About NIMD

Our organization, departments, staff and researchers

Yoko Miura

The research group I work for: Medical Practice/Welfare/Society Group

The Comprehensive Medicine Section is engaged in objective assessments of Minamata disease by magnetoencephalography and MRI and in therapeutic research on pain suffered by Minamata disease patients with the use of magnetic stimulation devices and I am mainly in charge of supporting magnetoencephalographic testing and neurophysiologic testing and magnetic stimulation therapy. Aimed at relieving Minamata patients of health concerns, as well as people who have lived in regions affected by Minamata disease, magnetoencephalographic testing involves measuring, for instance, somatosensory evoked fields by means of electrical stimulation (Figure 1).
I also conduct research relating to objectively assessing how magnetic stimulation therapy works on sensory areas by performing tests before and after the therapy that is applied to treat neuropathic pain, a symptom of Minamata disease.
In addition, I assess the effect of rehabilitation with NIRS (Figure 2) and provide rehabilitation care using BMI (brain-machine interface), called recoveriX.

Figure 1: Magnetoencephalography testing
Figure 2: NIRS
Research theme - Areas of work

Project research

Basic research on methylmercury poisoning prevention and treatment

Externally-funded research
Main career history, academic history, academic degrees, awards, etc.
  • 2017Certified as Japanese Society of Clinical Neurophysiology Medical Technologist (in the electroencephalography category and the electromyography and nerve conduction category)
  • 2015Assigned to the post of Medical Technologist at the National Institute for Minamata Disease
  • 2002Medical Technologist license obtained; worked in a hospital in Kumamoto Prefecture