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Pharmacological Modulation of Perceptual Learning and Associated Cortical Reorganization
Hubert R. Dinse,1*Patrick Ragert,1Burkhard Pleger,2Peter Schwenkreis,2Martin Tegenthoff2
The pharmacological basis of perceptual learning and associatedcortical reorganizations remains elusive. We induced perceptuallearning by Hebbian coactivation of the skin of the tip of theright index finger in humans. Under placebo, tactile two-pointdiscrimination was improved on the coactivated but not on theleft index finger. This augmentation was blocked by an N-methyl-D-aspartate–receptorblocker, but doubled by amphetamine. No drug effects were foundon the left index finger. The individual amount of corticalreorganization as assessed by mapping of somatosensory evokedpotentials was linearly correlated with the pharmacologicalmodulation of discrimination thresholds, implying that perceptuallearning and associated cortical changes are controlled by basicmechanisms known to mediate and modulate synaptic plasticity.
1 Institute for Neuroinformatics, Department of Theoretical Biology, Ruhr-University Bochum, D-44780 Bochum, Germany. 2 Department of Neurology, Ruhr-University Bochum, BG-Kliniken Bergmannsheil, D-44789 Bochum, Germany.
* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: hubert.dinse{at}neuroinformatik.ruhr-uni-bochum.de
Impaired Tactile Acuity in Old Age Is Accompanied by Enlarged Hand Representations in Somatosensory Cortex.
T. Kalisch, P. Ragert, P. Schwenkreis, H. R. Dinse, and M. Tegenthoff (2009)
Cereb Cortex
19, 1530-1538
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Roles of attention in perceptual learning from perspectives of psychophysics and animal learning.
Y. Tsushima and T. Watanabe (2009)
Learn Behav
37, 126-132
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Sustained increase of somatosensory cortex excitability by tactile coactivation studied by paired median nerve stimulation in humans correlates with perceptual gain.
O. Hoffken, M. Veit, F. Knossalla, S. Lissek, B. Bliem, P. Ragert, H. R. Dinse, and M. Tegenthoff (2007)
J. Physiol.
584, 463-471
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Synaptic basis for whisker deprivation-induced synaptic depression in rat somatosensory cortex..
K. J. Bender, C. B. Allen, V. A. Bender, and D. E. Feldman (2006)
J. Neurosci.
26, 4155-4165
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Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation-Induced Changes in Sensorimotor Coupling Parallel Improvements of Somatosensation in Humans.
B. Pleger, F. Blankenburg, S. Bestmann, C. C. Ruff, K. Wiech, K. E. Stephan, K. J. Friston, and R. J. Dolan (2006)
J. Neurosci.
26, 1945-1952
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Task-specific disruption of perceptual learning.
A. R. Seitz, N. Yamagishi, B. Werner, N. Goda, M. Kawato, and T. Watanabe (2005)
PNAS
102, 14895-14900
|Abstract »|Full Text »|PDF »
Seeing what is not there shows the costs of perceptual learning.
A. R. Seitz, J. E. Nanez, S. R. Holloway, S. Koyama, and T. Watanabe (2005)
PNAS
102, 9080-9085
|Abstract »|Full Text »|PDF »
Catecholaminergic Consolidation of Motor Cortical Neuroplasticity in Humans.
M. A. Nitsche, J. Grundey, D. Liebetanz, N. Lang, F. Tergau, and W. Paulus (2004)
Cereb Cortex
14, 1240-1245
|Abstract »|Full Text »|PDF »
The Two-Point Discrimination Test - Time For a Re-Appraisal?.
Sound Case for Enrichment. Focus on "Environmental Enrichment Improves Response Strength, Threshold, Selectivity, and Latency of Auditory Cortex Neurons".
