Analysis of the functional anatomy involved in the learning of the visual discrimination task in macaque monkeys.

在猴子中，在解决了数百个独特的视觉识别问题之后，它们开始根据学习集形成快速解决新问题，学习集形成被定义为学习如何学习问题。为了评估学习集形成前后视觉辨别任务学习过程中至关重要的功能解剖学，我们使用[^<15>]-H_2O对猕猴（macaca mulatta）进行了PET研究。PET图像是在猴子解决两种几何图案的视觉识别新问题时获得的。PET扫描是在第一次体验任务（一个没有经验的新辨别，IND）和解决几十个独特问题（一个有经验的新辨别，END）之后进行的。简单的视觉运动任务也作为对照进行。SPM统计分析显示，IND患者的眶额皮质、视觉皮质、体感皮质、运动皮质、小脑和部分皮质下结构明显激活，END患者的背外侧前额叶皮质和视觉皮质包括高阶区激活，而体感和运动相关区域未被激活。这些结果表明，视觉辨别学习的神经元回路随着经验的积累而发生了显著的变化。背外侧前额叶皮层和高阶视觉区域的招募可能与猴子视觉辨别学习的学习集形成有关。

In monkeys, after the experience of solving hundreds of unique problems of visual discrimination, they become to solve a novel problem very quickly according to the learning-set formation that is defined as learning how to learn the problem. To assess the functional anatomy that is critically involved in learning process of visual discrimination task before and after the learning-set formation, we performed PET study using[^<15>O]-H_2O in monkeys (macaca mulatta).PET images were acquired while monkeys are solving a novel problem of visual discrimination with two geometrical patterns. PET scans were performed at the first experience of the task (an inexperienced novel discrimination, IND), and after the experience of solving several tens of unique problems (an experienced novel discrimination, END). The simple visuomotor task was also conducted as a control.The statistical analysis by SPM revealed that the orbitofrontal, visual, somatosensory, and motor cortices, cerebellum and some subcortical structures were significantly activated in IND, while the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and visual cortices including higher order areas but not the somatosensory and motor related areas were activated in END.These results indicate that neuronal circuits for the visual discrimination learning dramatically changed depending on their accumulated experience. Recruitments of dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and higher order visual areas could be associated with the learning-set formation for the visual discrimination learning in monkeys.