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Ding C, Mao D, Li X, Huang Y, Hou F, Chen H, Bao J. Peripheral myopic defocus signal affects the efficiency of visual information processing in myopic children. Ophthalmic Physiol Opt 2024; 44:1010-1016. [PMID: 38699881 DOI: 10.1111/opo.13325] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2023] [Revised: 04/19/2024] [Accepted: 04/20/2024] [Indexed: 05/05/2024]
Abstract
PURPOSE Spectacle lenses with peripheral lenslets have shown promise for myopia control by providing peripheral myopic defocus signals. Here, we aimed to investigate the impact of prolonged exposure (>6 months) to peripheral myopic defocus on visual information processing in myopic children. METHODS The study included 30 myopic children who habitually wore spectacle lenses with highly aspherical lenslets (HAL group) and 34 children who habitually wore single-vision (SV group) spectacles. The quick contrast sensitivity function (qCSF) was used to measure contrast sensitivity (CS) under conditions of no or high noise. Both groups were tested with HAL and SV lenses. The perceptual template model was utilised to fit the contrast sensitivity function (CSF) and determine differences in information processing efficiency through internal additive noise (N add ) and perceptual template gain (β). RESULTS The areas under the log CSF in the SV group were significantly higher than for the HAL group in both zero-noise conditions with the SV test lens (p = 0.03) and high-noise conditions with the HAL test lens (p = 0.02). For 2 cycle per degree (cpd) stimuli, β was significantly higher in the SV group with the HAL test lens than in the HAL group (p = 0.02), while there was a trend towards a significant difference in β for 6 cpd stimuli (p = 0.07). However, there were no significant differences inN add between the two groups, with or without noise interference. CONCLUSION The reduced CS observed in myopic children wearing HAL lenses for 6 months or more may be due to decreased β. This suggests that prolonged use of spectacle lenses with peripheral myopic defocus signals may compromise the central visual system's ability to process additional external noise, resulting in decreased efficiency in visual information processing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chenglu Ding
- National Engineering Research Center of Ophthalmology and Optometry, Eye Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
| | - Danyi Mao
- National Engineering Research Center of Ophthalmology and Optometry, Eye Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
| | - Xue Li
- National Engineering Research Center of Ophthalmology and Optometry, Eye Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
| | - Yingying Huang
- National Engineering Research Center of Ophthalmology and Optometry, Eye Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
| | - Fang Hou
- National Engineering Research Center of Ophthalmology and Optometry, Eye Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
| | - Hao Chen
- National Engineering Research Center of Ophthalmology and Optometry, Eye Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
| | - Jinhua Bao
- National Engineering Research Center of Ophthalmology and Optometry, Eye Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
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Chang M, Suzuki S, Kurose T, Ibaraki T. Pretraining alpha rhythm enhancement by neurofeedback facilitates short-term perceptual learning and improves visual acuity by facilitated consolidation. FRONTIERS IN NEUROERGONOMICS 2024; 5:1399578. [PMID: 38894852 PMCID: PMC11184131 DOI: 10.3389/fnrgo.2024.1399578] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2024] [Accepted: 05/20/2024] [Indexed: 06/21/2024]
Abstract
Introduction Learning through perceptual training using the Gabor patch (GP) has attracted attention as a new vision restoration technique for myopia and age-related deterioration of visual acuity (VA). However, the task itself is monotonous and painful and requires numerous training sessions and some time before being effective, which has been a challenge for its widespread application. One effective means of facilitating perceptual learning is the empowerment of EEG alpha rhythm in the sensory cortex before neurofeedback (NF) training; however, there is a lack of evidence for VA. Methods We investigated whether four 30-min sessions of GP training, conducted over 2 weeks with/without EEG NF to increase alpha power (NF and control group, respectively), can improve vision in myopic subjects. Contrast sensitivity (CS) and VA were measured before and after each GP training. Results The NF group showed an improvement in CS at the fourth training session, not observed in the control group. In addition, VA improved only in the NF group at the third and fourth training sessions, this appears as a consolidation effect (maintenance of the previous training effect). Participants who produced stronger alpha power during the third training session showed greater VA recovery during the fourth training session. Discussion These results indicate that enhanced pretraining alpha empowerment strengthens the subsequent consolidation of perceptual learning and that even a short period of GP training can have a positive effect on VA recovery. This simple protocol may facilitate use of a training method to easily recover vision.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Shuntaro Suzuki
- Vie, Inc., Kamakura, Japan
- NTT Data Institute of Management Consulting, Inc., Tokyo, Japan
| | | | - Takuya Ibaraki
- Vie, Inc., Kamakura, Japan
- NTT Data Institute of Management Consulting, Inc., Tokyo, Japan
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Contemori G, Maniglia M, Guénot J, Soler V, Cherubini M, Cottereau BR, Trotter Y. tRNS boosts visual perceptual learning in participants with bilateral macular degeneration. Front Aging Neurosci 2024; 16:1326435. [PMID: 38450381 PMCID: PMC10914974 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2024.1326435] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2023] [Accepted: 02/02/2024] [Indexed: 03/08/2024] Open
Abstract
Perceptual learning (PL) has shown promise in enhancing residual visual functions in patients with age-related macular degeneration (MD), however it requires prolonged training and evidence of generalization to untrained visual functions is limited. Recent studies suggest that combining transcranial random noise stimulation (tRNS) with perceptual learning produces faster and larger visual improvements in participants with normal vision. Thus, this approach might hold the key to improve PL effects in MD. To test this, we trained two groups of MD participants on a contrast detection task with (n = 5) or without (n = 7) concomitant occipital tRNS. The training consisted of a lateral masking paradigm in which the participant had to detect a central low contrast Gabor target. Transfer tasks, including contrast sensitivity, near and far visual acuity, and visual crowding, were measured at pre-, mid and post-tests. Combining tRNS and perceptual learning led to greater improvements in the trained task, evidenced by a larger increment in contrast sensitivity and reduced inhibition at the shortest target to flankers' distance. The overall amount of transfer was similar between the two groups. These results suggest that coupling tRNS and perceptual learning has promising potential applications as a clinical rehabilitation strategy to improve vision in MD patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giulio Contemori
- Department of General Psychology, University of Padova, Padua, Italy
- Centre de Recherche Cerveau et Cognition, Université de Toulouse, Toulouse, France
| | - Marcello Maniglia
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Riverside, Riverside, CA, United States
| | - Jade Guénot
- Centre de Recherche Cerveau et Cognition, Université de Toulouse, Toulouse, France
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Toulouse, France
| | - Vincent Soler
- Service d’Ophtalmologie Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Toulouse, Toulouse, France
| | - Marta Cherubini
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Toulouse, France
- Department of Psychology and Cognitive Science, University of Trento, Rovereto, Italy
| | - Benoit R. Cottereau
- Centre de Recherche Cerveau et Cognition, Université de Toulouse, Toulouse, France
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Toulouse, France
| | - Yves Trotter
- Centre de Recherche Cerveau et Cognition, Université de Toulouse, Toulouse, France
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Toulouse, France
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4
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Yassin M, Lev M, Polat U. Space, time, and dynamics of binocular interactions. Sci Rep 2023; 13:21449. [PMID: 38052879 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-48380-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2023] [Accepted: 11/25/2023] [Indexed: 12/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Binocular summation (BS), defined as the superiority of binocular over monocular visual performance, shows that thresholds are about 40% (a factor of 1.4) better in binocular than in monocular viewing. However, it was reported that different amounts of BS exist in a range from 1.4 to 2 values because BS is affected by the spatiotemporal parameters of the stimulus. Lateral interactions can be defined as the neuron's ability to affect the neighboring neurons by either inhibiting or exciting their activity. We investigated the effect of the spatial and temporal domains on binocular interactions and BS under the lateral masking paradigm and how BS would be affected by lateral interactions via a lateral masking experiment. The two temporal alternative forced-choice (2TAFC) method was used. The stimuli consisted of a central vertically oriented Gabor target and high-contrast Gabor flankers positioned in two configurations (orthogonal or collinear) with target-flanker separations of either 2 or 3 wavelengths (λ), presented at 4 different presentation times (40, 80, 120, and 200 ms) using a different order of measurements across the different experiments. Opaque lenses were used to control the monocular and binocular vision. BS is absent at close distances (2λ), depending on the presentation time's order, for the collinear but not for the orthogonal configuration. However, BS exists at more distant flankers (collinear and orthogonal, 3λ). BS is not uniform (1.4); it depends on the stimulus condition, the presentation times, the order, and the method that was used to control the monocular and binocular vision.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marzouk Yassin
- School of Optometry and Vision Sciences, Faculty of Life Sciences, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat-Gan, Israel
| | - Maria Lev
- School of Optometry and Vision Sciences, Faculty of Life Sciences, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat-Gan, Israel
| | - Uri Polat
- School of Optometry and Vision Sciences, Faculty of Life Sciences, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat-Gan, Israel.
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5
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Benhaim-Sitbon L, Lev M, Polat U. Abnormal basic visual processing functions in binocular fusion disorders. Sci Rep 2023; 13:19301. [PMID: 37935803 PMCID: PMC10630403 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-46291-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2023] [Accepted: 10/30/2023] [Indexed: 11/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Heterophoria is a common type of binocular fusion disorder that consists of a latent eye misalignment with potential consequences on daily activities such as reading or working on a computer (with CVS). Crowding, a type of contextual modulation, can also impair reading. Our recent studies found an abnormal pattern of low-level visual processing with larger perceptive fields (PF) in heterophoria. The PF is the fundamental processing unit of human vision and both masking and crowding depend on its size. We investigated how heterophoria would impact the PF's size via a lateral masking experiment and consequently affect the foveal crowding at different letter-spacings (the crowding zone). More specifically, we explored the relationship between crowding, lateral masking, the PF's size, and the amount of heterophoria. The binocular horizontal PF's size was larger with heterophoric subjects, in agreement with our previous study. We found a stronger crowding and an extended crowding zone associated with slower response times; this shows that the processing of letter identification under both crowded and uncrowded conditions requires more processing effort in heterophoric individuals. In agreement with previous studies, we found a correlation between the crowding zone and the PF's size; each was strongly correlated with the amount of phoria. These findings resemble those involving the PF size and the extended crowding found at the fovea in amblyopia and young children. We suggest that these findings could help explain the inter-observers' variability found in the masking literature, and the reading difficulties often encountered in subjects with high heterophoria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Benhaim-Sitbon
- School of Optometry and Vision Sciences, Faculty of Life Sciences, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel
| | - Maria Lev
- School of Optometry and Vision Sciences, Faculty of Life Sciences, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel
| | - Uri Polat
- School of Optometry and Vision Sciences, Faculty of Life Sciences, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel.
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Serero G, Lev M, Sagi D, Polat U. Traces of early developmental bias in the adult brain. Sci Rep 2023; 13:12014. [PMID: 37491434 PMCID: PMC10368688 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-38371-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2023] [Accepted: 07/07/2023] [Indexed: 07/27/2023] Open
Abstract
During the first 2 years of life, there is a high prevalence of optical distortions in the human eye, causing vertical blur on the retina (astigmatism), which is naturally resolved by the age of 5; thus, it is not treated. Here we determined the possible long-term effects on visual grouping resulting from optical distortions during the development of visual perception. Our results show a clear directional bias in shape perception for optically corrected astigmatic adults, compared with non-astigmatic ones, with remarkably slow decision times. These effects can be explained by a mismatch between the developmental timescales of different components in the visual system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gad Serero
- School of Optometry and Vision Science, Mina and Everard Goodman, Faculty of Life Sciences, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel
| | - Maria Lev
- School of Optometry and Vision Science, Mina and Everard Goodman, Faculty of Life Sciences, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel
| | - Dov Sagi
- The Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Uri Polat
- School of Optometry and Vision Science, Mina and Everard Goodman, Faculty of Life Sciences, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel.
