The Role of Sleep in Perceptual Learning

描述（由申请人提供）：感知任务的重复训练导致该任务的性能增强。这种所谓的感知学习被认为是感觉/感知系统中神经可塑性的表现。已经发现，在训练完成后，大脑继续加强学习和记忆的过程，以长期保持所学习的任务。这个过程称为合并。最近的研究结果使一些研究人员认为，巩固发生在训练后的睡眠期间。然而，相当多的研究人员怀疑睡眠在巩固中发挥作用，并且在主张巩固睡眠的研究中，关于睡眠巩固发生在哪个阶段存在争议。在这个建议中，具体来说，我们将进行实验，在受试者完成视觉训练任务后，在睡眠期间测量fMRI大脑活动，从而学习任务。已经发现，某些类型的视觉任务在视觉处理的低水平阶段涉及高度局部的神经回路。如果在视觉任务训练后的睡眠期间，在训练区域中观察到特定的fMRI活动变化，并且在睡眠后表现更高，则这将是PL在睡眠期间发生巩固的有力直接证据。在拟议的研究中，将使用一种新技术，使我们能够在使用功能性磁共振成像（fMRI）的同时测量多导睡眠图（PSG），以便我们可以使用睡眠研究中最标准的方法客观地确定睡眠的开始/结束和睡眠阶段。这将使我们能够指出在睡眠的哪个阶段，如果有的话，巩固发生。这项研究非常新颖，成功的结果不仅可以让我们揭示睡眠在PL巩固中的作用，还可以解决一些关于睡眠在学习和记忆中的作用的严重争议，这些争议已经引起了记忆，学习和睡眠领域研究人员的关注。同时，该方案具有较高的风险性和探索性。该建议具有推广到临床应用领域的潜力。视功能损伤的恢复和重建依赖于残存神经结构的可塑性和重组。然而，大脑中发生的可塑性和重组程度尚不清楚。我们研究的积极发现可用于制定更好的康复计划，并更好地评估睡眠在许多神经系统疾病的恢复和康复过程中的作用。这项研究的主要目的是测试睡眠是否在巩固视觉学习中起重要作用。为此，将通过功能性磁共振成像（fMRI）来检查在训练后的睡眠期间参与学习的视觉区域的区域中的活动是否改变。成功的研究结果将为有效获得新的视觉功能和视觉功能损伤的恢复提供知识基础。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Repetitive training of a perceptual task leads to performance enhancement on that task. This so-called perceptual learning is regarded as a manifestation of neural plasticity in the sensory/perceptual system. It has been found that after training completion the brain continues a process of strengthening learning and memory for long term retention of the learned task. This process is called consolidation. Recent research results have led some researchers to suggest that consolidation occurs during sleep after training. However, that sleep plays a role at all in consolidation is doubted by a considerable number of researchers, and among studies that advocate a role of consolidation in sleep there is controversy regarding during which stage of sleep consolidation occurs. In this proposal, specifically, we will conduct experiments in which fMRI brain activity will be measured during sleep after subjects perform a visual training task that leads to learning of the task. It has been found that some types of visual tasks involve a highly local neural circuit in a low-level stage of visual processing. If fMRI activity changes are observed specifically in the trained region during sleep after training of a visual task and performance is higher after the sleep, this would be strong direct evidence that consolidation of PL occurs during sleep. In the proposed research, a new technology will be used that allows us to simultaneously measure polysomnogram (PSG) while using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), so that we can objectively determine the onset/offset of sleep and sleep stages using the most standard method in sleep studies. This will enable us to indicate during which stage of sleep, if any, consolidation occurs. The proposed study is highly novel and successful results would not only allow us to reveal the role of sleep in consolidation of PL but also to resolve some serious controversies about the role of sleep in learning and memory that has attracted attention of researchers in the fields of memory, learning and sleep in general. At the same time, the proposal contains highly risky and exploratory natures. This proposal has potential for generalization to applied clinical fields. Recovery and rehabilitation from damages of visual function depend on plasticity and reorganization of remaining neural structures. However, the degree of plasticity and reorganization that take place in the brain is yet unknown. Positive findings from our studies may be applied to the development of better rehabilitation programs and better evaluation of the role of sleep in the recovery and rehabilitation process for a number of neurological conditions. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE The primary goal of the proposed research is to test whether sleep plays an important role in consolidation of visual learning. For this purpose, it will be examined whether or not activity in the region of a visual area that is involved in the learning is changed during sleep after training, by means of functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Successful research results will provide a base of knowledge from which new visual functions and recovery from damages of a visual function are effectively obtained.