The Role of Sleep in Perceptual Learning

描述(由申请者提供)：对知觉任务的重复训练会提高该任务的表现。这种所谓的知觉学习被认为是感觉/知觉系统中神经可塑性的表现。研究发现，训练完成后，大脑继续进行加强学习和记忆的过程，以长期保持所学任务。这个过程被称为合并。最近的研究结果导致一些研究人员提出，在训练后的睡眠中会发生巩固。然而，睡眠在睡眠巩固中的作用受到了相当多的研究人员的怀疑，在支持睡眠巩固作用的研究中，关于睡眠巩固发生在哪个阶段存在争议。在这项提议中，具体地说，我们将进行实验，在实验中，在受试者执行导致学习任务的视觉训练任务后，将在睡眠期间测量fMRI大脑活动。研究发现，某些类型的视觉任务涉及低水平视觉加工阶段的高度局部神经回路。如果在视觉任务训练后的睡眠中观察到特定的训练区域的fMRI活动变化，并且在睡眠后的表现更高，这将是在睡眠中发生PL巩固的强有力的直接证据。在这项拟议的研究中，将使用一项新技术，使我们能够在使用功能磁共振成像(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/偏移和睡眠阶段。这将使我们能够指示在睡眠的哪个阶段发生合并(如果有的话)。这项研究具有很高的新颖性，成功的研究结果不仅将使我们能够揭示睡眠在巩固PL中的作用，而且还将解决一些关于睡眠在学习和记忆中的作用的严重争议，这些争议引起了记忆、学习和睡眠领域的研究人员的普遍关注。同时，该提案具有高风险性和探索性。这一建议具有推广到临床应用领域的潜力。视功能损害的恢复和康复有赖于剩余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的程度尚不清楚。我们研究的积极发现可能被应用于开发更好的康复计划，以及更好地评估睡眠在许多神经疾病的恢复和康复过程中的作用。公共健康相关性这项拟议研究的主要目标是测试睡眠是否在巩固视觉学习方面发挥重要作用。为此，将通过功能磁共振成像(FMRI)的方法，检查在训练后的睡眠期间，与学习有关的视觉区域的活动是否发生变化。成功的研究成果将为有效地获得新的视觉功能和从视觉功能受损中恢复提供知识基础。

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.