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7
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Serero G, Lev M, Polat U. Meridional binocular rivalry reveals a trace of uncorrected oblique input during development in the adult brain. Sci Rep 2023; 13:9920. [PMID: 37336936 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-35814-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2022] [Accepted: 05/24/2023] [Indexed: 06/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Binocular rivalry (BR) is a visual perception phenomenon that occurs when each eye perceives different images and stimuli, causing alternating monocular dominance. To measure BR, many studies have used two monocular conflicting images to induce monocular alternations. Here we chose a group of participants with oblique astigmatism (OA) and who produced blur on the orthogonal oblique meridian in each eye, resulting in two conflicting images, which may enhance the stimulation of monocular alternations. Our results show that OA participants tend to have a high rate of BR when viewing natural images, whereas the control group does not have BR for the same images. We suggest that this low ability to fuse could indicate the presence of a trace due to uncorrected vision during the critical period, which could be retained in the adult brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gad Serero
- School of Optometry and Vision Science, Mina and Everard Goodman, Faculty of Life Sciences, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel
| | - Maria Lev
- School of Optometry and Vision Science, Mina and Everard Goodman, Faculty of Life Sciences, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel
| | - Uri Polat
- School of Optometry and Vision Science, Mina and Everard Goodman, Faculty of Life Sciences, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel.
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8
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Eisen-Enosh A, Farah N, Polat U, Mandel Y. Perceptual learning based on a temporal stimulus enhances visual function in adult amblyopic subjects. Sci Rep 2023; 13:7643. [PMID: 37169784 PMCID: PMC10175483 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-34421-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2022] [Accepted: 04/29/2023] [Indexed: 05/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Studies have shown that Perceptual Learning (PL) can lead to enhancement of spatial visual functions in amblyopic subjects. Here we aimed to determine whether a simple flickering stimulus can be utilized in PL to enhance temporal function performance and whether enhancement will transfer to spatial functions in amblyopic subjects. Six adult amblyopic and six normally sighted subjects underwent an evaluation of their performance of baseline psychophysics spatial functions (Visual acuity (VA), contrast sensitivity (CS), temporal functions (critical fusion frequency (CFF) test), as well as a static and flickering stereopsis test, and an electrophysiological evaluation (VEP). The subjects then underwent 5 training sessions (on average, a total of 150 min over 2.5 weeks), which included a task similar to the CFF test using the method of constant stimuli. After completing the training sessions, subjects repeated the initial performance evaluation tasks. All amblyopic subjects showed improved temporal visual performance (CFF) in the amblyopic eye (on average, 17%, p << 0.01) following temporal PL. Generalization to spatial, spatio-temporal, and binocular tasks was also found: VA increased by 0.12 logMAR (p = 0.004), CS in backward masking significantly increased (by up to 19%, p = 0.003), and flickering stereopsis increased by 85 arcsec (p = 0.048). These results were further electrophysiologically manifested by an increase in VEP amplitude (by 43%, p = 0.03), increased Signal-to-Noise ratio (SNR) (by 39%, p = 0.024) to levels not different from normally sighted subjects, along with an improvement in inter-ocular delay (by 5.8 ms, p = 0.003). In contrast, no significant effect of training was found in the normally sighted group. These results highlight the potential of PL based on a temporal stimulus to improve the temporal and spatial visual performance in amblyopes. Future work is needed to optimize this method for clinical applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Auria Eisen-Enosh
- School of Optometry and Vision Science, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel
| | - Nairouz Farah
- School of Optometry and Vision Science, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel
| | - Uri Polat
- School of Optometry and Vision Science, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel
| | - Yossi Mandel
- School of Optometry and Vision Science, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel.
- Bar-Ilan Institute for Nanotechnology and Advanced Materials (BINA), Bar-Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel.
- The Leslie and Susan Gonda (Goldschmied) Multidisciplinary Brain Research Center, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel.
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9
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Benhaim-Sitbon L, Lev M, Polat U. Extended perceptive field revealed in humans with binocular fusion disorders. Sci Rep 2023; 13:6584. [PMID: 37085571 PMCID: PMC10121568 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-33429-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2023] [Accepted: 04/12/2023] [Indexed: 04/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Binocular vision disorders or dysfunctions have considerable impact on daily visual activities such as reading. Heterophoria (phoria) is a latent eye misalignment (with a prevalence of up to 35%) that appears in conditions that disrupt binocular vision and it may affect the quality of binocular fusion. Our recent study, which used lateral masking (LM), suggests that subjects with binocular fusion disorders (horizontal phoria) exhibit an asymmetry and an abnormal pattern of both binocular and monocular lateral interactions, but only for the horizontal meridian (HM). The perceptive field (PF) is the fundamental processing unit of human vision and both masking and crowding depend on its size. An increased PF size is found in amblyopic populations or in young children. We hypothesized that the PF's size would be asymmetric only for the phoric group (larger along the HM). We estimated the PF's size using two different methods (LM with equal-phase and opposite-phase flankers). Phoric subjects exhibited a larger binocular PF size, only for the HM, confirming our hypothesis of an asymmetric PF size. However, the monocular PF size of phoric and control subjects was similar. Phoria affects the PF's size similarly to meridional amblyopia but without being attributed to abnormal refraction. We suggest that these findings could help explain the inter-observer variability found in the masking literature and the reading difficulties often encountered in subjects with high heterophoria. Since perceptual learning can reduce the PF's size, further investigation of training may provide a novel therapy to reduce some symptoms related to heterophoria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Benhaim-Sitbon
- School of Optometry and Vision Sciences, Faculty of Life Sciences, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat-Gan, Israel
| | - Maria Lev
- School of Optometry and Vision Sciences, Faculty of Life Sciences, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat-Gan, Israel
| | - Uri Polat
- School of Optometry and Vision Sciences, Faculty of Life Sciences, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat-Gan, Israel.
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10
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Eisen-Enosh A, Farah N, Polat U, Mandel Y. Temporal synchronization elicits enhancement of binocular vision functions. iScience 2023; 26:105960. [PMID: 36718367 PMCID: PMC9883208 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2023.105960] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2022] [Revised: 12/01/2022] [Accepted: 01/06/2023] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Integration of information over the CNS is an important neural process that affects our ability to perceive and react to the environment. The visual system is required to continuously integrate information arriving from two different sources (the eyes) to create a coherent percept with high spatiotemporal precision. Although this neural integration of information is assumed to be critical for visual performance, it can be impaired under some pathological or developmental conditions. Here we took advantage of a unique developmental condition, amblyopia ("lazy eye"), which is characterized by an impaired temporal synchronization between the two eyes, to meticulously study the effect of synchronization on the integration of binocular visual information. We measured the eyes' asynchrony and compensated for it (with millisecond temporal resolution) by providing time-shifted stimuli to the eyes. We found that the re-synchronization of the ocular input elicited a significant improvement in visual functions, and binocular functions, such as binocular summation and stereopsis, were regained. This phenomenon was also evident in neurophysiological measures. Our results can shed light on other neural processing aspects and might also have translational relevance for the field of training, rehabilitation, and perceptual learning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Auria Eisen-Enosh
- School of Optometry and Vision Science, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat-Gan, Israel
| | - Nairouz Farah
- School of Optometry and Vision Science, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat-Gan, Israel
| | - Uri Polat
- School of Optometry and Vision Science, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat-Gan, Israel
| | - Yossi Mandel
- School of Optometry and Vision Science, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat-Gan, Israel,Institute for Nanotechnology and Advanced Materials (BINA), Bar-Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel,The Leslie and Susan Gonda (Goldschmied) Multidisciplinary Brain Research Center, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel,Corresponding author
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11
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Biles MK, Maniglia M, Yadav IS, Vice JE, Visscher KM. Training With Simulated Scotoma Leads to Behavioral Improvements Through at Least Two Distinct Mechanisms. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 2023; 64:14. [PMID: 36656567 PMCID: PMC9872837 DOI: 10.1167/iovs.64.1.14] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2022] [Accepted: 12/22/2022] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Purpose Individuals with central vision loss due to macular degeneration (MD) often spontaneously develop a preferred retinal locus (PRL) outside the area of retinal damage, which they use instead of the fovea. Those who develop a stable PRL are more successful at coping with their vision loss. However, it is unclear whether improvements in visual performance at the PRL are specific to that retinal location or are also observed in other parts of the retina. Perceptual learning literature suggests that the retinal specificity of these effects provides insight about the mechanisms involved. Better understanding of these mechanisms is necessary for the next generation of interventions and improved patient outcomes. Methods To address this, we trained participants with healthy vision to develop a trained retinal locus (TRL), analogous to the PRL in patients. We trained 24 participants on a visual search task using a gaze-contingent display to simulate a central scotoma. Results Results showed retinotopically specific improvements in visual crowding only at the TRL; however, visual acuity improved in both the TRL and in an untrained retinal locus. Conclusions These results suggest that training with an artificial scotoma involves multiple mechanistic levels, some location-specific and some not, and that simulated scotoma training paradigms likely influence multiple mechanisms simultaneously. Eye movement analysis suggests that the non-retinotopic learning effects may be related to improvements in the capability to maintain a stable gaze during stimulus presentation. This work suggests that effective interventions promoting peripheral viewing may influence multiple mechanisms simultaneously.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mandy K. Biles
- Department of Psychology, The University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, United States
| | - Marcello Maniglia
- Department of Psychology, The University of California at Riverside, Riverside, California, United States
- Department of Neurobiology, The University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, United States
| | - Ishant S. Yadav
- Department of Neurobiology, The University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, United States
| | - Jason E. Vice
- School of Optometry, The University of Alabama at Birmingham Heersink School of Medicine, Birmingham, Alabama, United States
| | - Kristina M. Visscher
- Department of Neurobiology, The University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, United States
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12
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Rassia KEK, Moutoussis K, Pezaris JS. Reading text works better than watching videos to improve acuity in a simulation of artificial vision. Sci Rep 2022; 12:12953. [PMID: 35902596 PMCID: PMC9334451 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-10719-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2021] [Accepted: 04/12/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Simulated artificial vision is used in visual prosthesis design to answer questions about device usability. We previously reported a striking increase in equivalent visual acuity with daily use of a simulation of artificial vision in an active task, reading sentences, that required high levels of subject engagement, but passive activities are more likely to dominate post-implant experience. Here, we investigated the longitudinal effects of a passive task, watching videos. Eight subjects used a simulation of a thalamic visual prosthesis with 1000 phosphenes to watch 23 episodes of classic American television in daily, 25-min sessions, for a period of 1 month with interspersed reading tests that quantified reading accuracy and reading speed. For reading accuracy, we found similar dynamics to the early part of the learning process in our previous report, here leading to an improvement in visual acuity of 0.15 ± 0.05 logMAR. For reading speed, however, no change was apparent by the end of training. We found that single reading sessions drove about twice the improvement in acuity of single video sessions despite being only half as long. We conclude that while passive viewing tasks may prove useful for post-implant rehabilitation, active tasks are likely to be preferable.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katerina Eleonora K Rassia
- Cognitive Science Laboratory, Department of History and Philosophy of Science, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
| | - Konstantinos Moutoussis
- Cognitive Science Laboratory, Department of History and Philosophy of Science, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
| | - John S Pezaris
- Department of Neurosurgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA. .,Department of Neurosurgery, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
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13
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Truong J, Buschkuehl M, Smith-Peirce RN, Carrillo AA, Seitz AR, Jaeggi SM. Change-detection training and its effects on visual processing skills. Sci Rep 2022; 12:12646. [PMID: 35879360 PMCID: PMC9314349 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-15649-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2022] [Accepted: 06/27/2022] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
Previous cognitive training research with the change-detection paradigm found only sparse effects that went beyond improvements in the training task but stressed an increase in fidelity of internal memory representations. Motivated by the demanding visual processing requirements of change-detection training, we extended this work by focusing on whether training on a change-detection task would improve visual processing skills. Fifty participants were randomly assigned to train on a change-detection task or on a control task for seven sessions. Participants’ visual processing skills were assessed before and after the intervention, focusing on visual search, contrast sensitivity, and contour integration. Our results suggest a general improvement in perceptual skills that was primarily driven by a conjunction search task and to a much lesser extent by a complex visual search task and a contrast sensitivity task. The data from the conjunction search task further suggest a causal link between training and improvements of perceptual as opposed to attentional processes. Since the change-detection paradigm is commonly used to assess working memory capacity, future research needs to investigate how much of its variance is explained by memory performance and how much is explained by perceptual processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer Truong
- School of Education, University of California-Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA.
