Author:
Wang Lihui,Sharifian Fariba,Napp Jonathan,Nath Carola,Pollmann Stefan
Abstract
AbstractThe perception gained by retina implants (RI) is limited, which asks for a learning regime to improve patients’ visual perception. Here we simulated RI vision and investigated if object recognition in RI patients can be improved and maintained through training. Importantly, we asked if the trained object recognition can be generalized to a new task context, and to new viewpoints of the trained objects. For this purpose, we adopted two training tasks, a naming task where participants had to choose the correct label out of other distracting labels for the presented object, and a discrimination task where participants had to choose the correct object out of other distracting objects to match the presented label. Our results showed that, despite of the task order, recognition performance was improved in both tasks and lasted at least for a week. The improved object recognition, however, can be transferred only from the naming task to the discrimination task but not vice versa. Additionally, the trained object recognition can be transferred to new viewpoints of the trained objects only in the naming task but not in the discrimination task. Training with the naming task is therefore recommended for RI patients to achieve persistent and flexible visual perception.
Publisher
Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory
Reference34 articles.
1. Task difficulty and the specificity of perceptual learning
2. Visual objects in context
3. Beyeler, M. , Boynton, G.M. , Fine, I. , & Rokem, A. (2017). Pulse2percept: a python-based simulation framework for bionic vision. Proc. of the 16th Python in Science Conf: 81–88.
4. Neural plasticity in high-level visual cortex underlying object perceptual learning
5. Magnitude, temporal trends, and projections of the global prevalence of blindness and distance and near vision impairment: a systematic review and meta-analysis;Vision Loss Expert Group;Lancet Glob Health.,2017