Learning to see the difference specifically alters the most informative V4 neurons.

Full Abstract

Perceptual learning is an instance of adult plasticity whereby training in a sensory (e.g., a visual task) results in neuronal changes leading to an improved ability to perform the task. Yet studies in primary visual cortex have found that changes in neuronal response properties were relatively modest. The present study examines the effects of training in an orientation discrimination task on the response properties of V4 neurons in awake rhesus monkeys. Results indicate that the changes induced in V4 are indeed larger than those in V1. Nonspecific effects of training included a decrease in response variance, and an increase in overall orientation selectivity in V4. The orientation-specific changes involved a local steepening in the orientation tuning curve around the trained orientation that selectively improved orientation discriminability at the trained orientation. Moreover, these changes were largely confined to the population of neurons whose orientation tuning was optimal for signaling small differences in orientation at the trained orientation. Finally, the modifications were restricted to the part of the tuning curve close to the trained orientation. Thus, we conclude that it is the most informative V4 neurons, those most directly involved in the discrimination, that are specifically modified by perceptual learning.

Learn Faster Today Improve your study skills

Author information

Author/s: Raiguel, Steven (S); Vogels, Rufin (R); Mysore, Santosh G (SG); Orban, Guy A (GA);

Affiliation: Laboratorium voor Neuro-en-Psychofysiologie, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven Medical School, BE-3000 Leuven, Belgium.

Journal and publication information

Publication Type: Comparative Study; Journal Article; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

Journal: The Journal of neuroscience : the official journal of the Society for Neuroscience (J Neurosci), published in United States. (Language: eng)

Reference: 2006-Jun; vol 26 (issue 24) : pp 6589-602

Dates: Created 2006/06/15; Completed 2006/07/11; Revised 2006/11/15;

PMID: 16775147, status: MEDLINE (last retrieval date: 12/26/2008)

Sourced from the National Library of Medicine. Abstract text and other information may be subject to copyright.

Comments and Corrections

CommentIn: J Neurosci. 2006 Aug 30;26(35):8877-8. (PMID: 16948192)

External Links for this article (including full text providers, if available):

Click Electronic Full-text Provider Links to see options for finding the electronic full text links to this article. Note there may be a subscription or fee required for access to the full text. See our FAQ for information on finding FREE full text articles.

This article may also be located in paper journal collections available in many libraries. Use the Journal and Publication Information above to find the full article.

MeSH headings (categories)

This article was linked to the MESH Headings shown below.

Action Potentials - physiology
Analysis of Variance
Animals
Behavior, Animal
Discrimination Learning - physiology
Macaca mulatta
Male

Neuronal Plasticity - physiology
Neurons - classification; physiology
Orientation - physiology
Photic Stimulation - methods
Sensory Thresholds - physiology
Visual Cortex - cytology; physiology
Visual Perception - physiology

These are the highest related articles currently in the database:

See 100+ related articles.