Feature reliability determines specificity and transfer of perceptual learning in orientation search.

ABSTRACT: Training can modify the visual system to produce a substantial improvement on perceptual tasks and therefore has applications for treating visual deficits. Visual perceptual learning (VPL) is often specific to the trained feature, which gives insight into processes underlying brain plasticity, but limits VPL's effectiveness in rehabilitation. Under what circumstances VPL transfers to untrained stimuli is poorly understood. Here we report a qualitatively new phenomenon: intrinsic variation in the representation of features determines the transfer of VPL. Orientations around cardinal are represented more reliably than orientations around oblique in V1, which has been linked to behavioral consequences such as visual search asymmetries. We studied VPL for visual search of near-cardinal or obli

SUBMITTER: Yashar A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5746251 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature