Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 2, 2025
06:31
Force and Position Control in Humans - The Role of Augmented Feedback
Published on: June 19, 2016
7.8K
The role of posterior parietal cortex in detecting changes in feedback contingency
1Department of Psychological Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA. shelie@purdue.edu.
Brain Structure & Function
|February 28, 2024
Summary
Learned behaviors are resilient. This study used fMRI to investigate unlearning skills, finding that while it prevents rapid relearning, it doesn't guarantee complete skill unlearning in the brain.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Cognitive Psychology
- Behavioral Science
Background:
- Learned behaviors exhibit remarkable resilience, making both useful skills durable and maladaptive behaviors persistent.
- The Crossley et al. (2013) model proposed skill unlearning via feedback manipulation during extinction, suggesting partial feedback reduces fast reacquisition.
- This study aimed to replicate and investigate the neural underpinnings of the Crossley et al. unlearning paradigm using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI).
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the neural mechanisms associated with unlearning previously learned skills.
- To test the Crossley et al. (2013) model's predictions regarding feedback contingencies and skill extinction using fMRI.
- To determine if preventing fast reacquisition is sufficient evidence for complete skill unlearning.
Main Methods:
- Replication of the Crossley et al. behavioral paradigm involving feedback contingency manipulations during skill extinction.
- Utilized functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to examine brain activity during different experimental phases.
- Employed both univariate analyses of blood-oxygen-level-dependent (BOLD) signals and multivariate pattern analysis (MVPA) with seed regions in the superior and inferior parietal lobules (SPL and IPL).
Main Results:
- Univariate fMRI revealed significant differences in BOLD signals within the frontoparietal attention network across experimental phases and extinction conditions.
- The superior and inferior parietal lobules (SPL and IPL) exhibited the most substantial cluster differences, indicating sensitivity to experimental manipulations.
- Multivariate pattern analysis confirmed the critical role of SPL and IPL in detecting phase changes, while prefrontal cortex activity differed mainly between extinction conditions.
Conclusions:
- The fMRI findings provide mixed support for the Crossley et al. model of skill unlearning.
- While the paradigm effectively prevents fast reacquisition of learned skills, this does not definitively confirm complete unlearning.
- The frontoparietal network, particularly the SPL and IPL, plays a crucial role in distinguishing between experimental phases related to skill modification.
Related Concept Videos
01:24Somatosensory, Motor, and Association Cortex
495
The somatosensory cortex in the parietal lobes is crucial for interpreting sensory data such as touch, temperature, and proprioception. The somatosensory cortex, situated in the parietal lobes, plays a vital role in interpreting sensory information like touch, temperature, and proprioception—awareness of body position. This specialized brain region features an organized structure wherein neurons at the top primarily process sensations originating from the lower body. In contrast, those at...
495
01:14Motor and Sensory Areas of the Cortex
3.8K
The cerebral cortex, the brain's outermost layer, is pivotal in processing complex cognitive tasks, emotions, and various sensory inputs and executing voluntary motor activities. This intricate structure is divided into three primary functional areas: the motor areas, sensory areas, and association areas.
Motor Areas
The motor areas located in the frontal lobe are central to controlling voluntary movements. This region is further subdivided into the primary motor cortex and the premotor cortex....
Motor Areas
The motor areas located in the frontal lobe are central to controlling voluntary movements. This region is further subdivided into the primary motor cortex and the premotor cortex....
3.8K
01:33Somatosensation
36.6K
The somatosensory system relays sensory information from the skin, mucous membranes, limbs, and joints. Somatosensation is more familiarly known as the sense of touch. A typical somatosensory pathway includes three types of long neurons: primary, secondary, and tertiary. Primary neurons have cell bodies located near the spinal cord in groups of neurons called dorsal root ganglia. The sensory neurons of ganglia innervate designated areas of skin called dermatomes.
36.6K
01:21Association Areas of the Cortex
5.3K
Association areas are regions of the cerebral cortex that do not have a specific sensory or motor function. Instead, they integrate and interpret information from various sources to enable higher cognitive processes such as memory, learning, and decision-making. Some key association areas include the following:
Prefrontal Association Area: This area is located in the frontal lobe and is involved in planning, decision-making, and moderating social behavior. It connects with primary motor areas,...
Prefrontal Association Area: This area is located in the frontal lobe and is involved in planning, decision-making, and moderating social behavior. It connects with primary motor areas,...
5.3K
01:14Role of Cerebellum and Prefrontal Cortex in Memory
430
The cerebellum, while traditionally associated with motor control, also plays a crucial role in memory, particularly in procedural memory, which involves learning motor tasks that become automatic through repetition. For example, studies have shown that when the cerebellum is damaged, individuals or animals lose the ability to learn conditioned motor responses, such as the conditioned eye-blink response in classical conditioning experiments with rabbits. This study demonstrates the...
430
01:22Lobes of the Cerebrum
645
The cerebral cortex, a critical structure of the brain, is intricately divided into two hemispheres, each consisting of four distinct lobes: occipital, temporal, frontal, and parietal. These lobes function cooperatively to regulate various cognitive and sensory functions, forming the basis of our complex neural capabilities.
Frontal lobe
The frontal lobes, located behind the forehead, are the command center of our brain, controlling personality, intelligence, and voluntary muscle movements....
Frontal lobe
The frontal lobes, located behind the forehead, are the command center of our brain, controlling personality, intelligence, and voluntary muscle movements....
645