Topic: perceptual learning

The brain and its inherent functions can be modified by various forms of learning. Learning-induced changes are seen even in basic perceptual functions. In particular, repeated training in a perceptual task can lead to a significant improvement in the trained task—a phenomenon known as perceptual learning. There has been a long-standing debate about the mechanisms of perceptual learning. In this talk, I will present results from our series of electrophysiological studies. These studies have consistently shown that perceptual learning is mediated by concerted changes in both perceptual and cogn

Perceptual learning (PL) is defined as long-term performance improvement on a perceptual task as a result of perceptual experience (Sasaki, Nanez& Watanabe, 2011, Nat Rev Neurosci, 2011). We first found that PL occurs for task-irrelevant and subthreshold features and that pairing task-irrelevant features with rewards is the key to form task-irrelevant PL (TIPL) (Watanabe, Nanez & Sasaki, Nature, 2001; Watanabe et al, 2002, Nature Neuroscience; Seitz & Watanabe, Nature, 2003; Seitz, Kim & Watanabe, 2009, Neuron; Shibata et al, 2011, Science). These results suggest that PL occurs as a result of

Single neurons in visual cortex provide unreliable measurements of visual features due to their high trial-to-trial variability. It is not known if this “noise” extends its effects over large neural populations to impair the global encoding of stimuli. We recorded simultaneously from ∼20,000 neurons in mouse primary visual cortex (V1) and found that the neural populations had discrimination thresholds of ∼0.34° in an orientation decoding task. These thresholds were nearly 100 times smaller than those reported behaviourally in mice. The discrepancy between neural and behavioural discrimination