Aversive Conditioning of Spatial Position Sharpens Neural Population-Level Tuning in Visual Cortex and Selectively Alters Alpha-Band Activity.

ABSTRACT: Processing capabilities for many low-level visual features are experientially malleable, aiding sighted organisms in adapting to dynamic environments. Explicit instructions to attend a specific visual field location influence retinotopic visuocortical activity, amplifying responses to stimuli appearing at cued spatial positions. It remains undetermined both how such prioritization affects surrounding nonprioritized locations, and if a given retinotopic spatial position can attain enhanced cortical representation through experience rather than instruction. The current report examined visuocortical response changes as human observers (N = 51, 19 male) learned, through differential classical conditioning, to associate specific screen locations with aversive outcomes. Using dense-array

SUBMITTER: Friedl WM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8244982 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature