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Cognitive and Behavioral Neuroscience Lab
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A neuroeconomics lab exploring how human values arise from the brain.
AboutAbout the lab
A field for understanding human values: neuroeconomics
The Cognitive and Behavioral Neuroscience Lab conducts neuroscience research using monkeys, aiming to understand how human values arise from the brain.
In neuroeconomics, a field that combines neuroscience and microeconomics, the lab studies how the brain works when judging whether things are good or bad.
Humans and macaque monkeys, a model animal, perform cognitive behavioral tasks, and the lab examines how the brain makes value judgments depending on the degree of thirst or hunger.
By manipulating brain activity and examining its effect on judgment, the lab aims to advance the understanding of depression.
Key terms
- Neuroeconomics
- An interdisciplinary research field that combines neuroscience and microeconomics
- Prospect theory
- A theory in behavioral economics that explains why humans are excessively averse to risk and loss
- Reinforcement learning theory
- A theory known as a set of rules for learning values
NewsLab news
Wrote part of the book "Frontiers of Higher Brain Function Research"
A collaborative paper visualized widespread brain activity as a geometric figure (press release)
Published a paper on assessing hunger and thirst from monkey blood (press release)
The Cognitive and Behavioral Neuroscience Lab was established
ResearchResearch themes
In daily life, humans judge whether things are good or bad, and the lab aims to understand how these values arise from the brain. Humans and macaque monkeys perform cognitive behavioral tasks, and the lab examines how the brain makes value judgments according to the degree of desire, with the aim of understanding depression.
*Illustrative imageHow value judgments are produced
The lab uses animals to study how risk aversion and loss aversion, which appear in prospect theory and explain human behavior, arise from the brain. It is working to integrate this with reinforcement learning theory, aiming for a framework that goes beyond existing theories.
*Illustrative imageHow thirst and hunger generate motivation
By measuring blood hormones and blood osmolality, the lab objectively assesses the degree of hunger and thirst. It investigates how desires arise within the body, aiming to understand the abnormalities of desire listed in the diagnostic criteria for depression.
*Illustrative imageHow the brain computes
It is hard to believe that neurons in the brain compute like a von Neumann computer, and the mechanisms of brain computation are still largely unknown. In collaboration with information science experts, the lab explores these mechanisms using information processing theory.
*Illustrative imageManipulating brain activity
The lab studies specific brain functions by introducing photoreceptor genes (opsins) into neurons using viral vectors and artificially activating the cells with light. It also places importance on introducing new experimental techniques.
MembersFaculty
The members of the Cognitive and Behavioral Neuroscience Lab consist of faculty, doctoral students, and technical assistants.As of 2026
- Associate ProfessorHiroshi Yamada
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Report an errorAbout the images
The top and research theme images are illustrative and were not taken at the lab. They are cropped from Wikimedia Commons images. Cropped CC BY-SA images are provided under the same CC BY-SA license as the original (version shown on each line).
- Top image: “Frankfurt Stock Exchange (Ank Kumar) 03” Ank Kumar / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
- How value judgments are produced: “New York Stock Exchange August 2017 02” Arild Vågen / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
- How thirst and hunger generate motivation: “Clinical Chemistry Analyzer , Клинички биохемиски анализатор 1” Делфина / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
- How the brain computes: “Artificial Neural Network with Chip” mikemacmarketing / original posted on flickr Liam Huang / clipped and posted on flickr / CC BY 2.0 (cropped)
- Manipulating brain activity: “Upconversion Fluorescence - Optical fiber that contains infrared light shines with a blue color in the dark - Laser Physics Lab - NTNU-NT” NTNU, Faculty of Natural Sciences and Technology / CC BY 2.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (適応生理学(WPI-IIIS)): “Jsc2023e050554” NASA / Public domain (cropped)
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（WPI-IIIS） ): “Suncus cf.murinus Satpura NP India” Davidvraju / CC0 (cropped) - Related lab (システム生理学): “Brain Anatomy Model ( )” YVC Biology Department / CC BY 2.0 (cropped)
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（WPI-IIIS） ): “Sleeping cat 04” Bluemix / CC BY-SA 3.0 (cropped)
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