Universität
Regensburg 
Neural correlates of visually guided and memory guided saccades during visual search
Neural correlates of visually guided and memory guided saccades during visual search
We plan to investigate the neural correlates of learning in healthy volunteers with and without
supervised training (i.e., reinforcement learning with informative feedback). In a further study we plan
to apply these methods to patients with focal lesions in the cerebellum. In this subproject we will
investigate the learning process of a higher cognitive function process of learning a challenging visual
motion discrimination task.
The aim of this project will be to better understand how neural plasticity and learning mechanisms affects the connectivity between brain regions in healthy subjects. Therefore we plan to investigate the dynamics and functional interaction with several brain areas associated with a learning paradigm using the method of Dynamic Causal Modelling (DCM) (Friston, Harrison and Penny, 2003). Our special interest is to determine how the interaction of learning associated neural networks changes during a learning period of several days and how these changes depend on supervision during learning. We are interested in the changes of the interaction between frontal regions, striatum, anterior cingulum and especially the cerebellum during the learning process, and how these processes depend on supervision during learning. Subjects will be randomly assigned to one of two groups: the first group will receive informative feedback concerning their responses, whereas the other group will receive non-informative feedback. We plan to contrast the patterns of brain activation in these two groups to determine the effects of reinforcement learning with informative feedback. In a final step, we plan to examine patients with cerebellar lesions to determine the extent to which they can benefit from supervision during learning.
The aim of this project will be to better understand how neural plasticity and learning mechanisms affects the connectivity between brain regions in healthy subjects. Therefore we plan to investigate the dynamics and functional interaction with several brain areas associated with a learning paradigm using the method of Dynamic Causal Modelling (DCM) (Friston, Harrison and Penny, 2003). Our special interest is to determine how the interaction of learning associated neural networks changes during a learning period of several days and how these changes depend on supervision during learning. We are interested in the changes of the interaction between frontal regions, striatum, anterior cingulum and especially the cerebellum during the learning process, and how these processes depend on supervision during learning. Subjects will be randomly assigned to one of two groups: the first group will receive informative feedback concerning their responses, whereas the other group will receive non-informative feedback. We plan to contrast the patterns of brain activation in these two groups to determine the effects of reinforcement learning with informative feedback. In a final step, we plan to examine patients with cerebellar lesions to determine the extent to which they can benefit from supervision during learning.