• We presented a poster at OHBM 2024 (Seoul Korea) on interpersonal touch
• Dr. Rika Oya joined the laboratory. Welcome to Kobe!
• Our lab was awarded a research grant from Hoso Bunka Foundation for auditory research
• Our lab was chosen as a team the Moonshot Research and Development Program (by JST and the cabinet office)
• Our collaborator team in SG will present their TMS result on aging population at OHBM 2023 (Goodwill et al., Theta-burst stimulation-induced cortical plasticity in younger and older adults: a TMS-EEG study)
• Our preregistered study was accepted for publication (Hicret et al., 2023 Cerebral Cortex Communications).
• Undergraduates (batch 2022) completed their FYP and graduated from the univ. Congratulations!

Articles (English only)

*indicates the corresponding author

1. Atılgan H, XIN JKJ, Wong E, Laakso I, Matilainen N, Pasqualotto A, Tanaka S, Chen SA, Kitada R* (2023). Functional relevance of the extrastriate body area for visual and haptic object recognition: a preregistered fMRI-guided TMS study. Cerebral Cortex Communications 4(2), tgad005 link
2. Tan ZY, Choo CM, Lin Y, Ho HN, Kitada R* (2022) The Effect of Temperature on Tactile Softness Perception. IEEE Transactions on Haptics 15(3) 638-645
3. Yoshimoto T, Okazaki S, Sumiya M, Takahashi HK, Nakagawa E, Koike T, Kitada R, Okamoto S, Nakata M, Yada T, Kosaka H, Sadato N, Chikazoe J (in press). Coexistence of sensory qualities and value representations in human orbitofrontal cortex. Neuroscience Research 180 48-57
4. Wong LS, Kwon J, Zheng Z, Styles SJ, Sakamoto M, Kitada R* (2022) Japanese sound-symbolic words for representing the hardness of an object are judged similarly by Japanese and English speakers. Frontiers in Psychology 13: 830306
5. Kitada R*, Sadato N (2021) Multisensory integration and its plasticity – how nature and nurture contribute to forming individual differences? (Editorial) A1-A5 Cortex 
6. Okamoto Y, Kitada R*, Kochiyama T, Miyahara M, Naruse H, Sadato N, Okazawa H, Kosaka H (2021) Importance of the early visual cortex and the lateral occipito-temporal cortex for the self-hand specific perspective process. Neuroimage: Reports. 2021; 1(4):100046
7. Kitada R*, Ng M, Tan ZY, Lee XE, Kochiyama T (2021). Physical correlates of human-like softness elicit high tactile pleasantness. Scientific Reports. 11(1):16510
8. Kitada R*, Kwon J, Doizaki R, Nakagawa E, Tanigawa T, Kochiyama T, Kajimoto H, Sakamoto M, Sadato N (2021) Brain networks underlying the processing of sound symbolism related to softness perception. Scientific Reports 11, 7399
9. Okamoto Y, Kitada R, Tanabe HC, Sasaki AT, Kochiyama T, Yahata N, Sadato N (2021) The extrastriate body area is involved in reciprocal imitation of hand gestures, vocalizations, and facial expressions: a univariate and multivariate fMRI study. Social Neuroscience. 16(4) 448-465
10. Pasqualotto A, Ng MHS, Tan ZY, Kitada R* (2020) Tactile perception of pleasantness in relation to perceived softness. Scientific Reports 10: 11189
11. Okamoto Y*, Kitada R, Kochiyama T, Naruse H, Makita K, Miyahara M, Okazawa H and Kosaka H* (2020) Visual Body Part Representation in the Lateral Occipitotemporal Cortex in Children/Adolescents and Adults. Cerebral Cortex Communications 1: 1-13
12. Okamoto Y*, Kitada R, Seki A, Yanaka H; Kochiyama T; Koeda T (2020) Differences between children and adults in functional connectivity between the inferior frontal gyrus and extrastriate body area for gestural interaction. Social Neuroscience 15: 311-323
13. Pasqualotto A*, Jia Yin C, Ohka M, Kitada R* (2020) The effect of object compliance on the velvet hand illusion IEEE Transactions on Haptics 13: 571-577
14. Kanayama N*, Hara M, Watanabe J, Kitada R, Sakamoto M, Yamawaki S (2019) Controlled emotional tactile stimulation during functional magnetic resonance imaging and Electroencephalography Journal of Neuroscience Methods 327: 108393
15. Kitada R*, Doizaki R, Kwon J, Nakagawa E, Kajimoto H, Sakamoto M, Sadato N (2019) Brain networks underlying tactile softness perception: a functional magnetic resonance imaging study NeuroImage 197, 156-166.
16. Ito K*, Chew Wei O, Kitada R* (2019) Emotional Tears Communicate Sadness But Not Excessive Emotions Without Other Contextual Knowledge. Frontiers in Psychology, 10, 878
17. Suvilehto JT, Nummenmaa L, Harada T, Dunbar RIM, Hari R, Turner R, Sadato N, Kitada R* (2019) Cross-cultural similarity in relationship-specific social touching Proceedings of the Royal Society B 286(1901):20190467
18. Fahey S, Santana C,  Kitada R, Zheng Z* (2019) Affective judgment of social touch on a hand modulated by hand embodiment Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology, 72, 2408-2422 
19. Sasaki AT, Okamoto Y, Kochiyama T, Kitada R*, Sadato N (2018) Distinct sensitivities of the lateral prefrontal cortex and extrastriate body area to contingency between executed and observed actions Cortex, 108, 234-251.
20. Rajaei N, Aoki N, Takahashi HK, Miyaoka T, Kochiyama T, Ohka M, Sadato N, Kitada R* (2018) Brain networks underlying conscious tactile perception of textures as revealed by the velvet hand illusion Human Brain Mapping, 39, 4787-4801
21. Okamoto Y*, Kitada R, Miyahara M, Kochiyama T, Naruse H, Sadato N, Okazawa H, Kosaka H (2018) Altered perspective-dependent brain activation for viewing hands and associated imitation difficulties for individuals with ASD NeuroImage: Clinical, 19, 384-395
22. Kawamichi H*, Sugawara SK, Hamano YH, Kitada R, Nakagawa E, Kochiyama T, Sadato N (2018) Neural correlates underlying change in state self-esteem Scientific Reports 8, 1798
23. Fujimoto S, Tanaka S, Laakso I, Yamaguchi T, Kon N, Nakayama T, Kondo K and Kitada R* (2017) The Effect of Dual-Hemisphere Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation Over the Parietal Operculum on Tactile Orientation Discrimination. Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience 11:173.
