M.D., Ph.D. Sayaka Yoshimura
The main focus of our laboratory is developmental disorders, especially autistic spectrum disorders. We conduct clinical and research work from the perspectives of 1. child and adolescent psychiatry, 2. cognitive neuroscience research, and 3. child judicial psychiatry. In addition, for those with experience supporting people with developmental disorders, we offer an educational program to train highly specialized personnel with expertise in developmental disorders.
Research and Education
Elucidating the characteristic psychophysiology and cognitive processing of developmental disorders is the foundation for establishing correct understanding and rational support. However, the proper academic knowledge has yet to be fully accumulated. Our laboratory aims to conduct research that will provide important clues in considering support for developmental disorders and to give back to practice. In addition to medical professionals, people from various backgrounds, such as psychology and music therapy, are studying in graduate school, and undergraduates can also be exposed to multiple research methodologies during the senior thesis stage. The Department of Advanced Occupational Therapy, centered on our laboratory, conducts a certificate program, “Solving National Health Issues through Interventions for Developmental Disorders,” and an e-learning course, “ASD project Basic course,” which is the essence of the program, to train advanced professionals with a deep understanding of the psychophysiology and cognitive processing of developmental disorders.
In 2024, we started the research project, “Supporting people with neurodevelopmental disorders to demonstrate their abilities in employment”, in collaboration with The Japan Research Institute. The project is part of SMBC Kyoto University Studio’s activities to solve social problems in Japan. Through the project, we hope to contribute our research outcomes to developing support systems and awareness activities to set up an environment where individuals with neurodevelopmental traits can demonstrate their abilities.
Recent Publications
- Hirata, R., Yoshimura, S., Kobayashi, K., Aki, M., Shibata, M., Ueno, T., Miyagi, T., Oishi, N., Murai, T., & Fujiwara, H. Differences between subclinical attention-deficit/hyperactivity and autistic traits in default mode, salience, and frontoparietal network connectivities in young adult Japanese. (2023). Scientific Reports, 13, 19724.
- Zhao, S., Uono, S., Hu, R.Q., Yoshimura, S., & Toichi, M. Self-referential and social saliency information influences memory following attention orienting. (2023). Frontiers in Psychology, 14, 10092512.
- Kusano, Y., Funaki, T., Ueda, K., Nishida, N., Tanaka, K., Miyamoto, S., Matsuda, S. Characterizing the neurocognitive profiles of children with moyamoya disease using the Das Naglieri cognitive assessment system. (2022). Scientific Reports, 12, 3638．
- Yoshimura, S., Shibata, M., Kyuragi, Y., Kobayashi, K., Aki, M., Murai, T., & Fujiwara, H. (2022). The Japanese version of the generalized problematic internet use scale 2 (GPIUS2): Psychometric evaluation and analysis of the theoretical model. PLOSONE, 22, e0273895.
- Uono, S., Sato, W., Kochiyama, T., Yoshimura, S., Sawada, R., Kubota, Y., Sakihama, M., & Toichi, M. (2022). The structural neural correlates of atypical facial expression recognition in autism spectrum disorder. Brain imaging and behavior, 16(3), 1428–1440.
Laboratory
Associate Professor：Sayaka Yoshimura M.D., Ph D.
Email：yoshimura.sayaka.3x@kyoto-u.ac.jp
Assistant Professor: Yusuke Kusano OTR
Email：kusano.yuusuke.5r@kyoto-u.ac.jp
Assistant Professor: Akiko Yamada