title: Visual Learning Induces Changes in Resting-State fMRI Multivariate Pattern of Information.
abstract: When measured with functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) in the resting state (R-fMRI), spontaneous activity is correlated between brain regions that are anatomically and functionally related. Learning and/or task performance can induce modulation of the resting synchronization between brain regions. Moreover, at the neuronal level spontaneous brain activity can replay patterns evoked by a previously presented stimulus. Here we test whether visual learning/task performance can induce a change in the patterns of coded information in R-fMRI signals consistent with a role of spontaneous activity in representing task-relevant information. Human subjects underwent R-fMRI before and after perceptual learning on a novel visual shape orientation discrimination task. Task-evoked fMRI patterns to trained versus novel stimuli were recorded after learning was completed, and before the second R-fMRI session. Using multivariate pattern analysis on task-evoked signals, we found patterns in several cortical regions, as follows: visual cortex, V3/V3A/V7; within the default mode network, precuneus, and inferior parietal lobule; and, within the dorsal attention network, intraparietal sulcus, which discriminated between trained and novel visual stimuli. The accuracy of classification was strongly correlated with behavioral performance. Next, we measured multivariate patterns in R-fMRI signals before and after learning. The frequency and similarity of resting states representing the task/visual stimuli states increased post-learning in the same cortical regions recruited by the task. These findings support a representational role of spontaneous brain activity.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuroscience, Imaging and Clinical Sciences, and Institute for Advanced Biomedical Technologies, "Gabriele D'Annunzio" University Chieti-Pescara, 66100 Chieti, Italy, and r.guidotti@unich.it.
authors.forename: Roberto
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Guidotti
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuroscience, Imaging and Clinical Sciences, and Institute for Advanced Biomedical Technologies, "Gabriele D'Annunzio" University Chieti-Pescara, 66100 Chieti, Italy, and.
authors.forename: Cosimo
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Del Gratta
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuroscience, Imaging and Clinical Sciences, and Institute for Advanced Biomedical Technologies, "Gabriele D'Annunzio" University Chieti-Pescara, 66100 Chieti, Italy, and Department of Neurology.
authors.forename: Antonello
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Baldassarre
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuroscience, Imaging and Clinical Sciences, and Institute for Advanced Biomedical Technologies, "Gabriele D'Annunzio" University Chieti-Pescara, 66100 Chieti, Italy, and.
authors.forename: Gian Luca
authors.initials: GL
authors.lastname: Romani
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuroscience, Imaging and Clinical Sciences, and Institute for Advanced Biomedical Technologies, "Gabriele D'Annunzio" University Chieti-Pescara, 66100 Chieti, Italy, and Department of Neurology, Department of Radiology, Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, and Department of Biomedical Engineering, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri 63101.
authors.forename: Maurizio
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Corbetta
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001921:Brain / Q000098:blood supply* / Q000502:physiology*; D001931:Brain Mapping; D005260:Female; D007839:Functional Laterality; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D007858:Learning / Q000502:physiology*; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D010100:Oxygen / Q000097:blood; D010775:Photic Stimulation; D012146:Rest; D014796:Visual Perception / Q000502:physiology*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D010100:Oxygen
keywords: MVPA; fMRI; pattern classification; perceptual learning; resting state