| | | | | | - Audrey A Carrillo
- Department of Psychology, University of California-Riverside, Riverside, CA, USA
| | - Aaron R Seitz
- Department of Psychology, University of California-Riverside, Riverside, CA, USA
| | - Susanne M Jaeggi
- School of Education, University of California-Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA.
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14
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Perspectives on the Combined Use of Electric Brain Stimulation and Perceptual Learning in Vision. Vision (Basel) 2022; 6:vision6020033. [PMID: 35737420 PMCID: PMC9227313 DOI: 10.3390/vision6020033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2022] [Revised: 06/07/2022] [Accepted: 06/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
A growing body of literature offers exciting perspectives on the use of brain stimulation to boost training-related perceptual improvements in humans. Recent studies suggest that combining visual perceptual learning (VPL) training with concomitant transcranial electric stimulation (tES) leads to learning rate and generalization effects larger than each technique used individually. Both VPL and tES have been used to induce neural plasticity in brain regions involved in visual perception, leading to long-lasting visual function improvements. Despite being more than a century old, only recently have these techniques been combined in the same paradigm to further improve visual performance in humans. Nonetheless, promising evidence in healthy participants and in clinical population suggests that the best could still be yet to come for the combined use of VPL and tES. In the first part of this perspective piece, we briefly discuss the history, the characteristics, the results and the possible mechanisms behind each technique and their combined effect. In the second part, we discuss relevant aspects concerning the use of these techniques and propose a perspective concerning the combined use of electric brain stimulation and perceptual learning in the visual system, closing with some open questions on the topic.
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15
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Testing the efficacy of vision training for presbyopia: alternating-distance training does not facilitate vision improvement compared to fixed-distance training. Graefes Arch Clin Exp Ophthalmol 2022; 260:1551-1563. [PMID: 35006331 DOI: 10.1007/s00417-021-05548-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2021] [Revised: 12/22/2021] [Accepted: 12/31/2021] [Indexed: 11/04/2022] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE Current evidence demonstrates the effectiveness of vision training for presbyopia. We developed and examined a training program to test the effectiveness of alternating focal distances as a training method. METHODS We devised a sharpness discrimination task, in which participants judged whether the stimulus was a sine- or square-wave grating, and tested in two training groups and one control group. In the alternating-distance training group (N = 8, age 49-64), participants had to alternate the fixation between a near- and far-screen. In the fixed-distance training group (N=8, age 47-65), participants fixated on the same-distance target for the whole block. Before and after the 20 training sessions, we measured the near- and far-visual acuity (VA) using the Landolt C and Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study (ETDRS) tasks and contrast sensitivity using the qCSF procedure. The control group (N=8, age 49-65) participated only in the pre- and post-tests. RESULTS Both training groups showed a significant improvement between the pre- and post-tests in the Landolt C task, and the improvement sizes were not significantly different between the groups. In the ETDRS task, only the fixed-distance training group showed significant improvement, although there was no significant difference between the two groups. Neither group showed improvement in the contrast sensitivity task compared to the control group. CONCLUSION The novel sharpness discrimination task can be an effective training method for presbyopia to prevent the deterioration of VA; however, contrary to popular belief, the effect of alternating-distance training was comparable to or even weaker than that of fixed-distance training.
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16
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Tsuneyoshi Y, Negishi K, Tsubota K. Multifaceted Assessment of the Effects of an Eye Exercise for Presbyopia. Rejuvenation Res 2021; 24:417-423. [PMID: 34841886 DOI: 10.1089/rej.2021.0011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Exercise for presbyopia is theoretically ineffective. However, some studies have reported favorable subject responses, although the reasons were not detected. We investigated one such presbyopic exercise. Twenty-three volunteers (48.5 ± 5.0 years) viewed near (30-40 cm) and far (>5 m) points back and forth 20 times in one set and repeated this four times daily. After 2 months, the accommodation or near visual acuity did not improve. The pupillary size under accommodative stimulation decreased significantly (p = 0.04) from 4.03 ± 0.84 to 3.75 ± 0.98 mm, and the convergence amounts increased significantly (p = 0.03) from 0.71 ± 0.25 to 0.98 ± 0.46 mm. The overall satisfaction with the near vision improved significantly (p = 0.02). The changes in the pupillary sizes and convergence amounts did not differ between subjects with improved satisfaction (positive group) and those without improvement (negative group) (p = 0.50 and p = 0.94, respectively). The pupillary size after exercise was significantly (p = 0.04) smaller in the positive group (3.19 ± 0.82) than in the negative group (4.08 ± 0.94). In conclusion, the exercise for presbyopia was fundamentally ineffective to improve accommodation, however, it strengthened miosis while viewing near and might improve satisfaction for near vision. (Clinical Trial Registration number: UMIN000023561).
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Affiliation(s)
- Yukari Tsuneyoshi
- Department of Ophthalmology, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.,National Hospital Organization Saitama National Hospital, Saitama, Japan
| | - Kazuno Negishi
- Department of Ophthalmology, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Kazuo Tsubota
- Department of Ophthalmology, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.,Tsubota Laboratory, Inc., Tokyo, Japan
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17
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Maniglia M, Visscher KM, Seitz AR. Perspective on Vision Science-Informed Interventions for Central Vision Loss. Front Neurosci 2021; 15:734970. [PMID: 34803584 PMCID: PMC8599964 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2021.734970] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2021] [Accepted: 10/11/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Pathologies affecting central vision, and macular degeneration (MD) in particular, represent a growing health concern worldwide, and the leading cause of blindness in the Western World. To cope with the loss of central vision, MD patients often develop compensatory strategies, such as the adoption of a Preferred Retinal Locus (PRL), which they use as a substitute fovea. However, visual acuity and fixation stability in the visual periphery are poorer, leaving many MD patients struggling with tasks such as reading and recognizing faces. Current non-invasive rehabilitative interventions are usually of two types: oculomotor, aiming at training eye movements or teaching patients to use or develop a PRL, or perceptual, with the goal of improving visual abilities in the PRL. These training protocols are usually tested over a series of outcome assessments mainly measuring low-level visual abilities (visual acuity, contrast sensitivity) and reading. However, extant approaches lead to mixed success, and in general have exhibited large individual differences. Recent breakthroughs in vision science have shown that loss of central vision affects not only low-level visual abilities and oculomotor mechanisms, but also higher-level attentional and cognitive processes. We suggest that effective interventions for rehabilitation after central vision loss should then not only integrate low-level vision and oculomotor training, but also take into account higher level attentional and cognitive mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcello Maniglia
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Riverside, Riverside, CA, United States
- Department of Neurobiology, The University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, United States
| | - Kristina M. Visscher
- Department of Neurobiology, The University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, United States
| | - Aaron R. Seitz
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Riverside, Riverside, CA, United States
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18
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Huurneman B, Goossens J. Broad and Long-Lasting Vision Improvements in Youth With Infantile Nystagmus After Home Training With a Perceptual Learning App. Front Neurosci 2021; 15:651205. [PMID: 34489619 PMCID: PMC8417383 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2021.651205] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2021] [Accepted: 06/25/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Current treatments for infantile nystagmus (IN), focused on dampening the oscillating eye movements, yield little to no improvement in visual functioning. It makes sense, however, to treat the visual impairments associated with IN with tailored sensory training. Recently, we developed such a training, targeting visual crowding as an important bottleneck in visual functioning with an eye-movement engaging letter discrimination task. This training improved visual performance of children with IN, but most children had not reached plateau performance after 10 supervised training sessions (3,500 trials). Here, we evaluate the effects of prolonged perceptual learning (14,000 trials) in 7-18-year-old children with IN and test the feasibility of tablet-based, at-home intervention. Results demonstrate that prolonged home-based perceptual training results in stable, long lasting visual acuity improvements at distance and near, with remarkably good transfer to reading and even stereopsis. Improvements on self-reported functional vision scores underline the clinical relevance of perceptual learning with e-health apps for individuals with IN.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bianca Huurneman
- Department Cognitive Neuroscience, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Centre, Nijmegen, Netherlands.,Royal Dutch Visio, Nijmegen, Netherlands
| | - Jeroen Goossens
- Department Cognitive Neuroscience, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Centre, Nijmegen, Netherlands
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19
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Abstract
Perceptual learning has been widely used to study the plasticity of the visual system in adults. Owing to the belief that practice makes perfect, perceptual learning protocols usually require subjects to practice a task thousands of times over days, even weeks. However, we know very little about the relationship between training amount and behavioral improvement. Here, four groups of subjects underwent motion direction discrimination training over 8 days with 40, 120, 360, or 1080 trials per day. Surprisingly, different daily training amounts induced similar improvement across the four groups, and the similarity lasted for at least 2 weeks. Moreover, the group with 40 training trials per day showed more learning transfer from the trained direction to the untrained directions than the group with 1080 training trials per day immediately after training and 2 weeks later. These findings suggest that perceptual learning of motion direction discrimination is not always dependent on the daily training amount and less training leads to more transfer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yongqian Song
- School of Psychological and Cognitive Sciences and Beijing Key Laboratory of Behavior and Mental Health, Peking University, Beijing, People's Republic of China.,IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Peking University, Beijing, People's Republic of China.,Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, People's Republic of China.,
| | - Nihong Chen
- Department of Psychology, Tsinghua University, Beijing, People's Republic of China.,IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Tsinghua University, Beijing, People's Republic of China.,
| | - Fang Fang
- School of Psychological and Cognitive Sciences and Beijing Key Laboratory of Behavior and Mental Health, Peking University, Beijing, People's Republic of China.,IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Peking University, Beijing, People's Republic of China.,Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, People's Republic of China.,
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20
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Dong X, Du X, Bao M. Repeated Contrast Adaptation Does Not Cause Habituation of the Adapter. Front Hum Neurosci 2021; 14:589634. [PMID: 33424564 PMCID: PMC7785701 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2020.589634] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2020] [Accepted: 11/27/2020] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Adaptation can optimize information processing by allowing the visual system to always adjust to the environment. However, only a few studies have investigated how the visual system makes adjustments to repeatedly occurring changes in the input, still less about the related neural mechanism. Our previous study found that contrast adaptation attenuated after multiple daily sessions of repeated adaptation, which was explained by the habituation of either the adapter's effective strength or the adaptation mechanisms. To examine the former hypothesis, in the present study we used the frequency tagging technique to measure the adapter-elicited steady-state visual evoked potential (SSVEP) amplitudes. Participants repeatedly adapted to the same contrast adapter in a top-up manner for six continuous days, which was called training of adaptation. The behavioral adaptation effect and SSVEP response to the trained adapter and an untrained control adapter were measured before and after training. The psychophysical results showed that the effect of adaptation in the trained condition significantly reduced after training, replicating our previous finding. Contradicting the prediction of the hypothesis that repeated adaptation attenuated the effective strength of the adapter, the SSVEP amplitude was unchanged after training, which was further confirmed by an equivalence test. Taken together, the results challenge the account of habituation of adapter in repeated adaptation, while leaving the account of habituation of adaptation mechanism to be tested.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xue Dong
- CAS Key Laboratory of Behavioral Science, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Beijing, China.,Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Xinxin Du
