Misc.

Peer-reviewed
Aug 1, 2017

Associative learning between orientation and color in early visual areas

Brain and Nerve
  • Kaoru Amano
  • ,
  • Kazuhisa Shibata
  • ,
  • Mitsuo Kawato
  • ,
  • Yuka Sasaki
  • ,
  • Takeo Watanabe

Volume
69
Number
8
First page
941
Last page
947
Language
Japanese
Publishing type
Book review, literature introduction, etc.
DOI
10.11477/mf.1416200846
Publisher
Igaku-Shoin Ltd

Associative learning is an essential neural phenomenon where the contingency of different items increases after training. Although associative learning has been found to occur in many brain regions, there is no clear evidence that associative learning of visual features occurs in early visual areas. Here, we developed an associative decoded functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) neurofeedback (A-DecNef) to determine whether associative learning of color and orientation can be induced in early visual areas. During the three days' training, A-DecNef induced fMRI signal patterns that corresponded to a specific target color (red) mostly in early visual areas while a vertical achromatic grating was simultaneously, physically presented to participants. Consequently, participants' perception of "red" was significantly more frequently than that of "green" in an achromatic vertical grating. This effect was also observed 3 to 5 months after training. These results suggest that long-term associative learning of two different visual features such as color and orientation, was induced most likely in early visual areas. This newly extended technique that induces associative learning may be used as an important tool for understanding and modifying brain function, since associations are fundamental and ubiquitous with respect to brain function.

Link information
DOI
https://doi.org/10.11477/mf.1416200846
PubMed
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28819078
ID information
  • DOI : 10.11477/mf.1416200846
  • ISSN : 1881-6096
  • Pubmed ID : 28819078
  • SCOPUS ID : 85031494108

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