of psychiatric and neurological disorders based on elucidation of complex and higher brain functions," promotes research contributing to development of prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of psychiatric and neurological disorders. Therefore, the FY 2007 strategic sector differs from this strategic sector, which will promote research in innovative basic technologies contributing to external device control etc. utilizing information for bodily movement and judgment in the brain.
The new project for 2008, "Strategic promotion program for brain science research," aims to ensure that the research results obtained so far will be integrated into our healthcare, welfare, education, and industry to address needs of society. To strategically promote research and development, this new project will include organization of a research base (consisting of a core institution and participating institutions) by publicly inviting universities, independent administrative institutions, private enterprises, and others that have made excellent achievements or have capacity to support other institutions in applied technologies for decoding information in the brain and connecting devices, computational neuroscience, and the field of "learning from the brain" involved in development of the brain information system. Therefore, the new project for 2008 also differs from this strategic sector, which aims at creation of unconventional, innovative basic technologies.
For implementation of research in this strategic sector, a promotion system will be constructed while clarifying roles shared by other research projects based on the above-described views, taking into account the results of the meeting of the Brain Science Committee, Council for Science and Technology.

5. Achievements and goals expected; and reasons, urgency, and need for priority from specialists and dustries over other Strategic Prioritized Science and Technology

Technologies for controlling an external device utilizing biosignals obtained from the human body such as, for example, a biometric authentication technology for identifying individuals and a robot suit based on myoelectric signals, are achieving social recognition. Under such circumstances, BMI for decoding information in the brain and controlling external devices etc. has been rapidly developed, mainly in the U.S. in recent years.
With advancement of aging in our society, BMI as a technology for aiding or recovering decreased physical functions is a challenge that Japan should address as a priority, and a research area in which Japan can lead the world by taking advantage of our strengths in computation theory and robotics. With innovative basic technologies created through research and development in this strategic sector, high-performance devices that move as desired on mental command, such as prosthetic limbs, will be developed. For example, such devices will enable patients with spinal cord injury to walk or recover from one-sided paralysis due to cerebral stroke etc. by neurorehabilitation. Thus, it is thought that these technologies will aid patients to overcome physical disabilities caused by diseases etc. from which they cannot recover with currently available technologies. At present, the number of patients with spinal cord injury alone as research subjects is about 100,000 in Japan, and there are about 5000 new patients with spinal cord injury each year (data from "Japan Spinal Cord Foundation").
The technologies for supplementing/enhancing physical functions also relate to technologies for supplementing physical functions that have naturally degraded with aging, and contribute to alleviation of the heavy social burden of nursing care. Furthermore, these technologies are expected as measures for not only aiding movement of limbs, but also for supporting clear conversation or realizing communication by patients with general paralysis.

6. Scientific justification for the research and development goals

Technologies for retrieving signals from brain activities have been developed. As a noninvasive information-retrieving technology, significant progress is seen in development in combination with near-infrared measurement technology in addition to electroencephalographic measurement.
As a means of decoding necessary information from obtained signals, a technology of decoding signals from functional MRI using Bayes estimation is being realized. It is expected that such estimation methods can be applied to other measurable signals from the brain.
As a means of controlling external devices based on obtained information in the brain, development of a technology for controlling robots that carry out hand movement or walking for patients, in particular, would appear to contribute to achievement of the aim of this strategic sector. It is also expected that results of basic research regarding kinesiology and functional electric stimulation will be utilized. As a means of feeding external information back to the brain, development of a technology for measuring plastic change in the brain is in progress, and basic findings are being accumulated. Research on technologies for measuring sensory information (the senses of hearing, sight, touch etc.) with high sensitivity and processing as usable information is also being promoted. If this strategic sector induces research and development that elicit pioneering ideas, it is expected that not mere improvement of existing technologies but development of original technologies will be promoted. A great number of researchers are involved in each area of basic research in Japan, and it is anticipated that these researchers will submit many proposals for innovative research and development based on their unconventional ideas.

7. Considerations in achieving the research and development goals (research team organization, etc.)

To achieve the goals of this strategic sector, cooperation among researchers in many fields such as clinical medicine, basic medicine, biology, engineering, and information science is essential, and multidisciplinary coordination is crucial. In promotion of research, harmony with social implications will be needed, including consideration of ethical aspects. Further, to efficiently operate this strategic sector, overall management of the research needs to be done in coordination with the "Strategic promotion program for brain science research.

(Reference) Political goals to be achieved in this project

This strategic sector covers technologies for creating innovations for recovering or supplementing human physical functions limited by disability etc. These technologies include a technology for retrieving information from brain activities and decoding brain information, a technology for controlling external devices based on obtained information in the brain, a technology for feeding external information back to the brain, and so forth. The research and development goal of this strategic sector during the research period is creation of innovative fundamental technologies for realizing the above-mentioned technologies that will be required for practical use of BMI.

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