Mechanisms of action of behavioural modulation

Abstract

Event Abstract Back to Event Mechanisms of action of behavioural modulation Hubert R. Dinse1* 1 Ruhr University, Neuroinformatics, Germany Achieving high-level perceptual or behavioral performance is generally considered to require intense training. While it is well-accepted that training and practicing drives neuronal plasticity processes, the underlying synaptic plasticity mechanisms are far from understood. Recent work, however, suggests that training may not be necessary for enhancing performance. Instead, perception and behavior can be effectively modulated by a complementary approach in which the learning occurs in response to mere exposure to repetitive sensory stimulation. The rationale for this training-independent learning is to translate protocols that induce plasticity at a cellular level into sensory stimulation protocols. We have suggested that the surprising effectiveness of this approach applied in different sensory domains stems from the fact that the sensory stimulation protocols used are optimized to alter synaptic transmission and efficacy. Training-independent learning offers the unique opportunity to directly link synaptic plasticity research to human behaviour and learning. This presentation summarizes recent findings showing that this approach induces lasting changes in perception and goal-directed behavior in humans without any explicit task training. Training-independent learning has been used to evaluate the functional relevance of timing-specific synaptic plasticity protocols for improving human behaviour, and to explore novel timing conditions in terms of their ability to drive human learning, which have not been studied at the cellular level so far. Finally, training-independent learning has been successfully applied as therapeutic intervention in patients suffering from brain damage. The potential perspectives of training-independent learning to augment cognition and behaviour and its use in rehabilitation will be discussed. Acknowledgements The work presented has been funded by the German Research Foundation (Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, DFG), a SFB grant 874, and the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) Bernstein Focus Neural Mechanisms of Learning. Keywords: Perceptual Learning, neural plasticity, sensory stimulation, Rehabilitation, training-independent learning Conference: Belgian Brain Council 2014 MODULATING THE BRAIN: FACTS, FICTION, FUTURE, Ghent, Belgium, 4 Oct - 4 Oct, 2014. Presentation Type: Oral Presentation Topic: Basic Neuroscience Citation: Dinse HR (2014). Mechanisms of action of behavioural modulation. Conference Abstract: Belgian Brain Council 2014 MODULATING THE BRAIN: FACTS, FICTION, FUTURE. doi: 10.3389/conf.fnhum.2014.214.00004 Copyright: The abstracts in this collection have not been subject to any Frontiers peer review or checks, and are not endorsed by Frontiers. They are made available through the Frontiers publishing platform as a service to conference organizers and presenters. The copyright in the individual abstracts is owned by the author of each abstract or his/her employer unless otherwise stated. Each abstract, as well as the collection of abstracts, are published under a Creative Commons CC-BY 4.0 (attribution) licence (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) and may thus be reproduced, translated, adapted and be the subject of derivative works provided the authors and Frontiers are attributed. For Frontiers’ terms and conditions please see https://www.frontiersin.org/legal/terms-and-conditions. Received: 08 May 2014; Published Online: 10 May 2014. * Correspondence: Prof. Hubert R Dinse, Ruhr University, Neuroinformatics, Bochum, 44780, Germany, hubert.dinse@rub.de Login Required This action requires you to be registered with Frontiers and logged in. To register or login click here. Abstract Info Abstract The Authors in Frontiers Hubert R Dinse Google Hubert R Dinse Google Scholar Hubert R Dinse PubMed Hubert R Dinse Related Article in Frontiers Google Scholar PubMed Abstract Close Back to top Javascript is disabled. Please enable Javascript in your browser settings in order to see all the content on this page.