Affective Learning Enhances Visual Detection and Responses in Primary Visual Cortex

@article{citeulike:2884029, abstract = {The affective significance of a visual item is thought to lead to enhanced visual processing. However, the precise link between enhanced visual perception of emotion-laden items and increased visual responses remains poorly understood. To investigate this link, we acquired functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data while participants performed a challenging visual detection task. Grating stimuli were physically identical and differed only as a function of their previous exposure history; CS+ stimuli were initially paired with shock, whereas CS- stimuli were not. Behaviorally, subjects were both faster and more accurate during CS+ relative to CS- target detection. These behavioral results were paralleled by increases in fMRI responses across early, retinotopically organized visual cortex, which was mapped in a separate fMRI session. Logistic regression analyses revealed that trial-by-trial fluctuations in fMRI responses were closely linked to trial type, such that fMRI signal strength reliably predicted the probability of a hit trial across retinotopically organized visual cortex, including area V1. For instance, during the CS+ condition, a 0.5\% signal change increased the probability of a hit from chance to 67.3-73.5\% in V1-V4 (the highest increase was observed in area V1). Furthermore, across participants, differential fMRI responses to hits versus correct rejects were correlated with behavioral performance. Our findings provide a close link between increased activation in early visual cortex and improved behavioral performance as a function of the affective significance of an item. 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.1233-08.2008}, author = {Padmala, Srikanth and Pessoa, Luiz }, citeulike-article-id = {2884029}, doi = {http://dx.doi.org/10.1523/JNEUROSCI.1233-08.2008}, journal = {J. Neurosci.}, month = {June}, number = {24}, pages = {6202--6210}, posted-at = {2008-06-12 22:49:54}, priority = {2}, title = {Affective Learning Enhances Visual Detection and Responses in Primary Visual Cortex}, url = {http://dx.doi.org/10.1523/JNEUROSCI.1233-08.2008}, volume = {28}, year = {2008} }

TY - JOUR ID - citeulike:2884029 L3 - citeulike-article-id:2884029 TI - Affective Learning Enhances Visual Detection and Responses in Primary Visual Cortex JF - J. Neurosci. VL - 28 IS - 24 SP - 6202 EP - 6210 N2 - The affective significance of a visual item is thought to lead to enhanced visual processing. However, the precise link between enhanced visual perception of emotion-laden items and increased visual responses remains poorly understood. To investigate this link, we acquired functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data while participants performed a challenging visual detection task. Grating stimuli were physically identical and differed only as a function of their previous exposure history; CS+ stimuli were initially paired with shock, whereas CS- stimuli were not. Behaviorally, subjects were both faster and more accurate during CS+ relative to CS- target detection. These behavioral results were paralleled by increases in fMRI responses across early, retinotopically organized visual cortex, which was mapped in a separate fMRI session. Logistic regression analyses revealed that trial-by-trial fluctuations in fMRI responses were closely linked to trial type, such that fMRI signal strength reliably predicted the probability of a hit trial across retinotopically organized visual cortex, including area V1. For instance, during the CS+ condition, a 0.5% signal change increased the probability of a hit from chance to 67.3-73.5% in V1-V4 (the highest increase was observed in area V1). Furthermore, across participants, differential fMRI responses to hits versus correct rejects were correlated with behavioral performance. Our findings provide a close link between increased activation in early visual cortex and improved behavioral performance as a function of the affective significance of an item. 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.1233-08.2008 AU - Padmala, Srikanth AU - Pessoa, Luiz PY - 2008/06/11/ UR - http://dx.doi.org/10.1523/JNEUROSCI.1233-08.2008 ER -