Spatial frequency discrimination learning in normal and developmentally impaired human vision

Abstract

Research highlights► Amblyopic observers show greater learning compared to normal observers. ► Learning transfers asymmetrically from high to low spatial frequencies. ► Spatial frequency discrimination learning transfers to contrast sensitivity. ► Principles established may help develop more effective treatment protocols.

Different Patterns of Perceptual Learning on Spectral Modulation Detection Between Older Hearing-Impaired and Younger Normal-Hearing Adults

“…After practicing the detection of a sinusoidal grating at a single spatial frequency (the visual analog of the current trained task) or the discrimination of that frequency, young adults with amblyopia generalized their learning to a broader range of untrained spatial frequencies than did adults with normal vision (Huang et al 2008(Huang et al , 2009Astle et al 2010). This pattern matches the present broader generalization across spectral modulation frequency in OHI than YNH listeners.…”

“…In these investigations, participants practiced detecting sinusoidal gratings at a particular spatial frequency (Huang et al 2008(Huang et al , 2009 or practiced discriminating between spatial frequencies (Astle et al 2010). In comparison to individuals with normal vision, learning in amblyotes had a larger magnitude (Polat et al 2004;Chen et al 2008), a longer time course (Li et al 2008), and generalized to a broader range of untrained spatial frequencies (Huang et al 2008(Huang et al , 2009Astle et al 2010).…”

Perceptual Learning Improves Adult Amblyopic Vision Through Rule-Based Cognitive Compensation

“…The initial low spatial frequency training resulted in an improvement over a broad range of spatial frequencies, consistent with previous reports. 5,30 However, the further improvement achieved through the subsequent high spatial frequency training was limited to the trained and nearby high frequencies (Fig. 5).…”

“…This is similar to previous reports that perceptual learning improves a broad range of spatial frequencies in adult amblyopic eyes. 5,30,31 The effects of subsequent TPE at a high spatial frequency were analyzed with three lower spatial frequencies and three higher ones, respectively. A repeated-measures ANOVA analysis compared the contrast sensitivities at three lower spatial frequencies after the first and second stages of TPE (Fig.…”

Repetitive visual stimulation enhances recovery from severe amblyopia

“…This predicts that visual stimulation would be more effective at broadly strengthening visual responses in dark-exposed amblyopes than in binocular subjects. Interestingly, the gains in visual acuity promoted by active visual discrimination are less input-specific in human amblyopes than in nonamblyopic subjects (Huang et al 2008;Astle et al 2010). Importantly, dark-exposure enhances the experience-dependent recovery from Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press on May 12, 2018 -Published by learnmem.cshlp.org Downloaded from amblyopia in kittens, demonstrating that this paradigm can be successfully applied to animals with a columnar distribution of ocular dominance (Duffy and Mitchell 2013).…”