scholarly journals Selective role for striatal and prefrontal regions in processing first trial feedback during single-trial associative learning

2012 ◽  
Vol 1458 ◽  
pp. 56-66 ◽  
Author(s):  
James C. Eliassen ◽  
Martine Lamy ◽  
Jane B. Allendorfer ◽  
Erin Boespflug ◽  
Daniel P. Bullard ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Associative Learning ◽  
Single Trial

scholarly journals Neural oscillations during conditional associative learning

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alex Clarke ◽  
Brooke M. Roberts ◽  
Charan Ranganath
Keyword(s):  
Associative Learning ◽  
Delay Period ◽  
Neural Oscillations ◽  
Trial And Error ◽  
Single Trial ◽  
Past Performance ◽  
Beta Oscillations ◽  
Scalp Eeg ◽  
Gradual Process ◽  
Frontal Midline Theta

AbstractAssociative learning requires mapping between complex stimuli and behavioural responses. When multiple stimuli are involved, conditional associative learning is a gradual process with learning based on trial and error. It is established that a distributed network of regions track associative learning, however the role of neural oscillations in human learning remains less clear. Here we used scalp EEG to test how neural oscillations change during learning of arbitrary visuo-motor associations. Participants learned to associative 48 different abstract shapes to one of four button responses through trial and error over repetitions of the shapes. To quantify how well the associations were learned for each trial, we used a state-space computational model of learning that provided a probability of each trial being correct given past performance for that stimulus, that we take as a measure of the strength of the association. We used linear modelling to relate single-trial neural oscillations to single-trial measures of association strength. We found frontal midline theta oscillations during the delay period tracked learning, where theta activity was strongest during the early stages of learning and declined as the associations were formed. Further, posterior alpha and low-beta oscillations in the cue period showed strong desynchronised activity early in learning, while stronger alpha activity during the delay period were seen as associations became well learned. Moreover, the magnitude of these effects during early learning, before the associations were learned, related to improvements in memory seen on the next presentation of the stimulus. The current study provides clear evidence that frontal theta and posterior alpha/beta oscillations play a key role during associative memory formation.

Information Contained in the Encoded Representation of the Stimulus

1979 ◽  
Vol 44 (1) ◽  
pp. 199-211
Author(s):  
Harry L. Chiesi ◽  
James W. Pellegrino
Keyword(s):  
Signal Detection ◽  
Associative Learning ◽  
Relative Importance ◽  
Single Trial ◽  
Position Information ◽  
Stimulus Response ◽  
Types Of Information ◽  
Learning Trials ◽  
Selection Of ◽  
Confidence Ratings

Aspects of stimulus encoding were assessed in two experiments by comparing confidence ratings given to actual stimuli with ratings given to variants of the stimuli that systematically distorted identity and position information about individual components. The results indicated that even after a single trial the encoded representation of the stimulus contained information about the identity and position of all individual components and the relationships among components. While neither higher degrees of associative learning nor additional learning trials altered the relative importance of various types of information contained in the encoding, signal detection analyses indicated that both factors increased the subject's over-all sensitivity to the stimulus. Response-similarity had no effect on stimulus learning when trials were controlled. The results are discussed with respect to previous studies on selection of stimuli and independence of components.

Associative learning, short-term memory, and colour preference during first feeding by juvenile Atlantic salmon

1985 ◽  
Vol 63 (1) ◽  
pp. 9-14 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. A. Clarke ◽  
A. M. Sutterlin
Keyword(s):  
Atlantic Salmon ◽  
Associative Learning ◽  
Short Term Memory ◽  
Stomach Contents ◽  
Single Trial ◽  
Colour Preference ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Term Memory ◽  
First Feeding ◽  
Salmon Fry

The innate colour preference of 51 groups of 20 fry was examined at resorption of the visible yolk sac. A mixture of equal portions of blue, red, green, yellow, and unstained cod or capeling eggs were given to fry for 10-min feeding intervals after which fry stomach contents were examined and numbers of each colour of egg consumed were tabulated. Fry showed innate colour preference for red eggs; however, this could be changed to any other colour by only one previous feeding with eggs of the desired colour. This single-trial learning was retained up to 6 h after feeding but began to deteriorate after 21 h. Posisble applications in early rearing of Atlantic salmon fry in hatcheries are discussed.

Blocking Is Sensitive to Causal Structure in 4-Year-Old and 8-Year-Old Children

2005 ◽  
Vol 52 (4) ◽  
pp. 264-271 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tom Beckers ◽  
Uschi Van den Broeck ◽  
Marij Renne ◽  
Stefaan Vandorpe ◽  
Jan De Houwer ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Young Children ◽  
Associative Learning ◽  
Learning Theory ◽  
Causal Structure ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
Learning Task ◽  
Contingency Learning

Abstract. In a contingency learning task, 4-year-old and 8-year-old children had to predict the outcome displayed on the back of a card on the basis of cues presented on the front. The task was embedded in either a causal or a merely predictive scenario. Within this task, either a forward blocking or a backward blocking procedure was implemented. Blocking occurred in the causal but not in the predictive scenario. Moreover, blocking was affected by the scenario to the same extent in both age groups. The pattern of results was similar for forward and backward blocking. These results suggest that even young children are sensitive to the causal structure of a contingency learning task and that the occurrence of blocking in such a task defies an explanation in terms of associative learning theory.

Learned Placebo Effects in the Immune System

2014 ◽  
Vol 222 (3) ◽  
pp. 148-153 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sabine Vits ◽  
Manfred Schedlowski
Keyword(s):  
Nervous System ◽  
Immune System ◽  
Associative Learning ◽  
Placebo Response ◽  
Immunosuppressive Drug ◽  
Immune Functions ◽  
Placebo Effects ◽  
New Therapeutic Approaches ◽  
Biological Variables ◽  
Experimental Approaches

Associative learning processes are one of the major neuropsychological mechanisms steering the placebo response in different physiological systems and end organ functions. Learned placebo effects on immune functions are based on the bidirectional communication between the central nervous system (CNS) and the peripheral immune system. Based on this “hardware,” experimental evidence in animals and humans showed that humoral and cellular immune functions can be affected by behavioral conditioning processes. We will first highlight and summarize data documenting the variety of experimental approaches conditioning protocols employed, affecting different immunological functions by associative learning. Taking a well-established paradigm employing a conditioned taste aversion model in rats with the immunosuppressive drug cyclosporine A (CsA) as an unconditioned stimulus (US) as an example, we will then summarize the efferent and afferent communication pathways as well as central processes activated during a learned immunosuppression. In addition, the potential clinical relevance of learned placebo effects on the outcome of immune-related diseases has been demonstrated in a number of different clinical conditions in rodents. More importantly, the learned immunosuppression is not restricted to experimental animals but can be also induced in humans. These data so far show that (i) behavioral conditioned immunosuppression is not limited to a single event but can be reproduced over time, (ii) immunosuppression cannot be induced by mere expectation, (iii) psychological and biological variables can be identified as predictors for this learned immunosuppression. Together with experimental approaches employing a placebo-controlled dose reduction these data provide a basis for new therapeutic approaches to the treatment of diseases where a suppression of immune functions is required via modulation of nervous system-immune system communication by learned placebo effects.

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