24. Sumiya M, Koike T, Okazaki S, Kitada R* & Sadato N* (2017) Brain networks of social action-outcome contingency: the role of the ventral striatum in integrating signals from the sensory cortex and medial prefrontal cortex. Neuroscience Research 123, 43-54
25. Okamoto Y*, Kosaka H, Kitada R, Seki A, Tanabe HC, Hayashi MJ, Kochiyama T, Saito DN, Yanaka HT, Munesue T, Ishitobi M, Omori M, Wada Y, Okazawa H, Koeda T, Sadato N (2017) Age-dependent atypicalities in body- and face-sensitive activation of the EBA and FFA in individuals with ASD. Neuroscience Research 119, 38-52
26. Yang J, Kitada R*, Kochiyama T, Yu Y, Makita K, Araki Y, Wu J* and Sadato N (2017) Brain networks involved in tactile speed classification of moving dot patterns: the effects of speed and dot periodicity Scientific Reports, 7, 40931
27. Tanaka SC*, Yamada K*, Kitada R, Tanaka S, Sugawara SK, Ohtake F and Sadato N* (2016) Overstatement in happiness reporting with ordinal, bounded scale. Scientific Reports, 6, 21321.
28. Takahashi HK, Kitada R*, Sasaki AT, Kawamichi H, Okazaki S, Kochiyama T and Sadato N* (2015) Brain networks of affective mentalizing revealed by the tear effect: the integrative role of the medial prefrontal cortex and precuneus. Neuroscience Research, 101, pp. 32-43.
29. Kawamichi H*, Kitada R*, Yoshihara K, Takahashi H and Sadato N (2015) Interpersonal Touch Suppresses Visual Processing of Aversive Stimuli. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, 9, 164 (1st and 2nd authors equally contributed to the study)
30. Okamoto Y, Kitada R, Tanabe HC, Hayashi MJ, Kochiyiama T, Munesue T, Ishitobi M, Saito DN, Yanaka HT, Omori M, Wada Y, Okazawa H, Sasaki AT, Morita T, Itakura S, Kosaka H and Sadato N*(2014) Attenuation of the contingency detection effect in the extrastriate body area in autism spectrum disorder. Neuroscience Research, 87, pp. 66-76
31. Kitada R*, Sasaki AT, Okamoto Y, Kochiyama T and Sadato N (2014) Role of the precuneus in the detection of incongruency between tactile and visual texture information: A functional MRI study. Neuropsychologia, 64, pp.252–262
32. Kitada R*, Yoshihara K, Sasaki AT, Hashiguchi M, Kochiyama T and Sadato N (2014) The brain network underlying the recognition of hand gestures in the blind: the supramodal role of the extrastriate body area. The Journal of Neuroscience, 34, pp. 10096-10108
33. Miyahara M*, Kitada R*, Sasaki AT, Okamoto Y, Tanabe HC and Sadato N (2013) From gestures to words: spontaneous verbal labeling of complex sequential hand movements reduces fMRI activation of the imitation-related regions. Neuroscience Research, 75, pp. 228-238
34. Kitada R*, Okamoto Y, Sasaki AT, Kochiyama T, Miyahara M, Lederman SJ and Sadato N (2013) Early visual experience and the recognition of basic facial expressions: involvement of the middle temporal and inferior frontal gyri during haptic identification by the early blind. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, 7, 7
35. Kitada R*, Sadato N and Lederman SJ (2012) Tactile perception of nonpainful unpleasantness in relation to perceived roughness: Effects of inter-element spacing and speed of relative motion of rigid 2-D raised-dot patterns at two body loci, Perception, 41, pp. 204-229
36. Pawluk D*, Kitada R, Abramowicz A, Hamilton C and Lederman SJ (2011) Figure/Ground Segmentation via a Haptic Glance: Attributing Initial Finger Contacts to Objects or Their Supporting Surfaces. IEEE Transactions on Haptics, 4, pp. 2-13
37. Kitada R*, Johnsrude IS, Kochiyama T and Lederman SJ (2010) Brain networks involved in haptic and visual identification of facial expressions of emotion: an fMRI study. NeuroImage, 49, pp. 1677-1689
38. Kitada R*, Dijkerman HC, Soo G and Lederman SJ (2010) Representing human hands haptically or visually from first-person versus third-person perspectives. Perception, 39, pp. 236-254
39. Kitada R*, Johnsrude IS, Kochiyama T and Lederman SJ (2009) Functional specialization and convergence in the occipito-temporal cortex supporting haptic and visual identification of human faces and body parts: an fMRI study. Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience, 21, pp. 2027-2045
40. Lederman SJ*, Klatzky RL, Abramowicz A, Salsman K, Kitada R and Hamilton C (2007) Haptic recognition of static and dynamic expressions of emotion in the live face. Psychological Science, 18, pp. 158-164
41. Lawrence MA, Kitada R, Klatzky RL and Lederman SJ* (2007) Haptic roughness perception of linear gratings via bare finger or rigid probe. Perception, 36, pp. 547-557
42. Kitada R, Kito T, Saito DN, Kochiyama T, Matsumura M, Sadato N* and Lederman SJ (2006) Multisensory activation of the intraparietal area when classifying grating orientation: a functional magnetic resonance imaging study. The Journal of neuroscience, 26, pp. 7491-7501
43. Kilgour AR, Kitada R, Servos P, James TW and Lederman SJ* (2005) Haptic face identification activates ventral occipital and temporal areas: an fMRI study Brain and Cognition, 59, pp. 246-257---PDF
44. Kitada R, Hashimoto T, Kochiyama T, Kito T, Okada T, Matsumura M, Lederman SJ and Sadato N* (2005) Tactile estimation of the roughness of gratings yields a graded response in the human brain: an fMRI study. NeuroImage, 25, pp. 90-100
45. Kitada R, Kochiyama T, Hashimoto T, Naito E and Matsumura M* (2003) Moving tactile stimuli of fingers are integrated in the intraparietal and inferior parietal cortices. Neuroreport, 14, pp. 719-724
46. Naito E, Kochiyama T, Kitada R, Nakamura S, Matsumura M, Yonekura Y and Sadato N* (2002) Internally simulated movement sensations during motor imagery activate cortical motor areas and the cerebellum. The Journal of Neuroscience, 22, pp. 3683-3691---PDF
47. Kitada R, Naito E, and Matsumura M* (2002) Perceptual changes in illusory wrist flexion angles resulting from motor imagery of the same wrist movements. Neuroscience, 109, pp. 701-707

