Fast learning of simple perceptual discriminations reduces brain activation in working memory and in high-level auditory regions

摘要: Introducing simple stimulus regularities facilitates learning of both and complex tasks. This facilitation may reflect an implicit change in the strategies used to solve task when successful predictions regarding incoming stimuli can be formed. We studied modifications brain activity associated with fast perceptual based on regularity detection. administered a two-tone frequency discrimination measured activation fMRI under two conditions: without repeated reference tone. Although participants could not explicitly tell difference between these conditions, introduced affected performance pattern activation. The "No-Reference" condition induced larger frontoparietal areas known part working memory network. However, only showed learning, which was accompanied by reduction regions: left intraparietal area, involved retention, posterior superior-temporal representing auditory regularities. propose that this joint reflects need for online storage compared tones. further suggest strategic shift "backwards" from reliance mainly networks increased detected stored high-level networks.