对比度检测学习提高猫的视觉对比敏感度

对人的心理学研究结果显示，对比度检测学习可提高学习者对视觉刺激的对比敏感度，但其潜在的神经机制尚不清楚。该研究用二选一（two-alternative forced choice）方法训练3只猫（Felis catus）通过单眼进行对比度检测学习，发现每只猫对视觉刺激的对比敏感度随着训练而显著提高。该学习效果虽然对训练眼有明显的特异性，但部分学习效果可以传递给非训练眼，提示对比度检测学习可能会引起双眼信息汇聚前后的视觉中枢的神经可塑性。另外，猫视觉对比敏感度的提高主要发生在训练刺激的空间频率附近，表明对比度检测学习具有一定的空间频率选择性。该研究结果显示，猫对视觉刺激的对比度检测学习表现出与人类相似的特性，因此可以作为模式动物来研究人类学习诱导的视觉对比敏感度升高的神经机制。

Contrast Detection Learning Improves Visual Contrast Sensitivity of Cat

Psychological studies on human subjects show that contrast detection learning promote learner's sensitivity to visual stimulus contrast.The underlying neural mechanisms remain unknown.In this study,three cats (Felis catus) were trained to perform monocularly a contrast detection task by two-alternative forced choice method.The perceptual ability of each cat improved remarkably with learning as indicated by a significantly increased contrast sensitivity to visual stimuli.The learning effect displayed an evident specificity to the eye employed for learning but could partially transfer to the naive eye,prompting the possibility that contrast detection learning might cause neural plasticity before and after the information from both eyes are merged in the visual pathway.Further,the contrast sensitivity improvement was evident basically around the spatial frequency (SF) used for learning,which suggested that contrast detection learning effect showed,to some extent,a SF specificity.This study indicates that cat exhibits a property of contrast detection learning similar to human subjects and can be used as an animal model for subsequent investigations on the neural correlates that mediate learning-induced contrast sensitivity improvement in humans.