title: Mechanisms underlying perceptual learning of contrast detection in adults with anisometropic amblyopia.
abstract: What underlies contrast sensitivity improvements in adults with anisometropic amblyopia following perceptual learning in grating contrast detection? In this paper, we adopted the external noise approach (Z.-L. Lu & B. A. Dosher, 1998) to identify the mechanisms underlying perceptual learning in adults with anisometropic amblyopia. By measuring contrast thresholds in a range of external noise conditions at two performance levels (79.3% and 70.7%), we found that a mixture of internal additive noise reduction and external noise exclusion underlay training induced contrast sensitivity improvements in adults with anisometropic amblyopia. In comparison, normal adults exhibited only small amount of external noise exclusion under the same training conditions. The results suggest that neural plasticity may be more robust in amblyopia, lending further support of perceptual learning as a potential treatment for adult amblyopia.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Brain Processes (LOBES), Department of Psychology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA. changbih@usc.edu
authors.forename: Chang-Bing
authors.initials: CB
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Zhong-Lin
authors.initials: ZL
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.forename: Yifeng
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhou
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000550:Amblyopia / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000628:therapy; D016477:Artifacts; D015350:Contrast Sensitivity / Q000502:physiology*; D004193:Discrimination Learning / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008959:Models, Neurological; D009473:Neuronal Plasticity / Q000502:physiology; D010364:Pattern Recognition, Visual / Q000502:physiology; D010775:Photic Stimulation / Q000379:methods; D012684:Sensory Thresholds / Q000502:physiology*; D014792:Visual Acuity / Q000502:physiology; D014796:Visual Perception / Q000502:physiology; D055815:Young Adult