Abstract
Measurements of population activity in alert animals have demonstrated that the intrinsic response state of the cortex has profound effects on the neuronal representation of sensory inputs, raising the possibility that cortical state could influence the behavioral performance in perceptual learning (PL). PL is a process by which sensory experience leads to gradual and semi-permanent improvements in perceptual judgment, and it is generally agreed that these improvements are modulated by sensory cortical areas. Although the precise neural mechanisms underlying the improved perceptual judgment remain unclear, cortical state has been shown to impact the behavioral outcome of PL. We discuss several ways in which cortical state might influence PL based on the recent evidence for state-dependent modulation of sensory encoding. Conversely, training in a certain perceptual task feeds back to modulate cortical state, suggesting a bi-directional relationship between cortical state and behavioral outcomes of PL. We highlight the recent studies that shed light on the mechanism of the interplay between cortical state and PL.
Highlights
Cortical state classically refers to the dynamics of neuronal population activity in a cortical network (Harris and Thiele, 2011)
Studies using electroencephalogram (EEG) and local field potential (LFP) recordings have revealed two fundamental states that exist in the neocortex: a synchronized state characterized by large-amplitude, low-frequency (0.2– 10 Hz) spontaneous fluctuations between the up and down phases, and a desynchronized state characterized by small-amplitude, high-frequency (25–100 Hz) fluctuations whereby neighboring neurons spike more independently (Steriade et al, 2001)
The synchronized state has been associated with sleeping or anesthetized brain, and the desynchronized state with alert brain (Steriade et al, 2001). The transition between these two activity states plays a central role in modulating sensory-evoked population activity in the cortex
Summary
Between Cortical State and Perceptual Learning: A Focused Review. Measurements of population activity in alert animals have demonstrated that the intrinsic response state of the cortex has profound effects on the neuronal representation of sensory inputs, raising the possibility that cortical state could influence the behavioral performance in perceptual learning (PL). The precise neural mechanisms underlying the improved perceptual judgment remain unclear, cortical state has been shown to impact the behavioral outcome of PL. We discuss several ways in which cortical state might influence PL based on the recent evidence for state-dependent modulation of sensory encoding. Training in a certain perceptual task feeds back to modulate cortical state, suggesting a bi-directional relationship between cortical state and behavioral outcomes of PL.
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