title: Perceptual learning modifies untrained pursuit eye movements.
abstract: Perceptual learning improves detection and discrimination of relevant visual information in mature humans, revealing sensory plasticity. Whether visual perceptual learning affects motor responses is unknown. Here we implemented a protocol that enabled us to address this question. We tested a perceptual response (motion direction estimation, in which observers overestimate motion direction away from a reference) and a motor response (voluntary smooth pursuit eye movements). Perceptual training led to greater overestimation and, remarkably, it modified untrained smooth pursuit. In contrast, pursuit training did not affect overestimation in either pursuit or perception, even though observers in both training groups were exposed to the same stimuli for the same time period. A second experiment revealed that estimation training also improved discrimination, indicating that overestimation may optimize perceptual sensitivity. Hence, active perceptual training is necessary to alter perceptual responses, and an acquired change in perception suffices to modify pursuit, a motor response.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, New York University, New York, NY, USA.
authors.forename: Sarit F A
authors.initials: SF
authors.lastname: Szpiro
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, CanadaBrain Research Centre, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada.
authors.forename: Miriam
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Spering
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, New York University, New York, NY, USACenter for Neural Science, New York University, New York, NY, USA.
authors.forename: Marisa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Carrasco
mesh_terms: D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007858:Learning / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D009039:Motion Perception / Q000502:physiology*; D011594:Psychometrics; D011597:Psychomotor Performance / Q000502:physiology*; D011698:Pursuit, Smooth / Q000502:physiology*; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: learning transfer; motion perception; perceptual estimation; perceptual learning; smooth pursuit eye movements