Learning and plasticity in the human brain

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Our research program is concerned with elucidating the neural changes associated with learning and experience, particularly in the context of vision. In the past year we have focused on identifying neural changes underlying learning of visual stimuli (such as complex novel objects) and on determining how visual processing in the brain is altered following the loss of central vision (caused by macular degeneration). Our functional brain imaging studies on learning have shown that short term learning of visual stimuli is associated with changes in brain activation across large areas of the visual cortex, but that long term learning may be lead to the development of specialized neural circuits in localized brain regions. Our research on visual deprivation has shown that following the loss of central vision, the brain reorganizes so that parts of the brain usually responsible only for central vision are now active for peripheral vision. Building on these findings, investigations are underway to determine how loss of input in other sensory modalities (for example, following the amputation of a limb) affects neural processing in the brain, and to determine the consequences of brain reorganization.