An event-related potential study on perceptual learning in grating orientation discrimination

Neuroreport. 2007 Jun 11;18(9):945-8. doi: 10.1097/WNR.0b013e3281527795.

Abstract

This study aims to investigate the neural mechanism of visual perceptual learning in grating orientation discrimination. We recorded event-related potentials of human adults when they were trained with a grating orientation discrimination task. Although psychophysical thresholds decreased significantly across training sessions, event-related potentials showed larger P2 and P3 amplitudes and smaller N1 amplitudes over the parietal/occipital areas with more practice. In line with the psychophysical thresholds, the training effect on the P2 and P3 were specific to stimulus orientation. The N1 effect, however, was generalized over differently oriented gratings. Our findings show that several stages of visual processing are involved in perceptual learning and provide an illustration of the temporal relationship between specific and generalized perceptual learning in human adults.

Publication types

  • Clinical Trial
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Discrimination, Psychological / physiology
  • Electroencephalography
  • Evoked Potentials, Visual / physiology*
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Learning / physiology*
  • Male
  • Orientation / physiology*
  • Photic Stimulation
  • Sensory Thresholds / physiology
  • Visual Perception / physiology*