Research article summary (published 3 Jun 2007):

Neural mechanisms for learning actions in context.

Full Abstract

The transition from actions that require effortful attention to those that are exercised automatically reflects the progression of learning. Full automaticity marks the performance of the expert. Research on changes in brain activity from novice to skilled performance has been consistent with this behavioral characterization, showing that a highly practiced skill often requires less brain activation than before practice. Moreover, the decrease in brain activity with practice is most pronounced in the general or executive control processes mediated by frontal lobe networks. Consistent with these human cognitive neuroscience findings, animal neurophysiological evidence suggests that two elementary learning systems support different stages of skill acquisition. One system supports rapid and focused acquisition of new skills in relation to threats and violations of expectancies. The other involves a gradual process of updating a configural model of the environmental context. We collected dense array electroencephalography as participants performed an arbitrary associative ("code learning") task. We predicted that frontal lobe activity would decrease, whereas posterior cortical activity would increase, as the person gains the knowledge required for appropriate action. Both predictions were confirmed. In addition, we found that learning resulted in an unexpected increase in activity in the medial frontal lobe (the medial frontal negativity or MFN). Although preliminary, these findings suggest that the specific mechanisms of learning in animal neurophysiology studies may prove informative for understanding the neural basis of human learning and executive cognitive control.

Author information

Author/s: Luu, Phan (P); Tucker, Don M (DM); Stripling, Roy (R);

Affiliation: Electrical Geodesics, Inc., 1600 Millrace Dr. Suite 307, Eugene, OR 97403, USA. pluu(-atsign-)egi.com

Grants: MH070911 (Agency:NIMH NIH HHS)

Journal and publication information

Publication Type: Journal Article; Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural; Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

Journal: Brain research (Brain Res), published in Netherlands. (Language: eng)

Reference: 2007-Nov; vol 1179 (issue ) : pp 89-105

Dates: Created 2007/11/02; Completed 2008/01/17;

PMID: 17936726, status: MEDLINE (last retrieval date: 2/18/2009, IMS Date: )

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

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MeSH headings (categories)

This article was linked to the MESH Headings shown below.

Adult Brain - physiology Data Interpretation, Statistical Electroencephalography Electrophysiology Event-Related Potentials, P300 - physiology Evoked Potentials, Motor - physiology Female Fingers - physiology

Frontal Lobe - physiology Functional Laterality - physiology Hand - physiology Humans Learning - physiology Male Models, Neurological Psychomotor Performance - physiology Space Perception - physiology

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