| Title | Affective learning enhances visual detection and responses in primary visual cortex. | | Author(s) | Padmala S, Pessoa L | | Institution | Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana 47405, USA. | | Source | J Neurosci 2008 Jun 11; 28(24):6202-10. | | MeSH | Adult
Affect
Analysis of Variance
Brain Mapping
Female
Galvanic Skin Response
Humans
Image Processing, Computer-Assisted
Learning
Logistic Models
Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Male
Oxygen
Photic Stimulation
Reaction Time
Signal Detection (Psychology)
Visual Cortex
Visual Pathways
Visual Perception
| | Abstract | The affective significance of a visual item is thought to lead to enhanced visual processing. However, the precise link between enhanced visual perception of emotion-laden items and increased visual responses remains poorly understood. To investigate this link, we acquired functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data while participants performed a challenging visual detection task. Grating stimuli were physically identical and differed only as a function of their previous exposure history; CS+ stimuli were initially paired with shock, whereas CS- stimuli were not. Behaviorally, subjects were both faster and more accurate during CS+ relative to CS- target detection. These behavioral results were paralleled by increases in fMRI responses across early, retinotopically organized visual cortex, which was mapped in a separate fMRI session. Logistic regression analyses revealed that trial-by-trial fluctuations in fMRI responses were closely linked to trial type, such that fMRI signal strength reliably predicted the probability of a hit trial across retinotopically organized visual cortex, including area V1. For instance, during the CS+ condition, a 0.5% signal change increased the probability of a hit from chance to 67.3-73.5% in V1-V4 (the highest increase was observed in area V1). Furthermore, across participants, differential fMRI responses to hits versus correct rejects were correlated with behavioral performance. Our findings provide a close link between increased activation in early visual cortex and improved behavioral performance as a function of the affective significance of an item. | | Language | eng | | Pub Type(s) | Journal Article
Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
| | PubMed ID | 18550762 |
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