- CAS Key Laboratory of Behavioral Science, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Beijing, China.,Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Min Bao
- CAS Key Laboratory of Behavioral Science, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Beijing, China.,Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Science, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Beijing, China
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21
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Xi J, Zhang P, Jia WL, Chen N, Yang J, Wang GT, Dai Y, Zhang Y, Huang CB. Multi-Stage Cortical Plasticity Induced by Visual Contrast Learning. Front Neurosci 2020; 14:555701. [PMID: 33408602 PMCID: PMC7779615 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2020.555701] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2020] [Accepted: 11/25/2020] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Perceptual learning, the improved sensitivity via repetitive practice, is a universal phenomenon in vision and its neural mechanisms remain controversial. A central question is which stage of processing is changed after training. To answer this question, we measured the contrast response functions and electroencephalography (EEG) before and after ten daily sessions of contrast detection training. Behavioral results showed that training substantially improved visual acuity and contrast sensitivity. The learning effect was significant at the trained condition and partially transferred to control conditions. Event-related potential (ERP) results showed that training reduced the latency in both early and late ERPs at the trained condition. Specifically, contrast-gain-related changes were observed in the latency of P1, N1-P2 complex, and N2, which reflects neural changes across the early, middle, and high-level sensory stages. Meanwhile, response-gain-related changes were found in the latency of N2, which indicates stimulus-independent effect in higher-level stages. In sum, our findings indicate that learning leads to changes across different processing stages and the extent of learning and transfer may depend on the specific stage of information processing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jie Xi
- CAS Key Laboratory of Behavioral Science, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Pan Zhang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Behavioral Science, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- Center for Neural Science, New York University, New York, NY, United States
| | - Wu-Li Jia
- CAS Key Laboratory of Behavioral Science, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- School of Education Science, Huaiyin Normal University, Huaian, China
| | - Nihong Chen
- Department of Psychology, School of Social Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
- THU-IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing, China
| | - Jia Yang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Behavioral Science, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Ge-Tong Wang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Behavioral Science, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yun Dai
- Institute of Optics and Electronics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu, China
- The Key Laboratory on Adaptive Optics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu, China
| | - Yudong Zhang
- Institute of Optics and Electronics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu, China
- The Key Laboratory on Adaptive Optics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu, China
| | - Chang-Bing Huang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Behavioral Science, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
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22
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Eisen-Enosh A, Farah N, Burgansky-Eliash Z, Maharshak I, Polat U, Mandel Y. A dichoptic presentation device and a method for measuring binocular temporal function in the visual system. Exp Eye Res 2020; 201:108290. [PMID: 33022269 DOI: 10.1016/j.exer.2020.108290] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2020] [Revised: 08/16/2020] [Accepted: 09/03/2020] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
Recent studies highlight the importance of the temporal domain in visual processing. Critical Flicker Frequency (CFF), the frequency at which a flickering light is perceived as continuous, is a widely used measure for evaluating visual temporal processing. Another important issue to investigate is the cortical interactions arising between the flicker stimuli of both eyes. This paper presents a robust and reliable dichoptic tool for evaluating the CFF threshold in both eyes. This system is based on an analog output device used to independently drive two LEDs through a custom-written MATLAB code (using a laptop PC) for eliciting sinusoidal flickering stimuli and for psychophysically measuring the perceived CFF threshold. The luminance and phases of each LED are individually controlled, enabling the investigation of the effect of phase and luminance differences on binocular summation in subjects with different ocular pathologies. Experiments were designed to evaluate the CFF threshold through a psychophysical test, based on a discrimination task with a stimulus duration of 1 s, based on a temporal alternative forced-choice paradigm. The target stimulus temporal features were modulated using the staircase method. Subjects were requested to discriminate between a target stimulus (a flickering light at various frequencies) and a flickering light at a frequency of 120 Hz, which is significantly higher than the CFF in humans; therefore, it is perceived as constant. One of the main advantages of the introduced dichoptic presentation system is that it enables the visual temporal performance to be measured under both monocular and binocular conditions where phenomena such as temporal binocular summation (BS) can be evaluated. Moreover, the system offers great flexibility by introducing a stimulus phase shift, which enables studying how stimulus timing affects the temporal function at millisecond scale resolution. Our results confirm that no crosstalk exists between the eyes and that the system can reliably separate the stimuli presented to the eyes. Using this set-up, we observed the binocular summation of CFF for low target luminance levels. The CFF was significantly (p = 0.011) higher (5.2%) under binocular compared with monocular viewing conditions. More importantly, introducing an inter - ocular phase shift reduced the binocular CFF in normally sighted subjects. Finally, in amblyopic subjects the amblyopic eye showed a decrease of 3.9 Hz (15%) in CFF, compared with the fellow eye (p = 0.001). The ability to assess binocular temporal performance using a dichoptic display can shed light on visual temporal performance in general, and on binocular temporal summation processes in particular, both for subjects with normal binocular vision and for subjects with impaired binocular vision (e.g., amblyopic subjects). Furthermore, such a presentation set-up may facilitate the development of training paradigms aimed at improving binocular vision performance. In this paper we describe the system and methods in detail and provide all necessary computer code and other details that will enable an easy and quick adaptation of the method by scientists interested in studying the temporal resolution of the visual system in general, and in studying inter-ocular differences or interactions in particular.
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Affiliation(s)
- Auria Eisen-Enosh
- School of Optometry and Vision Science, Faculty of Life Sciences, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat-Gan, Israel
| | - Nairouz Farah
- School of Optometry and Vision Science, Faculty of Life Sciences, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat-Gan, Israel
| | - Zvia Burgansky-Eliash
- E. Wolfson Medical Center, Holon, Israel; Sackler School of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv, Israel
| | - Idit Maharshak
- E. Wolfson Medical Center, Holon, Israel; Sackler School of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv, Israel
| | - Uri Polat
- School of Optometry and Vision Science, Faculty of Life Sciences, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat-Gan, Israel
| | - Yossi Mandel
- School of Optometry and Vision Science, Faculty of Life Sciences, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat-Gan, Israel; Bar Ilan's Institute for Nanotechnology and Advanced Materials (BINA), Bar-Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel; The Gonda Multidisciplinary Brain Research Center, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat-Gan, Israel.
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23
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Maniglia M, Soler V, Trotter Y. Combining fixation and lateral masking training enhances perceptual learning effects in patients with macular degeneration. J Vis 2020; 20:19. [PMID: 33064123 PMCID: PMC7571291 DOI: 10.1167/jov.20.10.19] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Macular degeneration (MD), a retinal disease affecting central vision, represents the leading cause of visual impairment in the Western world, and MD patients face severe limitations in daily activities like reading and face recognition. A common compensation strategy adopted by these patients involves the use of a region in the spared peripheral retina as a new fixation spot and oculomotor reference (preferred retinal locus, or PRL). Still, peripheral vision is characterized by poorer visual acuity, fixation stability, and larger crowding zones that further hinder processes like object recognition, visual search, and reading. Perceptual learning (PL) has been successfully used to improve visual acuity in mild visual conditions (e.g., presbyopia, amblyopia and myopia), but results in MD are less clear, often showing limited generalization of learning, unlike what is observed in a healthy population. A possible reason is the suboptimal fixation in the PRL that might prevent patients from processing the briefly presented training stimuli. Following this hypothesis, we trained five MD patients and four age- and eccentricity-matched controls with a protocol that combined contrast detection and a task previously used to train fixation stability. Results showed transfer of learning to crowding reduction, reading speed, and visual acuity in both MD patients and controls. These results suggest that in the case of central vision loss, PL training might benefit from the integration of oculomotor components to optimize the effect of training and promote transfer of learning to other visual functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcello Maniglia
- UC Riverside, Riverside, CA, USA.,Université de Toulouse-UPS, Centre de Recherche Cerveau et Cognition, Toulouse, France.,Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Toulouse Cedex, France.,
| | - Vincent Soler
- Unité de rétine, consultation d'ophtalmologie, hôpital Pierre-Paul-Riquet, CHU de Toulouse, Toulouse Cedex, France.,
| | - Yves Trotter
- Université de Toulouse-UPS, Centre de Recherche Cerveau et Cognition, Toulouse, France.,Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Toulouse Cedex, France.,
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24
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Nguyen KN, Watanabe T, Andersen GJ. Role of endogenous and exogenous attention in task-relevant visual perceptual learning. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0237912. [PMID: 32857813 PMCID: PMC7454975 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0237912] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2020] [Accepted: 08/05/2020] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The present study examined the role of exogenous and endogenous attention in task relevant visual perceptual learning (TR-VPL). VPL performance was assessed by examining the learning to a trained stimulus feature and transfer of learning to an untrained stimulus feature. To assess the differential role of attention in VPL, two types of attentional cues were manipulated; exogenous and endogenous. In order to assess the effectiveness of the attentional cue, the two types of attentional cues were further divided into three cue-validity conditions. Participants were trained, on a novel task, to detect the presence of a complex gabor patch embedded in fixed Gaussian contrast noise while contrast thresholds were varied. The results showed initial differences were found prior to training, and so the magnitude of learning was assessed. Exogenous and endogenous attention were both found to facilitate learning and feature transfer when investigating pre-test and post-test thresholds. However, examination of training data indicate attentional differences; with endogenous attention showing consistently lower contrast thresholds as compared to exogenous attention suggesting greater impact of training with endogenous attention. We conclude that several factors, including the use of stimuli that resulted in rapid learning, may have contributed to the generalization of learning found in the present study.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kieu Ngoc Nguyen
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Riverside, Riverside, California, United States of America
| | - Takeo Watanabe
- Department of Cognitive, Linguistic, and Psychological Sciences, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, United States of America
| | - George John Andersen
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Riverside, Riverside, California, United States of America
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25
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Abstract
It is now well documented that schizophrenia is associated with impairments in visual processing at all levels of vision, and that these disturbances are related to deficits in multiple higher-level cognitive and social cognitive functions. Visual remediation methods have been slow to appear in the literature as a potential treatment strategy to target these impairments, however, in contrast to interventions that aim to improve auditory and higher cognitive functions in schizophrenia. In this report, we describe a National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)-funded R61/R33 grant that uses a phased approach to optimize and evaluate a novel visual remediation intervention for people with schizophrenia. The goals of this project are: (1) in the R61 phase, to establish the optimal components and dose (number of sessions) of a visual remediation intervention from among two specific visual training strategies (and their combination) for improving low and mid-level visual functions in schizophrenia; and (2) in the R33 phase, to determine the extent to which the optimal intervention improves not only visual processing but also higher-level cognitive and role functions. Here we present the scientific background for and innovation of the study, along with our methods, hypotheses, and preliminary data. The results of this study will help determine the utility of this novel intervention approach for targeting visual perceptual, cognitive, and functional impairments in schizophrenia.
