Contact details: 
Laboratory for Symbolic Cognitive Development,
   RIKEN Brain Science Institute,
   2-1 Hirosawa, Wako-shi, Saitama 351-0198, Japan.
   tel; +81-48-467-9637, fax; +81-48-467-9645, e-mail; iriki@brain.riken.jp
   PA: Ms Mitsuko Yamashita (tel; +81-48-467-9611, e-mail; mitsukoy@brain.riken.jp)

Research interests:
Based on behavioral and neurophysiological analyses on chronic macaque monkeys, which were trained to use tools and other high-tech apparatus, we try to uncover evolutionary precursors of human higher cognitive functions grounded onto physical morphologies and patterns of structured bodily actions. We extrapolate these mechanisms to constitute bases of communicatory functions by sharing above machineries among individuals, and eventually understand neural mechanism of social behaviours. Further, we are aiming at extending these mechanisms onto evolutionary as well as developmental clues of symbolic cognitive functions to subserve inference, metaphysical thoughts etc. that characterise human intelligence.

http://www.brain.riken.go.jp/english/b_rear/b4_lob/a_iriki.html

Unconscious determinants of free decisions in the human brain. Soon CS, Brass M, Heinze HJ, Haynes JD Nat Neurosci 2008 May 11(5):543-5 [abstract on PubMed] [related articles] [full text] [order article] Selected by | Mark Hallett / Atsushi Iriki Evaluated 16 May 2008 Complementary systems for understanding action intentions. de Lange FP, Spronk M, …, Toni I, Bekkering H Curr Biol 2008 Mar 25 18(6):454-7 [abstract on PubMed] [related articles] [full text] [order article] Selected by | Atsushi Iriki Evaluated 31 Mar 2008 Meeting George Bush versus Meeting Cinderella: The Neural Response When Telling Apart What is Real from What is Fictional in the Context of Our Reality. Abraham A, von Cramon DY, Schubotz RI J Cogn Neurosci 2008 Jan 22 [abstract on PubMed] [related articles] [full text] Selected by | Atsushi Iriki Evaluated 11 Feb 2008 Increased gray matter density in the parietal cortex of mathematicians: a voxel-based morphometry study. Aydin K, Ucar A, …, Yilmaz S, Ozturk C AJNR Am J Neuroradiol 2007 Nov-Dec 28(10):1859-64 [abstract on PubMed] [related articles] [full text] [order article] Selected by | Atsushi Iriki Evaluated 20 Nov 2007 The perception of rational, goal-directed action in nonhuman primates. Wood JN, Glynn DD, Phillips BC, Hauser MD Science 2007 Sep 7 317(5843):1402-5 [abstract on PubMed] [related articles] [full text] [order article] Selected by | Atsushi Iriki Evaluated 2 Oct 2007 Imitation as faithful copying of a novel technique in marmoset monkeys. Voelkl B, Huber L PLoS ONE 2007 2:e611 [abstract on PubMed] [related articles] [FREE full text] Selected by | Atsushi Iriki Evaluated 14 Aug 2007 Morphing the body: illusory feeling of an elongated arm affects somatosensory homunculus. Schaefer M, Flor H, Heinze HJ, Rotte M Neuroimage 2007 Jul 1 36(3):700-5 [abstract on PubMed] [related articles] [full text] [order article] Selected by | Atsushi Iriki Evaluated 31 May 2007 Wandering minds: the default network and stimulus-independent thought. Mason MF, Norton MI, …, Grafton ST, Macrae CN Science 2007 Jan 19 315(5810):393-5 [abstract on PubMed] [related articles] [FREE full text] Selected by | Atsushi Iriki Evaluated 13 Mar 2007 Categorization of behavioural sequences in the prefrontal cortex. Shima K, Isoda M, Mushiake H, Tanji J Nature 2007 Jan 18 445(7125):315-8 [abstract on PubMed] [related articles] [full text] [order article] Selected by | Atsushi Iriki / Earl Miller Evaluated 22 Jan 2007 Temporal dynamics of plastic changes in human primary somatosensory cortex after finger webbing. Stavrinou ML, Della Penna S, …, Romani GL, Rossini PM Cereb Cortex 2007 Sep 17(9):2134-42 [abstract on PubMed] [related articles] [full text] [order article] Selected by | Atsushi Iriki Evaluated 13 Dec 2006 Pain processing is faster than tactile processing in the human brain. Ploner M, Gross J, Timmermann L, Schnitzler A J Neurosci 2006 Oct 18 26(42):10879-82 [abstract on PubMed] [related articles] [FREE full text] Selected by | Atsushi Iriki Evaluated 14 Nov 2006 Induction of an illusory shadow person. Arzy S, Seeck M, …, Spinelli L, Blanke O Nature 2006 Sep 21 443(7109):287 [abstract on PubMed] [related articles] [full text] [order article] Selected by | Atsushi Iriki Evaluated 12 Oct 2006 Impaired self-awareness and theory of mind: an fMRI study of mentalizing in alexithymia. Moriguchi Y, Ohnishi T, …, Matsuda H, Komaki G Neuroimage 2006 Sep 32(3):1472-82 [abstract on PubMed] [related articles] [full text] [order article] Selected by | Atsushi Iriki Evaluated 12 Sep 2006 Spatial remapping of touch: confusion of perceived stimulus order across hand and foot. Schicke T, Röder B Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2006 Aug 1 103(31):11808-13 [abstract on PubMed] [related articles] [FREE full text] Selected by | Atsushi Iriki Evaluated 14 Aug 2006 Motor experience with graspable objects reduces their implicit analysis in visual- and motor-related cortex. Handy TC, Tipper CM, …, Grafton ST, Gazzaniga MS Brain Res 2006 Jun 30 1097(1):156-66 [abstract on PubMed] [related articles] [full text] [order article] Selected by | Atsushi Iriki Evaluated 11 Jul 2006 Dissociable medial prefrontal contributions to judgments of similar and dissimilar others. Mitchell JP, Macrae CN, Banaji MR Neuron 2006 May 18 50(4):655-63 [abstract on PubMed] [related articles] [full text] [order article] Selected by | Atsushi Iriki Evaluated 9 Jun 2006 Somatic sensation of hand-object interactive movement is associated with activity in the left inferior parietal cortex. Naito E, Ehrsson HH J Neurosci 2006 Apr 5 26(14):3783-90 [abstract on PubMed] [related articles] [FREE full text] Selected by | Atsushi Iriki Evaluated 8 May 2006 Causal reasoning in rats. Blaisdell AP, Sawa K, Leising KJ, Waldmann MR Science 2006 Feb 17 311(5763):1020-2 [abstract on PubMed] [related articles] [FREE full text] Selected by | Kent Berridge / Nicola Clayton / Atsushi Iriki Evaluated 4 Apr 2006

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