Review, Book Chapter and Conference Papers (English only)

1. Kitada R (2016) THE BRAIN NETWORK FOR HAPTIC OBJECT RECOGNITON. In H. Kajimoto, S. Saga & M. Konyo (eds). Pervasive haptics, pp. 22-37. Springer Japan
2. Pawluk DTV, Adams RJ, Kitada R (2015) Review: Behavioral Research, Technology Development and Applications in Assistive Technology for Individuals Who are Blind or Vision Impaired Using Haptics. IEEE transactions on haptics, 8, pp. 258-278
3. Kawamichi H*, Yoshihara K, Kitada R, Matsunaga M, Sasaki AT, Yoshida Y, Takahashi HC, Sadato N. (2014). Sense of Acceptance: Key Factor of Social Learning. In Akazawa T, Ogihara N, C Tanabe H and Terashima H (Eds), Dynamics of Learning in Neanderthals and Modern Humans (Vol.2: pp217-220). Tokyo: Springer Japan
4. Lederman SJ*, Kitada R, Pawluk D(2010) Haptic perception. Corsini Encyclopedia of Psychology (4th edition), 2, pp. 750-752, John Wiley & Sons.
5. Kitada R*, Pawluk D (2010) Tactile sensation. Corsini Encyclopedia of Psychology (4th edition), 4, pp. 1751-1752, John Wiley & Sons.
6. Lederman SJ*, Klatzky RL, Kitada R (2010) Haptic face processing and its relation to vision. In J. Kaiser & M. Naumer (eds). Multsensory Object Perception in the Primate Brain. Springer Verlag pp. 273-300
7. Pawluk D*, Kitada R, Abramowicz A, Hamilton C, Lederman SJ (2010) Haptic figure-ground differentiation via a haptic glance. Proceedings of the Annual Haptics Symposium on Teleoperator and Virtual-Environment Systems, IEEE Haptics Symposium, 25-26 March, Waltham Massachusetts, USA, pp. 63-66
8. Lederman SJ*, Kilgour AR, Kitada R, Klatzky RL, Hamilton C (2007) Haptic face processing. Canadian Journal of Experimental Psychology 61, pp. 230-241