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26
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Campana G, Fongoni L, Astle A, McGraw PV. Does physical exercise and congruent visual stimulation enhance perceptual learning? Ophthalmic Physiol Opt 2020; 40:680-691. [PMID: 32654255 DOI: 10.1111/opo.12712] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2020] [Accepted: 05/26/2020] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE There is currently great interest in methods that can modulate brain plasticity, both in terms of understanding the basic mechanisms, and in the remedial application to situations of sensory loss. Recent work has focussed on how different manipulations might be combined to produce new settings that reveal synergistic actions. Here we ask whether a prominent example of adult visual plasticity, called perceptual learning, is modified by other environmental factors, such as visual stimulation and physical exercise. METHODS We quantified the magnitude, rate and transfer of perceptual learning using a peripheral Vernier alignment task, in two groups of subjects matched for a range of baseline factors (e.g. age, starting Vernier threshold, baseline fitness). We trained subjects for 5 days on a Vernier alignment task. In one group, we introduced an exercise protocol with congruent visual stimulation. The control group received the same visual stimulation, but did not exercise prior to measurement of Vernier thresholds. RESULTS Although the task generated large amounts of learning (~40%) and some transfer to untrained conditions in both groups, there were no specific benefits associated with either the addition of an exercise schedule or congruent visual stimulation. CONCLUSION In adults, short periods of physical exercise and visual stimulation do not enhance perceptual learning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gianluca Campana
- Dipartimento di Psicologia Generale, Università di Padova, Padova, Italy
| | - Laura Fongoni
- Dipartimento di Psicologia Generale, Università di Padova, Padova, Italy.,Visual Neuroscience Group, School of Psychology, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK
| | - Andrew Astle
- Visual Neuroscience Group, School of Psychology, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK
| | - Paul V McGraw
- Visual Neuroscience Group, School of Psychology, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK
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Haris EM, McGraw PV, Webb BS, Chung STL, Astle AT. The Effect of Perceptual Learning on Face Recognition in Individuals with Central Vision Loss. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 2020; 61:2. [PMID: 32609296 PMCID: PMC7425703 DOI: 10.1167/iovs.61.8.2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Purpose To examine whether perceptual learning can improve face discrimination and recognition in older adults with central vision loss. Methods Ten participants with age-related macular degeneration (ARMD) received 5 days of training on a face discrimination task (mean age, 78 ± 10 years). We measured the magnitude of improvements (i.e., a reduction in threshold size at which faces were able to be discriminated) and whether they generalized to an untrained face recognition task. Measurements of visual acuity, fixation stability, and preferred retinal locus were taken before and after training to contextualize learning-related effects. The performance of the ARMD training group was compared to nine untrained age-matched controls (8 = ARMD, 1 = juvenile macular degeneration; mean age, 77 ± 10 years). Results Perceptual learning on the face discrimination task reduced the threshold size for face discrimination performance in the trained group, with a mean change (SD) of –32.7% (+15.9%). The threshold for performance on the face recognition task was also reduced, with a mean change (SD) of –22.4% (+2.31%). These changes were independent of changes in visual acuity, fixation stability, or preferred retinal locus. Untrained participants showed no statistically significant reduction in threshold size for face discrimination, with a mean change (SD) of –8.3% (+10.1%), or face recognition, with a mean change (SD) of +2.36% (–5.12%). Conclusions This study shows that face discrimination and recognition can be reliably improved in ARMD using perceptual learning. The benefits point to considerable perceptual plasticity in higher-level cortical areas involved in face-processing. This novel finding highlights that a key visual difficulty in those suffering from ARMD is readily amenable to rehabilitation.
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Mao Y, Min SH, Chen S, Gong L, Chen H, Hess RF, Zhou J. Binocular Imbalance in Amblyopia Depends on Spatial Frequency in Binocular Combination. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 2020; 61:7. [PMID: 32634205 PMCID: PMC7425706 DOI: 10.1167/iovs.61.8.7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Purpose To assess the role of spatial frequency on binocular imbalance in binocular combination in adults with amblyopia. Methods Ten amblyopes (23 ± 4.9 [SD] years old; one deprivation, two mixed, seven anisometropia patients) and 10 age-matched normal adults (23 ± 2.3 years old) participated. The interocular contrast ratio (fellow eye/amblyopic eye, i.e., the balance point [BP]) that resulted in an equal contribution of both eyes in binocular combination was measured using a binocular orientation combination task at 0.5, 1, 2, and 4 cycles per degree (c/d). The extent of binocular imbalance was quantified as the absolute value of the BP on log scale (i.e., |logBP|). Results When the base contrast of the amblyopic eye was set at 100% (Experiment 1), the |logBP| was found to be significantly affected by stimulus spatial frequency (F(1.44, 26.01) = 51.6, P < 0.001, ηg2= 0.40) and group (F(1, 18) = 66.97, P < 0.001, ηg2 = 0.74), the interaction between spatial frequency and group was also significant (F(1.44, 26.01) = 38.12, P < 0.001, ηg2= 0.33). Such spatial frequency–dependent binocular imbalance remained present, even when the base contrast of the amblyopic eye was set at equal suprathreshold contrast levels across spatial frequencies (Experiment 2). Conclusions Binocular balance was more disrupted at higher spatial frequencies in binocular combination in amblyopia. This imbalance might not originate solely from the amblyopic eye's deficit in contrast sensitivity but is likely to be related to the difference in contrast sensitivity between the eyes.
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29
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Gu L, Deng S, Feng L, Yuan J, Chen Z, Yan J, Qiu X, Wang Z, Yu M, Chen Z, Wu X, Li J, Lu ZL. Effects of Monocular Perceptual Learning on Binocular Visual Processing in Adolescent and Adult Amblyopia. iScience 2020; 23:100875. [PMID: 32062454 PMCID: PMC7021554 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2020.100875] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2019] [Revised: 12/22/2019] [Accepted: 01/28/2020] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Re-establishing normal binocular visual processing is the key to amblyopia recovery beyond the critical period of visual development. Here, by combining perceptual learning, behavioral testing, and steady-state visually evoked potentials (SSVEPs), we examined how monocular perceptual learning in the amblyopic eye could change binocular visual processing in the adolescent and adult amblyopic visual system. We found that training reduced the interocular difference between amblyopic and fellow eyes and increased the amplitude of a binocular SSVEP component, with a significant negative correlation between the two measures. Our results demonstrate that training in the amblyopic eye primarily improves binocular rather than monocular visual processing in the amblyopic visual system, suggesting that behavioral training could potentially address key neural deficits in adolescent and adult amblyopia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Li Gu
- State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510060, China
| | - Siyuan Deng
- State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510060, China
| | - Lei Feng
- State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510060, China
| | - Jin Yuan
- State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510060, China
| | - Zhipeng Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510060, China
| | - Jianhua Yan
- State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510060, China
| | - Xuan Qiu
- State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510060, China
| | - Zhonghao Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510060, China
| | - Minbin Yu
- State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510060, China
| | - Zidong Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510060, China
| | - Xiang Wu
- Department of Psychology, Sun Yat-Sen University, Higher Education Mega Center, 132 Waihuan East Road, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510006, China.
| | - Jinrong Li
- State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510060, China.
| | - Zhong-Lin Lu
- Division of Arts and Sciences, NYU Shanghai, Shanghai, China; Center for Neural Science, Department of Psychology, New York University, New York, USA; NYU-ECNU Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, NYU Shanghai, Shanghai, China
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30
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Battaglini L, Contemori G, Penzo S, Maniglia M. tRNS effects on visual contrast detection. Neurosci Lett 2020; 717:134696. [PMID: 31846733 DOI: 10.1016/j.neulet.2019.134696] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2019] [Revised: 11/21/2019] [Accepted: 12/13/2019] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
In recent years, transcranial electrical stimulation (tES) has been used to improve cognitive and perceptual abilities and to boost learning. In the visual domain, transcranial random noise stimulation (tRNS), a type of tES in which electric current is randomly alternating in between two electrodes at high frequency, has shown potential in inducing long lasting perceptual improvements when coupled with tasks such as contrast detection. However, its cortical mechanisms and online effects have not been fully understood yet, and it is still unclear whether these long-term improvements are due to early-stage perceptual enhancements of contrast sensitivity or later stage mechanisms such as learning consolidation. Here we tested tRNS effects on multiple spatial frequencies and orientation, showing that tRNS enhances detection of a low contrast Gabor, but only for oblique orientation and high spatial frequency (12 cycles per degree of visual angle). No improvement was observed for low contrast and vertical stimuli. These results indicate that tRNS can enhance contrast sensitivity already after one training session, however this early onset is dependent on characteristics of the stimulus such as spatial frequency and orientation. In particular, the shallow depth of tRNS is likely to affect superficial layers of the visual cortex where neurons have higher preferred spatial frequencies than cells in further layers, while the lack of effect on vertical stimuli might reflect the optimization of the visual system to see cardinally oriented low contrast stimuli, leaving little room for short-term improvement. Taken together, these results suggest that online tRNS effects on visual perception are the result of a complex interaction between stimulus intensity and cortical anatomy, consistent with previous literature on brain stimulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luca Battaglini
- Department of General Psychology, University of Padova, Padova, Italy; Neuro.Vis.U.S. Laboratory, University of Padova, Padova, Italy.
| | - Giulio Contemori
- Department of General Psychology, University of Padova, Padova, Italy; Neuro.Vis.U.S. Laboratory, University of Padova, Padova, Italy; Université de Toulouse-UPS, Centre de Recherche Cerveau et Cognition, Toulouse, France
| | - Sofia Penzo
- Department of General Psychology, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
| | - Marcello Maniglia
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA.
