Abstract
Learning is not a unitary phenomenon. Rather, learning progresses through stages, with the stages reflecting different challenges that require the support of specific cognitive processes that reflect the functions of different brain networks. A theory of general learning proposes that learning can be divided into early and late stages controlled by corticolimbic networks located in frontal and posterior brain regions, respectively. Recent human studies using dense-array EEG (dEEG) support these results by showing progressive increases in P3b amplitude (an Event Related Potential with estimated sources in posterior cingulate cortex and hippocampus) as participants acquire a new visuomotor skill. In the present study, the P3b was used to track the learning and performance of participants as they identify defensive football formations and make an appropriate response. Participants acquired the task over three days, and P3b latency and amplitude significantly changed when participants learned the task. As participants demonstrated further proficiency with extensive training, amplitude and latency changes in the P3b continued to closely mirror performance improvements. Source localization results across all days suggest that an important source generator of the P3b is located in the posterior cingulate cortex. Results from the study support prior findings and further suggest that the careful analysis of covert learning mechanisms and their underlying electrical signatures are a robust index of task competency.
Highlights
As a person transitions from being a novice to expertly performing a task, the neural processes initially used to acquire and perform the task disengage; allowing more cognitive resources to be available for other functions. [1] The path to becoming an expert involves multiple learning stages, but can be simplified into two distinct stages: early and late, where contrasting processes define each stage
[2] The frontal lobe is responsible for the executive monitoring of unfamiliar stimuli; a process that is integral to the early stages of learning. [2][3] By contrast, cortical regions in the posterior corticolimbic system are engaged when subjects demonstrate proficient performance in the late stages of learning. [2][3] These posterior corticolimbic structures, which include the hippocampus and posterior cingulate cortex (PCC), consolidate information and, with sufficient practice, enable performance to be more automated, removing the need for executive control
Errors were counted for the period before and after the learning criterion was met during the first session only, as all participants acquired the task during the first session
Summary
As a person transitions from being a novice to expertly performing a task, the neural processes initially used to acquire and perform the task disengage; allowing more cognitive resources to be available for other functions. [1] The path to becoming an expert involves multiple learning stages, but can be simplified into two distinct stages: early and late, where contrasting processes define each stage. [1] The path to becoming an expert involves multiple learning stages, but can be simplified into two distinct stages: early and late, where contrasting processes define each stage. The early stages of learning are defined by a reliance on controlled processes, which require a person to be actively attentive, and are limited by working memory capacity. [1] In contrast, the later stages are defined by its lack of reliance on controlled processes, PLOS ONE | DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0154021. [2] The frontal lobe is responsible for the executive monitoring of unfamiliar stimuli; a process that is integral to the early stages of learning. [4] The P3a, which has a mediofrontal scalp distribution, is commonly evoked during a 3-stimulus oddball task when participants are exposed to infrequent, novel (non-target) stimuli. Because the P300 can vary in its topographic distribution as well as the conditions under which it is evoked, it is recognized that there is a family of P300 components. [4] The P3a, which has a mediofrontal scalp distribution, is commonly evoked during a 3-stimulus oddball task when participants are exposed to infrequent, novel (non-target) stimuli. [5] [6][7] Of more relevance to the current study is the P3b, which is traditionally found over more parietal scalp sites, and occurs within the same oddball task but in response to stimuli that require an action (such as a response or silent count). [7]
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