title: White matter in the older brain is more plastic than in the younger brain.
abstract: Visual perceptual learning (VPL) with younger subjects is associated with changes in functional activation of the early visual cortex. Although overall brain properties decline with age, it is unclear whether these declines are associated with visual perceptual learning. Here we use diffusion tensor imaging to test whether changes in white matter are involved in VPL for older adults. After training on a texture discrimination task for three daily sessions, both older and younger subjects show performance improvements. While the older subjects show significant changes in fractional anisotropy (FA) in the white matter beneath the early visual cortex after training, no significant change in FA is observed for younger subjects. These results suggest that the mechanism for VPL in older individuals is considerably different from that in younger individuals and that VPL of older individuals involves reorganization of white matter.
authors.affiliation: Department of Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Komaba 3-8-1, Meguroku, Tokyo 153-8902, Japan.
authors.forename: Yuko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yotsumoto
authors.affiliation: 1] Department of Cognitive, Linguistic and Psychological Sciences, Brown University, 190 Thayer Street, Providence, Rhode Island 02912, USA [2] Education Center for Humanities and Social Sciences, School of Humanities and Social Sciences, National Yang Ming University, No. 155, Sec. 2, Linong Street, Beitou District, Taipei City 112, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Li-Hung
authors.initials: LH
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of California Riverside, 900 University Avenue, Riverside, California 92521, USA.
authors.forename: Rui
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ni
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of California Riverside, 900 University Avenue, Riverside, California 92521, USA.
authors.forename: Russell
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Pierce
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of California Riverside, 900 University Avenue, Riverside, California 92521, USA.
authors.forename: George J
authors.initials: GJ
authors.lastname: Andersen
authors.affiliation: Department of Cognitive, Linguistic and Psychological Sciences, Brown University, 190 Thayer Street, Providence, Rhode Island 02912, USA.
authors.forename: Takeo
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Watanabe
authors.affiliation: Department of Cognitive, Linguistic and Psychological Sciences, Brown University, 190 Thayer Street, Providence, Rhode Island 02912, USA.
authors.forename: Yuka
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Sasaki
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology*; D016880:Anisotropy; D056324:Diffusion Tensor Imaging; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007858:Learning / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D009473:Neuronal Plasticity / Q000502:physiology*; D014793:Visual Cortex / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000502:physiology*; D014796:Visual Perception / Q000502:physiology*; D066127:White Matter / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000502:physiology*; D055815:Young Adult