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31
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Duyck S, Op de Beeck H. An investigation of far and near transfer in a gamified visual learning paradigm. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0227000. [PMID: 31877187 PMCID: PMC6932774 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0227000] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2019] [Accepted: 12/09/2019] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
After training, visual perceptual learning improvements are mostly constrained to the trained stimulus feature and retinal location. The aim of this study is to construct an integrated paradigm where the visual learning happens in a more natural context and in parallel for multiple stimulus types, and to test the generalization of learning-related improvements towards untrained features, locations, and more general cognitive domains. Half the subjects were trained with a gamified perceptual learning paradigm for ten hours, which consisted of an orientation discrimination task and a novel object categorization task embedded in a three-dimensional maze. A second group of subjects, an active control group, played ten hours of Candy Crush Saga. Before and after training, all subjects completed a 'near transfer' orientation discrimination and novel object categorization task, as well as a set of 'far transfer' general cognitive and attentional tasks. During the perceptual learning tasks, two different stimulus features and two retinal location pairs were assessed in each task. For the experimental group, one stimulus feature and retinal location pair was trained, whilst the other one remained untrained. Both features and location pairs were untrained in the control group. Far transfer did occur in some domains across all subjects irrespective of the training regimen (i.e. executive functioning, mental rotation performance, and multitask performance and speed). Near transfer was present in both groups, however only more pronounced for one particular task in the experimental group, namely novel object categorization. To conclude, all but one near transfer task did not generalize more than the control group.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefanie Duyck
- Brain and Cognition, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, University of Leuven (KU Leuven), Leuven, Belgium
| | - Hans Op de Beeck
- Brain and Cognition, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, University of Leuven (KU Leuven), Leuven, Belgium
- * E-mail:
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32
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Asher JM, Romei V, Hibbard PB. Spatial Frequency Tuning and Transfer of Perceptual Learning for Motion Coherence Reflects the Tuning Properties of Global Motion Processing. Vision (Basel) 2019; 3:vision3030044. [PMID: 31735845 PMCID: PMC6802806 DOI: 10.3390/vision3030044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2019] [Revised: 08/07/2019] [Accepted: 08/23/2019] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Perceptual learning is typically highly specific to the stimuli and task used during training. However, recently, it has been shown that training on global motion can transfer to untrained tasks, reflecting the generalising properties of mechanisms at this level of processing. We investigated (i) if feedback was required for learning in a motion coherence task, (ii) the transfer across the spatial frequency of training on a global motion coherence task and (iii) the transfer of this training to a measure of contrast sensitivity. For our first experiment, two groups, with and without feedback, trained for ten days on a broadband motion coherence task. Results indicated that feedback was a requirement for robust learning. For the second experiment, training consisted of five days of direction discrimination using one of three motion coherence stimuli (where individual elements were comprised of either broadband Gaussian blobs or low- or high-frequency random-dot Gabor patches), with trial-by-trial auditory feedback. A pre- and post-training assessment was conducted for each of the three types of global motion coherence conditions and high and low spatial frequency contrast sensitivity (both without feedback). Our training paradigm was successful at eliciting improvement in the trained tasks over the five days. Post-training assessments found evidence of transfer for the motion coherence task exclusively for the group trained on low spatial frequency elements. For the contrast sensitivity tasks, improved performance was observed for low- and high-frequency stimuli, following motion coherence training with broadband stimuli, and for low-frequency stimuli, following low-frequency training. Our findings are consistent with perceptual learning, which depends on the global stage of motion processing in higher cortical areas, which is broadly tuned for spatial frequency, with a preference for low frequencies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jordi M. Asher
- Department of Psychology, University of Essex, Wivenhoe Park, Colchester CO4 3SQ, UK; (V.R.); (P.B.H.)
- Correspondence:
| | - Vincenzo Romei
- Department of Psychology, University of Essex, Wivenhoe Park, Colchester CO4 3SQ, UK; (V.R.); (P.B.H.)
- Dipartimento di Psicologia and Centro Studi e Ricerche in Neuroscienze Cognitive, Campus di Cesena, Università di Bologna, 47521 Cesena, Italy
| | - Paul B. Hibbard
- Department of Psychology, University of Essex, Wivenhoe Park, Colchester CO4 3SQ, UK; (V.R.); (P.B.H.)
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Alnawmasi MM, Chakraborty A, Dalton K, Quaid P, Dunkley BT, Thompson B. The effect of mild traumatic brain injury on the visual processing of global form and motion. Brain Inj 2019; 33:1354-1363. [PMID: 31317788 DOI: 10.1080/02699052.2019.1641842] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
Abstract
Cortical visual processing involves the ventral stream (form perception) and the dorsal stream (motion perception). We assessed whether mild traumatic brain injury (TBI) differentially affects these two streams. Eleven adults with mild TBI (28 ± 9 yrs, 17 ± 5 months post injury) and 25 controls (25 ± 5 yrs) participated. Participants completed tests of global processing involving Glass patterns (form) and random dot kinematograms (motion), measurement of contrast thresholds for motion direction discrimination, a comprehensive vision screening and the Post-Concussion Symptom Inventory (PCSI). Our results showed that the mild TBI group had significantly higher (worse) global form (mean ± SD: TBI 25 ± 6%, control 21 ± 5%) and motion (TBI 14 ± 7%, control 11 ± 3%) coherence thresholds than controls. The magnitude of the mild TBI group deficit did not differ between the two tasks. Contrast thresholds for motion direction discrimination did not differ between the groups, but were positively correlated with PCSI score (r2 = 0.51. p = 0.01) in the mild TBI group. The mild TBI group had worse outcomes than controls for all clinical measurements of vision except distance visual acuity. In conclusion, mild TBI affects processing in both the dorsal and ventral cortical processing streams equally. In addition, spatiotemporal contrast sensitivity may be related to the symptoms of mild TBI.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohammed M Alnawmasi
- a School of Optometry and Vision Science, University of Waterloo , Waterloo , Canada.,b College of Applied Medical Sciences, Department of Optometry, Qassim University , Buraidah , Saudi Arabia
| | - Arijit Chakraborty
- a School of Optometry and Vision Science, University of Waterloo , Waterloo , Canada
| | - Kristine Dalton
- a School of Optometry and Vision Science, University of Waterloo , Waterloo , Canada
| | - Patrick Quaid
- a School of Optometry and Vision Science, University of Waterloo , Waterloo , Canada.,c VUE Cubed Vision Rehabilitation Clinics, The Guelph Vision Therapy Centre , Guelph , ON , Canada
| | - Benjamin T Dunkley
- a School of Optometry and Vision Science, University of Waterloo , Waterloo , Canada.,d Diagnostic Imaging, Hospital for Sick Children; Neurosciences & Mental Health, Hospital for Sick Children Research Institute; Medical Imaging, University of Toronto , Toronto , Canada
| | - Benjamin Thompson
- a School of Optometry and Vision Science, University of Waterloo , Waterloo , Canada
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Contemori G, Battaglini L, Casco C. Contextual influences in the peripheral retina of patients with macular degeneration. Sci Rep 2019; 9:9284. [PMID: 31243292 PMCID: PMC6594941 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-45648-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2018] [Accepted: 06/06/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Macular degeneration (MD) is the leading cause of low vision in the elderly population worldwide. In case of complete bilateral loss of central vision, MD patients start to show a preferred retinal region for fixation (PRL). Previous literature has reported functional changes that are connected with the emergence of the PRL. In this paper, we question whether the PRL undergoes a use-dependent cortical reorganization that alters the range of spatial lateral interactions between low-level filters. We asked whether there is a modulation of the excitatory/inhibitory lateral interactions or whether contextual influences are well accounted for by the same law that describes the integration response in normal viewers. In a group of 13 MD patients and 7 age-matched controls, we probed contextual influences by measuring the contrast threshold for a vertical target Gabor, flanked by two collinear high-contrast Gabors. Contextual influences of the collinear flankers were indicated by the changes in contrast threshold obtained at different target-to-flanker distances (λs) relative to the baseline orthogonal condition. Results showed that MDs had higher thresholds in the baseline condition and functional impairment in the identification tasks. Moreover, at the shortest λ, we found facilitatory rather than inhibitory contextual influence. No difference was found between the PRL and a symmetrical retinal position (non-PRL). By pulling together data from MD and controls we showed that in the periphery this inversion occurs when the target threshold approach the flankers’ contrast (about 1:3 ratio) and that for patients it does occur in both the PRL and a symmetrical retinal position (non-PRL). We conclude that contrary to previous interpretations, this modulation doesn’t seem to reflect use-dependent cortical reorganization but rather, it might result from a reduction of contrast gain for the target that promotes target-flankers grouping.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giulio Contemori
- Department of General Psychology, University of Padova, Via Venezia 8, 35131, Padova, Italy. .,Neuro.Vis.U.S. Laboratory, University of Padova, Padova, Italy. .,Université de Toulouse-UPS, Centre de Recherche Cerveau et Cognition, Toulouse, France.
| | - Luca Battaglini
- Department of General Psychology, University of Padova, Via Venezia 8, 35131, Padova, Italy.,Neuro.Vis.U.S. Laboratory, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
| | - Clara Casco
- Department of General Psychology, University of Padova, Via Venezia 8, 35131, Padova, Italy.,Neuro.Vis.U.S. Laboratory, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
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35
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Shuai L, Leilei Z, Wen W, Shu W, Gangsheng L, Yinglong L, Guoke Y, Xinrong C, Hong L, Rongfeng L. Binocular treatment in adult amblyopia is based on parvocellular or magnocellular pathway. Eur J Ophthalmol 2019; 30:658-667. [PMID: 31014078 DOI: 10.1177/1120672119841216] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Amblyopia is speculated to be an untreatable disease in the patient, who is beyond the critical period of vision; however, currently, it is treatable in adults. PURPOSE This study aimed to elucidate whether the treatment is useful in both anisometropic amblyopia and strabismic amblyopia. In addition, the differences were detected between anisometropic amblyopia and strabismic amblyopia after the same perceptual treatment and whether the suppression in anisometropic amblyopia or strabismic amblyopia could be decreased before and after the treatment. METHODS A binocular perceptual learning was applied for the treatment, the suppression was measured, and the patients were followed up for 2 months after training. Anisometropic amblyopia and strabismic amblyopia groups were subjected to the assessment of stereo, visual acuity, contrast sensitivity, and suppression before and after the training. RESULTS After 6 weeks of "Diploma Gabor Orientation Coherence" training, in the anisometropic amblyopia group, the outcomes of visual acuity (t = 3.114, p = 0.026) and contrast sensitivity (t = 7.786, p = 0.001) were increased significantly. While in the strabismic amblyopia group, the outcomes of stereo (t = 2.987, p = 0.040) and contrast sensitivity (t = 3.638, p = 0.022) were increased significantly. CONCLUSION After Diploma Gabor Orientation Coherence training in the same frequency and in the same duration, the anisometropic amblyopia group got an improvement in visual acuity, but the strabismic amblyopia group got an improvement in stereo. As there are evidences to show that anisometropic amblyopia and strabismic amblyopia were injured in different pathways, we think the diverse results might come from the different pathway injury in anisometropic amblyopia and strabismic amblyopia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liu Shuai
- Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China.,Department of Ophthalmology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Anhui, China
| | - Zou Leilei
- Fudan University, Shanghai, China.,Department of Ophthalmology, EENT Hospital Affiliate to Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Wen Wen
- Fudan University, Shanghai, China.,Department of Ophthalmology, EENT Hospital Affiliate to Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Wang Shu
- Fudan University, Shanghai, China.,Department of Ophthalmology, EENT Hospital Affiliate to Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Liu Gangsheng
- Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China.,Department of Ophthalmology, Hefei First People's Hospital, Anhui, China
| | - Li Yinglong
- Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China.,Department of Ophthalmology, Hefei First People's Hospital, Anhui, China
| | - Yang Guoke
- Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China.,Department of Ophthalmology, Hefei First People's Hospital, Anhui, China
| | - Chang Xinrong
- Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China.,Department of Ophthalmology, Hefei First People's Hospital, Anhui, China
| | - Liu Hong
- Fudan University, Shanghai, China.,Department of Ophthalmology, EENT Hospital Affiliate to Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Liao Rongfeng
- Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China.,Department of Ophthalmology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Anhui, China
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Abstract
Both adaptation and perceptual learning can change how we perceive the visual environment, reflecting the plasticity of the visual system. Our previous work has investigated the interaction between the two aspects of visual plasticity. One of the main findings is that multiple days of repeated motion adaptation attenuates motion aftereffect, which is explained by habituation of motion adaptation. Interestingly, there was almost no transfer of the effect to the untrained adapter, which differed from the trained adapter in the features including retinotopic location, spatiotopic location, and motion direction. Given that the reference frame of motion aftereffect is proposed to be retinotopic, it remains unclear whether the effect we refer to as habituation effect of motion adaptation is more like a special type of motion adaptation or not. Therefore, in three experiments, we examined the role of retinotopic location, spatiotopic location, and motion direction on the transfer of habituation, respectively. In each experiment, only one of the features was kept the same for the trained and untrained conditions. We found that the habituation effect transferred across both the retinotopic and spatiotopic locations as long as the adapting direction remained the same. The findings indicate that the effect we refer to as habituation of motion adaptation is anchored neither in eye-centered (retinotopic) nor world-centered (spatiotopic) coordinates. Rather, it is specific to the direction of the adapter. Therefore, the habituation effect of motion adaptation cannot be ascribed to a variant of motion adaptation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xue Dong
- CAS Key Laboratory of Behavioral Science, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Min Bao
- CAS Key Laboratory of Behavioral Science, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Science, Beijing, China
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Yu D, Legge GE, Wagoner G, Chung STL. Training peripheral vision to read: Boosting the speed of letter processing. Vision Res 2018; 152:51-60. [PMID: 28709924 PMCID: PMC5775067 DOI: 10.1016/j.visres.2017.06.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2017] [Revised: 06/19/2017] [Accepted: 06/29/2017] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Central-field loss necessitates the use of peripheral vision which makes reading slow and difficult. Slower temporal processing of letter recognition has been shown to be a limiting factor in peripheral letter recognition and reading. Previous studies showed that perceptual learning can increase the number of letters recognized on each fixation and is accompanied by an increase in reading speed. We hypothesized that improvement in temporal processing speed underlies the observed training effects. Here, we proposed an adaptive training procedure to focus on boosting the speed of letter recognition, and investigated whether peripheral reading would be enhanced by this training method. Seven normally-sighted subjects were trained with four daily one-hour sessions of a letter recognition task at 10° in the lower visual field in a pre/post design. During training, we adjusted stimulus duration on a block by block basis to maintain task difficulty near a pre-defined level of 80% performance accuracy. Stimulus duration progressively decreased with training, indicative of faster letter recognition at the 80% criterion. Following training, reading speed measured using a rapid serial visual presentation showed a substantial improvement in the trained (lower) field (41%) and the untrained (upper) field (27%), similar to the improvements observed from the training with a fixed stimulus duration. Despite being no more effective than the previous training, the adaptive temporal training method may allow individualized training, and may have advantages for clinical populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Deyue Yu
- College of Optometry, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA.
