The Misaki Laboratory
Our Research ApproachDr. Misaki’s laboratory aims to develop new psychiatric treatments based on neuroimaging techniques. This research utilizes multimodal neuroimaging modalities, mainly functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and electroencephalography (EEG). These signals are measured in real-time and presented for patients to monitor and self-regulate their mental state, so-called neurofeedback.
Current research aims:
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Research Program Highlights
Main QuestionsCan we treat major psychiatric disorders by a patient's self-regulation of brain activations with neurofeedback? What are neuroimaging markers of psychiatric disorders effective in self-regulating altered brain activation patterns in patients with a mental disorder? Are there individual differences in such neuroimaging markers? How is symptom relief achieved with brain self-regulation thorough neurofeedback.
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ApproachReal-time fMRI and EEG systems for extracting and presenting a patient’s ongoing mental state are being developed. Machine learning approaches are utilized to extract a marker of mental state or altered brain activation patterns and investigate its differences across individuals. Statistical model analysis, including the structural equation model, is utilized to elucidate how the self-regulation of the brain activations works for relieving psychiatric disorder symptoms.
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Future DirectionsEstablish a personalized psychiatry treatment approach utilizing neuroimaging techniques with neurofeedback.
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Scientific Background
Dr. Misaki has broad expertise in multimodal neuroscience studies, including behavioral experiments, measurement of brain activation with functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), and the development of novel analysis methods with machine learning. As a graduate student at Kyoto University, Japan, he studied human visual recognition using experimental psychology, information-theoretical modeling, and artificial neural network models. He received a research fellowship from the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS) for his doctoral study. He received Ph.D. in informatics from Kyoto University under the mentorship of Toshio Inui, Ph.D.
As a postdoctoral fellow at the National Institute of Information and Communications Technology, Japan, he expanded his expertise to the design of fMRI experiments and MRI data analysis. He also engaged in a project on brain activation in sleep state using a simultaneous recording of EEG and fMRI. After receiving a research fellowship for young postdoctoral scientists from JSPS, he moved to the Section on Functional Imaging Methods (SFIM) in the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), National Institutes of Health (NIH) as a visiting scientist. He then became a Research Fellow of NIMH after the fellowship ended in April 2009. Since joining SFIM in NIMH, he devoted himself to developing machine learning analysis methods for neuroimaging data.
Dr. Misaki joined LIBR in 2012 as a staff scientist under the direction of Dr. Jerzy Bodurka. He worked with Dr. Bodurka to establish the state-of-the-art real-time neuroimaging facility in LIBR and develop a new data analysis method for inventing a novel psychiatry treatment with neurofeedback. He has developed and implemented a state-of-the-art real-time fMRI data processing system that significantly improves online brain activation estimation quality. In September 2021, Dr. Misaki became an Associate Investigator at LIBR. The focus of his work is developing a novel psychiatry treatment with neuroimaging technology.
As a postdoctoral fellow at the National Institute of Information and Communications Technology, Japan, he expanded his expertise to the design of fMRI experiments and MRI data analysis. He also engaged in a project on brain activation in sleep state using a simultaneous recording of EEG and fMRI. After receiving a research fellowship for young postdoctoral scientists from JSPS, he moved to the Section on Functional Imaging Methods (SFIM) in the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), National Institutes of Health (NIH) as a visiting scientist. He then became a Research Fellow of NIMH after the fellowship ended in April 2009. Since joining SFIM in NIMH, he devoted himself to developing machine learning analysis methods for neuroimaging data.
Dr. Misaki joined LIBR in 2012 as a staff scientist under the direction of Dr. Jerzy Bodurka. He worked with Dr. Bodurka to establish the state-of-the-art real-time neuroimaging facility in LIBR and develop a new data analysis method for inventing a novel psychiatry treatment with neurofeedback. He has developed and implemented a state-of-the-art real-time fMRI data processing system that significantly improves online brain activation estimation quality. In September 2021, Dr. Misaki became an Associate Investigator at LIBR. The focus of his work is developing a novel psychiatry treatment with neuroimaging technology.
Meet Our Team
Gabe Cochran
Research Specialist |
Ceyda Elcin Kaya
Research Assistant |
