A dissociation between consolidated perceptual learning and sensory adaptation in vision

Abstract

Perceptual learning refers to improvement in perception thresholds with practice, however, extended training sessions show reduced performance during training, interfering with learning. These effects were taken to indicate a tight link between sensory adaptation and learning. Here we show a dissociation between adaptation and consolidated learning. Participants trained with a texture discrimination task, in which visual processing time is limited by a temporal target-to-mask window defined as the Stimulus-Onset-Asynchrony (SOA). An initial training phase, previously shown to produce efficient learning, was followed by training structures with varying numbers of SOAs. Largest interference with learning was found in structures containing the largest SOA density, when SOA was gradually decreased. When SOAs were largely kept unchanged, learning was effective. All training structures yielded the same within-session performance reduction, as expected from sensory adaptation. The results point to a dissociation between within-day effects, which depend on the number of trials per se regardless of their temporal structure, and consolidation effects observed on the following day, which were mediated by the temporal structure of practice. These results add a new dimension to consolidation in perceptual learning, suggesting that the degree of its effectiveness depends on variations in temporal properties of the visual stimuli.

Attention network modulation via tRNS correlates with attention gain

“…Third, our findings support the idea that learning is facilitated when the cortical processes underlying the task are stimulated while in an aroused state derived by task performance (Wright et al, 2010), and indicate the possibility to use tRNS to rapidly reach this optimal state. Importantly, our study further indicates the benefits of short but effective training sessions, an ideal condition to promote learning (Censor and Sagi, 2008;Censor et al, 2016).…”

Mixture of easy trials enables transient and sustained perceptual improvements through priming and perceptual learning

“…Performance then tapered off. Performance deterioration within a single testing session is not uncommon 7 , which can be attributed to sensory adaptation or fatigue. Because sensory adaptation depends on the number of trials and the number of trials was the same for the two non-rating groups and for the two rating groups, their differences were likely due to a difference in the fatigue effect.…”

Transient cholinergic enhancement does not significantly affect either the magnitude or selectivity of perceptual learning of visual texture discrimination

“…Additionally, our TDT task implemented variable ISIs within each session through the method of descending limits, whereas texture discrimination training in Beer et al (2013) employed a fixed ISI. Previous work investigating the dynamics of consolidation of PL has shown that the latter training method induces less sensory adaptation and enhances texture discrimination learning, compared with the former (Harris & Sagi, 2015;Censor, Harris, & Sagi, 2016).…”