| | - Gordon E Legge
- Department of Psychology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Gunther Wagoner
- Department of Psychology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Susana T L Chung
- School of Optometry, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
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38
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Sotiropoulos G, Seitz AR, Seriès P. Performance-monitoring integrated reweighting model of perceptual learning. Vision Res 2018; 152:17-39. [PMID: 29581060 PMCID: PMC6200663 DOI: 10.1016/j.visres.2018.01.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2017] [Revised: 01/19/2018] [Accepted: 01/22/2018] [Indexed: 10/17/2022]
Abstract
Perceptual learning (PL) has been traditionally thought of as highly specific to stimulus properties, task and retinotopic position. This view is being progressively challenged, with accumulating evidence that learning can generalize (transfer) across various parameters under certain conditions. For example, retinotopic specificity can be diminished when the proportion of easy to hard trials is high, such as when multiple short staircases, instead of a single long one, are used during training. To date, there is a paucity of mechanistic explanations of what conditions affect transfer of learning. Here we present a model based on the popular Integrated Reweighting Theory model of PL but departing from its one-layer architecture by including a novel key feature: dynamic weighting of retinotopic-location-specific vs location-independent representations based on internal performance estimates of these representations. This dynamic weighting is closely related to gating in a mixture-of-experts architecture. Our dynamic performance-monitoring model (DPMM) unifies a variety of psychophysical data on transfer of PL, such as the short-vs-long staircase effect, as well as several findings from the double-training literature. Furthermore, the DPMM makes testable predictions and ultimately helps understand the mechanisms of generalization of PL, with potential applications to vision rehabilitation and enhancement.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Aaron R Seitz
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Riverside, Riverside, CA, USA.
| | - Peggy Seriès
- School of Informatics, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.
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Differential effects of high-frequency transcranial random noise stimulation (hf-tRNS) on contrast sensitivity and visual acuity when combined with a short perceptual training in adults with amblyopia. Neuropsychologia 2018; 114:125-133. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2018.04.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/26/2017] [Revised: 03/16/2018] [Accepted: 04/18/2018] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
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40
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Schoemann MD, Lochmann M, Paulus J, Michelson G. Repetitive dynamic stereo test improved processing time in young athletes. Restor Neurol Neurosci 2018; 35:413-421. [PMID: 28671146 DOI: 10.3233/rnn-170729] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Current studies revealed the importance of perceptual training for the treatment of amblyopia. To improve stereo vision on a higher level, visual tasks have to be completed within a limited time window like in repetitive visual function tests. "Processing time" as the reaction time in which the absence or presence of depth was identified correctly, is of better predictive value for perceiving the depth than the stereo threshold only. OBJECTIVE To examine the long-term effects of repetitive dynamic testing of stereopsis on processing time. METHODS 15 male soccer athletes (13.3±3.2 years) underwent twelve sessions of a 15 minutes repetitive dynamic stereovision training over a period of six weeks, presented on a polarized 3D-TV in a four-alternative forced choice setup. We measured the response time of correct identified visual tasks of 11, 22, 44, 55, 66, 77 and 88arcsecs disparity before, after six sessions, after twelve sessions and after six month without testing. As response time is the sum of stereo processing time plus the motor reaction time, we defined the difference between the response times at 11 and 88arcsecs as "stereo processing time at 11arcsecs". A Wilcoxon Signed Rank Test was conducted between the testing sessions to evaluate significant changes in response time and stereo processing time. RESULTS After six sessions the mean stereo processing time at 11arcsecs decreased significantly from 804.4 ms to 403.7 ms (Z = -2.499, p = 0.012). Six months after the last training the stereo processing time at 11arcsecs remained at the level of the last session. CONCLUSION Our results suggest that repetitive testing of stereovision is effective in improving processing time of stereoscopic tasks in young male athletes significantly long-term.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Matthias Lochmann
- Institute of Sport Science and Sport, Friedrich-Alexander-University Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), Germany
| | - Jan Paulus
- Pattern Recognition Lab, Institute of Photonic Technologies, Erlangen Graduate School of Advanced Optical Technologies (SAOT), Friedrich-Alexander-University Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), Germany
| | - Georg Michelson
- Department of Ophthalmology, Interdisciplinary Center of Ophthalmic Preventive Medicine and Imaging, School of Advanced Optical Technologies, Friedrich-Alexander-University Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), Germany
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Abstract
A hallmark of modern Perceptual Learning (PL) is the extent to which learning is specific to the trained stimuli. Such specificity to orientation, spatial location and even eye of training has been used as psychophysical evidence of the neural basis of learning. This argument that specificity of PL implies regionalization of brain plasticity implicitly assumes that examination of a singular locus of PL is an appropriate approach to understand learning. However, recent research shows that learning effects once thought to be specific depend on subtleties of the training paradigm and that within even a simple training procedure there are multiple aspects of the task and stimuli that are learned simultaneously. Here, we suggest that learning on any task involves a broad network of brain regions undergoing changes in representations, read-out weights, decision rules, attention and feedback processes as well as oculomotor changes. However, importantly, the distribution of learning across the neural system depends upon the details of the training procedure and the characterstics of the individual being trained. We propose that to advance our understanding of PL, the field must move towards understanding how distributed brain processes jointly contribute to behavioral learning effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcello Maniglia
- Department of Psychology, University of California - Riverside, Riverside, CA
| | - Aaron R Seitz
- Department of Psychology, University of California - Riverside, Riverside, CA
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42
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Seitz AR. A new framework of design and continuous evaluation to improve brain training. JOURNAL OF COGNITIVE ENHANCEMENT 2018; 2:78-87. [PMID: 29868648 PMCID: PMC5984043 DOI: 10.1007/s41465-017-0058-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Effective teaching critically relies upon effective evaluation because evaluation is required to gain understanding of existing abilities and, in turn, determine learning outcomes. Methods of effective evaluation are surprisingly elusive in many fields and this limits our understanding of which training methods are truly effective. In the present article, issues of effective evaluation are discussed in the context of "brain training," an exciting but much criticized field. Problems in test validity in the field of brain training, parallel those in many other fields; such as deficiencies in test reliability, teaching to the test, expectation effects, as well as statistical rigor. Here we review these issues and discuss how commonalities between the goals of evaluation and adaptive training procedures suggest a new paradigm that synthesizes evaluation and training. We suggest that continuous evaluation, where testing is integrated into the training, may provide a path towards greater reliability of skill evaluation, through longitudinal sampling, and validity, through better alignment of evaluation activities in respect to learning objectives.
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43
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Maniglia M, Pavan A, Sato G, Contemori G, Montemurro S, Battaglini L, Casco C. Perceptual learning leads to long lasting visual improvement in patients with central vision loss. Restor Neurol Neurosci 2018; 34:697-720. [PMID: 27567754 DOI: 10.3233/rnn-150575] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Macular Degeneration (MD), a visual disease that produces central vision loss, is one of the main causes of visual disability in western countries. Patients with MD are forced to use a peripheral retinal locus (PRL) as a substitute of the fovea. However, the poor sensitivity of this region renders basic everyday tasks very hard for MD patients. OBJECTIVE We investigated whether perceptual learning (PL) with lateral masking in the PRL of MD patients, improved their residual visual functions. METHOD Observers were trained with two distinct contrast detection tasks: (i) a Yes/No task with no feedback (MD: N = 3; controls: N = 3), and (ii) a temporal two-alternative forced choice task with feedback on incorrect trials (i.e., temporal-2AFC; MD: N = 4; controls: N = 3). Observers had to detect a Gabor patch (target) flanked above and below by two high contrast patches (i.e., lateral masking). Stimulus presentation was monocular with durations varying between 133 and 250 ms. Participants underwent 24- 27 training sessions in total. RESULTS Both PL procedures produced significant improvements in the trained task and learning transferred to visual acuity. Besides, the amount of transfer was greater for the temporal-2AFC task that induced a significant improvement of the contrast sensitivity for untrained spatial frequencies. Most importantly, follow-up tests on MD patients trained with the temporal-2AFC task showed that PL effects were retained between four and six months, suggesting long-term neural plasticity changes in the visual cortex. CONCLUSION The results show for the first time that PL with a lateral masking configuration has strong, non-invasive and long lasting rehabilitative potential to improve residual vision in the PRL of patients with central vision loss.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcello Maniglia
- Université de Toulouse-UPS, Centre de Recherche Cerveau et Cognition, Toulouse, France.,Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Toulouse Cedex, France.,University of California, Department of Psychology, Riverside, Riverside, CA, USA
| | - Andrea Pavan
- University of Lincoln, School of Psychology, Brayford Pool, Lincoln, UK
| | - Giovanni Sato
- Centro di Riabilitazione Visiva Ipovedenti c/o Istituto L. Configliachi- Via Sette Martiri, Padova, Italy
| | - Giulio Contemori
- Department of General Psychology, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
| | - Sonia Montemurro
- Department of General Psychology, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
| | - Luca Battaglini
- Department of General Psychology, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
| | - Clara Casco
- Department of General Psychology, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
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Maniglia M, Soler V, Cottereau B, Trotter Y. Spontaneous and training-induced cortical plasticity in MD patients: Hints from lateral masking. Sci Rep 2018; 8:90. [PMID: 29311565 PMCID: PMC5758612 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-18261-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2017] [Accepted: 12/04/2017] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Macular degeneration (MD) affects central vision and represents the leading cause of visual diseases in elderly population worldwide. As a consequence of central vision loss, MD patients develop a preferred retinal locus (PRL), an eccentric fixation point that replaces the fovea. Here, our aim was to determine whether and to what extent spontaneous plasticity takes place in the cortical regions formerly responding to central vision and whether a visual training based on perceptual learning (PL) can boost this plasticity within the PRL area. Spontaneous and PL-induced cortical plasticity were characterized by using lateral masking, a contrast sensitivity modulation induced by collinear flankers. This configuration is known to be sensitive to neural plasticity and underlies several rehabilitation trainings. Results in a group of 4 MD patients showed that collinear facilitation was similar to what observed in age- and eccentricity-matched controls. However, MD patients exhibited significantly reduced collinear inhibition, a sign of neural plasticity, consistent with the hypothesis of partial cortical reorganization. Three AMD patients from the same group showed a further reduction of inhibition after training, but not controls. This result suggests that PL might further boost neural plasticity, opening promising perspectives for the development of rehabilitation protocols for MD patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcello Maniglia
- UC Riverside, Riverside, California, USA. .,Université de Toulouse-UPS, Centre de Recherche Cerveau et Cognition, Toulouse, France. .,Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Toulouse, Cedex, France.
