Abstract

Visual perceptual learning is traditionally thought to arise in visual cortex. However, typical perceptual learning tasks also involve systematic mapping of visual information onto motor actions. Because the motor system contains both effector-specific and effector-unspecific representations, the question arises whether visual perceptual learning is effector-specific itself, or not. Here, we study this question in an orientation discrimination task. Subjects learn to indicate their choices either with joystick movements or with manual reaches. After training, we challenge them to perform the same task with eye movements. We dissect the decision-making process using the drift diffusion model. We find that learning effects on the rate of evidence accumulation depend on effectors, albeit not fully. This suggests that during perceptual learning, visual information is mapped onto effector-specific integrators. Overlap of the populations of neurons encoding motor plans for these effectors may explain partial generalization. Taken together, visual perceptual learning is not limited to visual cortex, but also affects sensorimotor mapping at the interface of visual processing and decision making.

Full Text
Paper version not known

Talk to us

Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have

Schedule a call

Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.