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Contributed by Charles Gilbert, August 24, 2018 (sent for review July 26, 2018; reviewed by Ulf T. Eysel and Takeo Watanabe)
Article Figures & SI
Figures
- Fig. 1.
Stimuli used for contour detection. Increasing the number of line segments from 1 to 11 increases the perceptual saliency of the embedded contour. With training, shorter contours, made of fewer line segments, can be detected.
- Fig. 2.
Performance of monkey M on the contour detection task, showing a marked improvement during the training period, where M was able to detect embedded contours composed of fewer line segments with practice. At the outset of training, M could detect contours made of nine collinear line segments, then seven after a week of training, five by 4 wk, and three by the end of the training period. Baseline imaging (Figs. 3 and 4) was done before the week 0 psychometric curve, and the second and third reconstructions were taken from imaging sessions between week 4 and week 8. Dark colors indicate mean performance, and flanking lighter colors indicate SE.
- Fig. 3.
Two-photon image of a selected region of cortex taken at the beginning of training (A) and the same region imaged 8 wk later during the course of training (B). Between the two time points, several axon collaterals have sprouted. Axons that were stable over the time period are indicated by blue arrows, a pruned axon collateral is indicated by the red arrow, and newly sprouted axons are indicated by the green arrows.
- Fig. 4.
Reconstruction of axons of monkey M imaged at three time points before training (week 1) and over the course of perceptual learning. The top row compares axons imaged at week 0 (A) and week 6 (B), and the bottom row compares axons imaged at week 6 (C) and week 8 (D). Axons that were stable between these pairs of imaging sessions are shown in blue, pruned axons are shown in red, and newly sprouted axons are shown in green. (Scale bar: 200 μm.)
- Fig. 5.
Performance of monkey C on contour detection task. Here, luminance of the background elements was changed relative to the contour. At the outset of training, the animal could not perform the task at low background levels but showed progressive improvement with increase of background luminance over the subsequent weeks.
- Fig. 6.
Reconstruction of axons of monkey C imaged at the outset of training (A) between weeks 2 and 4 of training (B). (Scale bar: 200 μm.)
- Fig. 7.
Sketch of imaging chamber. A titanium collar (gray) is implanted and sealed with dental cement (dark brown). A titanium insert (black), sealed with a silicone ring (green), is inserted into the collar, replacing both the skull (light brown) and the dura mater (red). A glass coverslip (blue) is held in place by a threaded titanium ring (black) and sealed with silicone (green).
Tables
- Table 1.
Percentage of baseline in axon length relative to baseline across imaging sessions for the two monkeys
Imaging session comparison Axon length, μm % of Baseline Monkey M: comparison, week 0 to week 6 Total baseline axon length 21,266 Added 7,007.7 32.95 Retracted 5,540.5 26.05 Stable 15,725.5 73.95 Monkey M: comparison, week 6 to week 8 Total week 6 axon length 24,873 Added 15,516 62.38 Retracted 2,313 9.30 Stable 22,560 90.70 Monkey C: comparison, week 0 to week 4 Total baseline axon length 15,089 Added 7,330.1 48.58 Retracted 633.1081 4.20 Stable 14,455.8919 95.80 - Table 2.
Percentage of baseline of axon branches across imaging sessions during the course of perceptual learning
Imaging session comparison Branch points % of Baseline Monkey M: branch point comparison, week 0 to week 6 Baseline branch points 126 Added 34 26.98 Retracted 42 33.33 Stable 84 66.67 Monkey M: branch point comparison, week 6 to week 8 Added 59 77.63 Retracted 11 14.47 Stable 65 85.52 Monkey C: branch point comparison, week 0 to week 4 Baseline branch points 63 Added 25 39.68 Retracted 4 6.35 Stable 59 93.65
Axonal plasticity associated with perceptual learning in adult macaque primary visual cortex
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