| | - Vincent Soler
- Unité de rétine, consultation d'ophtalmologie, hôpital Pierre-Paul-Riquet, CHU de Toulouse, place Baylac, 31059, Toulouse, cedex, France
| | - Benoit Cottereau
- Université de Toulouse-UPS, Centre de Recherche Cerveau et Cognition, Toulouse, France.,Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Toulouse, Cedex, France
| | - Yves Trotter
- Université de Toulouse-UPS, Centre de Recherche Cerveau et Cognition, Toulouse, France.,Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Toulouse, Cedex, France
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45
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Sterkin A, Levy Y, Pokroy R, Lev M, Levian L, Doron R, Yehezkel O, Fried M, Frenkel-Nir Y, Gordon B, Polat U. Vision improvement in pilots with presbyopia following perceptual learning. Vision Res 2017; 152:61-73. [PMID: 29154795 DOI: 10.1016/j.visres.2017.09.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2017] [Revised: 09/16/2017] [Accepted: 09/19/2017] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Israeli Air Force (IAF) pilots continue flying combat missions after the symptoms of natural near-vision deterioration, termed presbyopia, begin to be noticeable. Because modern pilots rely on the displays of the aircraft control and performance instruments, near visual acuity (VA) is essential in the cockpit. We aimed to apply a method previously shown to improve visual performance of presbyopes, and test whether presbyopic IAF pilots can overcome the limitation imposed by presbyopia. Participants were selected by the IAF aeromedical unit as having at least initial presbyopia and trained using a structured personalized perceptual learning method (GlassesOff application), based on detecting briefly presented low-contrast Gabor stimuli, under the conditions of spatial and temporal constraints, from a distance of 40 cm. Our results show that despite their initial visual advantage over age-matched peers, training resulted in robust improvements in various basic visual functions, including static and temporal VA, stereoacuity, spatial crowding, contrast sensitivity and contrast discrimination. Moreover, improvements generalized to higher-level tasks, such as sentence reading and aerial photography interpretation (specifically designed to reflect IAF pilots' expertise in analyzing noisy low-contrast input). In concert with earlier suggestions, gains in visual processing speed are plausible to account, at least partially, for the observed training-induced improvements.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Sterkin
- Goldschleger Eye Research Institute, the Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel-Hashomer, Israel
| | | | - Russell Pokroy
- Israel Air Force Aeromedical Center, Tel Hashomer, Israel
| | - Maria Lev
- Faculty of Life Sciences, School of Optometry and Vision Science, Bar-Ilan University, Israel
| | - Liora Levian
- Israel Air Force Aeromedical Center, Tel Hashomer, Israel
| | - Ravid Doron
- Hadassah Academic College, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Oren Yehezkel
- Goldschleger Eye Research Institute, the Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel-Hashomer, Israel
| | - Moshe Fried
- Goldschleger Eye Research Institute, the Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel-Hashomer, Israel
| | | | - Barak Gordon
- Israel Air Force Aeromedical Center, Tel Hashomer, Israel
| | - Uri Polat
- Goldschleger Eye Research Institute, the Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel-Hashomer, Israel; Faculty of Life Sciences, School of Optometry and Vision Science, Bar-Ilan University, Israel.
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46
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Evaluation of Critical Flicker-Fusion Frequency Measurement Methods for the Investigation of Visual Temporal Resolution. Sci Rep 2017; 7:15621. [PMID: 29142231 PMCID: PMC5688103 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-15034-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2017] [Accepted: 10/19/2017] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Recent studies highlight the importance of the temporal domain in visual processing. Critical Flicker-Fusion Frequency (CFF), the frequency at which a flickering light is perceived as continuous, is widely used for evaluating visual temporal processing. However, substantial variability in the psychophysical paradigms, used for measuring CFF, leads to substantial variability in the reported results. Here, we report on a comprehensive comparison of CFF measurements through three different psychophysical paradigms: methods of limits; method of constant stimuli, and staircase method. Our results demonstrate that the CFF can be reliably measured with high repeatability by all three psychophysics methods. However, correlations (r = 0.92, p≪0.001) and agreement (Bland Altman test indicated 95% confidence limit variation of ±3.6 Hz), were highest between the staircase and the constant stimuli methods. The time required to complete the test was significantly longer for the constant stimuli method as compared to other methods (p < 0.001). Our results highlight the suitability of the adaptive paradigm for efficiently measuring temporal resolution in the visual system.
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47
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Barollo M, Contemori G, Battaglini L, Pavan A, Casco C. Perceptual learning improves contrast sensitivity, visual acuity, and foveal crowding in amblyopia. Restor Neurol Neurosci 2017; 35:483-496. [DOI: 10.3233/rnn-170731] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Michele Barollo
- Department of General Psychology, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
- Neuro.Vis.U.S. Laboratory, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
| | - Giulio Contemori
- Department of General Psychology, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
- Neuro.Vis.U.S. Laboratory, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
| | - Luca Battaglini
- Department of General Psychology, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
- Neuro.Vis.U.S. Laboratory, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
| | - Andrea Pavan
- University of Lincoln, School of Psychology, Brayford Pool, UK
| | - Clara Casco
- Department of General Psychology, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
- Neuro.Vis.U.S. Laboratory, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
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48
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Maniglia M, Cottereau BR, Soler V, Trotter Y. Rehabilitation Approaches in Macular Degeneration Patients. Front Syst Neurosci 2016; 10:107. [PMID: 28082876 PMCID: PMC5187382 DOI: 10.3389/fnsys.2016.00107] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2016] [Accepted: 12/12/2016] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Age related macular degeneration (AMD) is a visual disease that affects elderly population. It entails a progressive loss of central vision whose consequences are dramatic for the patient's quality of life. Current rehabilitation programs are restricted to technical aids based on visual devices. They only temporarily improve specific visual functions such as reading skills. Considering the rapid increase of the aging population worldwide, it is crucial to intensify clinical research on AMD in order to develop simple and efficient methods that improve the patient's visual performances in many different contexts. One very promising approach to face this challenge is based on perceptual learning (PL). Through intensive practice, PL can induce neural plasticity in sensory cortices and result in long-lasting enhancements for various perceptual tasks in both normal and visually impaired populations. A growing number of studies showed how appropriate PL protocols improve visual functions in visual disorders, namely amblyopia, presbyopia or myopia. In order to successfully apply these approaches to more severe conditions such as AMD, numerous challenges have to be overcome. Indeed, the overall elderly age of patients and the reduced cortical surface that is devoted to peripheral vision potentially limit neural plasticity in this population. In addition, ocular fixation becomes much less stable because patients have to rely on peripheral fixation spots outside the scotoma whose size keeps on evolving. The aim of this review article is to discuss the recent literature on this topic and to offer a unified approach for developing new rehabilitation programs of AMD using PL. We argue that with an appropriate experimental and training protocol that is adapted to each patient needs, PL can offer fascinating opportunities for the development of simple, non-expensive rehabilitation approaches a large spectrum of visual functions in AMD patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcello Maniglia
- Centre de Recherche Cerveau et Cognition, Université de Toulouse-UPSToulouse, France; Centre National de la Recherche ScientifiqueToulouse, France; Department of Psychology, University of CaliforniaRiverside, CA, USA
| | - Benoit R Cottereau
- Centre de Recherche Cerveau et Cognition, Université de Toulouse-UPSToulouse, France; Centre National de la Recherche ScientifiqueToulouse, France
| | - Vincent Soler
- Department of Ophthalmology, Hopital CHU Purpan Toulouse, France
| | - Yves Trotter
- Centre de Recherche Cerveau et Cognition, Université de Toulouse-UPSToulouse, France; Centre National de la Recherche ScientifiqueToulouse, France
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Zhou T, Náñez JE, Zimmerman D, Holloway SR, Seitz A. Two Visual Training Paradigms Associated with Enhanced Critical Flicker Fusion Threshold. Front Psychol 2016; 7:1597. [PMID: 27833569 PMCID: PMC5080338 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2016.01597] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2016] [Accepted: 10/03/2016] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Critical flicker fusion thresholds (CFFTs) describe when quick amplitude modulations of a light source become undetectable as the frequency of the modulation increases and are thought to underlie a number of visual processing skills, including reading. Here, we compare the impact of two vision-training approaches, one involving contrast sensitivity training and the other directional dot-motion training, compared to an active control group trained on Sudoku. The three training paradigms were compared on their effectiveness for altering CFFT. Directional dot-motion and contrast sensitivity training resulted in significant improvement in CFFT, while the Sudoku group did not yield significant improvement. This finding indicates that dot-motion and contrast sensitivity training similarly transfer to effect changes in CFFT. The results, combined with prior research linking CFFT to high-order cognitive processes such as reading ability, and studies showing positive impact of both dot-motion and contrast sensitivity training in reading, provide a possible mechanistic link of how these different training approaches impact reading abilities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tianyou Zhou
- College of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Arizona State University, Glendale AZ, USA
| | - Jose E Náñez
- College of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Arizona State University, Glendale AZ, USA
| | - Daniel Zimmerman
- College of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Arizona State University, Glendale AZ, USA
| | - Steven R Holloway
- College of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Arizona State University, Glendale AZ, USA
| | - Aaron Seitz
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Riverside, Riverside CA, USA
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50
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Camilleri R, Pavan A, Campana G. The application of online transcranial random noise stimulation and perceptual learning in the improvement of visual functions in mild myopia. Neuropsychologia 2016; 89:225-231. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2016.06.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2016] [Revised: 06/06/2016] [Accepted: 06/21/2016] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
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