Neural Mechanisms underlying tactile perceptual learning
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Neural mechanisms underlying generalisation of tactile perceptual learning
IRAS ID
136553
Contact name
Tamar Makin
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Oxford, Clinical Trials and Research Governance
Research summary
Previous research suggests that our ability to learn to make perceptual judgements is improved through practice and training. We are investigating the conditions under which tactile learning occurs in healthy volunteers, in order to understand its underlying brain correlates. We will investigate how training on an individual finger is generalised across the hand with and without short-term deprivation (taking away feeling in a finger for a short time). Specifically, we are interested in understanding how a finger that wasn’t trained can nevertheless improve sensitivity to touch based on learning made by another finger (generalisation of learning). We also want to understand how learning and generalisation can be boosted by short-term deprivation.
This combined psychophysical and MRI study will be conducted at the University of Oxford, funded by the European Community’s Seventh Framework Programme (Marie Curie Actions). Participants will be trained over multiple sessions to improve acuity on one finger. Local anesthesia will be used prior to the training sessions to modulate learning patterns in two groups, and a third group will receive a sham sterile water injection. Local anaesthesia, (Lidocaine or Bupivacaine), will be injected into the base of one finger, to temporarily anaesthetise the finger during a tactile learning task. Participants will undergo MRI scans at baseline and following behavioural testing. The anaesthesia may immediately disrupt somatosensory system topography, thus facilitating learning. In that case, we expect to find significant outcomes in both Lidocaine and Bupivacaine groups. Alternatively, changes in GABA levels, which are hypothesised to drive changes in tactile learning may evolve over several hours. In that case, benefits of anaesthesia will be found following Bupivacaine, but not Lidocaine. Behavioural measurements, as well as a range of MRI modalities (task-based and resting-state fMRI, MR spectroscopy, DTI) will be used to assess quality and generalisation of learning across fingers.
REC name
South Central - Oxford B Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
13/SC/0502
Date of REC Opinion
30 Oct 2013
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion