Spatial and Temporal Sequence Learning in Patients with Parkinson's Disease or Cerebellar Lesions

The functional role of different subcortical areas in sequence learning is not clear. In the current study, Parkinson's patients, patients with cerebellar damage, and age-matched control participants performed a serial reaction time task in which a spatial sequence and a temporal sequence were presented simultaneously. The responses were based on the spatial sequence, and the temporal sequence was incidental to the task. The two sequences were of the same length, and the phase relationship between them was held constant throughout training. Sequence learning was assessed comparing performance when both sequences were present versus when the dimension of interest was randomized. In addition, sequence integration was assessed by introducing phase-shift blocks. A functional dissociation was found between the two patient groups. Whereas the Parkinson's patients learned the spatial and temporal sequences individually, they did not learn the relationship between the two sequences, suggesting the basal ganglia play a functional role in sequence integration. In contrast, the cerebellar patients did not show any evidence of sequence learning at all, suggesting the cerebellum might play a general role in forming sequential associations.

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The Role of Temporal Sequence Learning in Guiding Visual Attention Allocation

Proceedings of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society Annual Meeting ◽

10.1177/154193120705101920 ◽

2007 ◽

Vol 51 (19) ◽

pp. 1368-1372 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Sarah M. Miller ◽

Wai-Tat Fu

Keyword(s):

Visual Attention ◽

Sequence Learning ◽

Temporal Sequence ◽

Attention Allocation ◽

Display Design ◽

Visual Sampling ◽

Performance Results ◽

And Training

Models of visual attention allocation suggest that monitoring is driven primarily by proximal cues like bandwidth and value. However, these cues might not always be predictive of the meaningful events an operator is asked to monitor. The aim of the current study is to extend visual sampling models by studying whether sampling can be influenced by more distal cues, like detecting patterns in the monitored signal, when proximal cues, like bandwidth, are not predictive of the meaningful events the operator is asked to monitor. Ten participants completed a task based on Senders' (1964) experiment where operators were asked to monitor a series of four gauges to detect when the gauges traveled into the alarm region. The performance results suggest that participants could successfully adapt to the temporal sequence. However, participants did not show explicit awareness of the sequence, indicating that this type of learning could, in some cases, be implicit. Implications for display design and training are discussed.

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The role of temporal sequence learning in guiding visual attention allocation

PsycEXTRA Dataset ◽

10.1037/e578072012-019 ◽

2007 ◽

Author(s):

Sarah M. Miller ◽

Wai-Tat Fu

Keyword(s):

Visual Attention ◽

Sequence Learning ◽

Temporal Sequence ◽

Attention Allocation

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Identification of two forebrain structures that mediate execution of memorized sequences in the pigeon

Journal of Neurophysiology ◽

10.1152/jn.00763.2012 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 109 (4) ◽

pp. 958-968 ◽

Cited By ~ 14

Author(s):

Sascha Helduser ◽

Sen Cheng ◽

Onur Güntürkün

Keyword(s):

Sequence Learning ◽

Reaction Time Task ◽

Serial Reaction Time Task ◽

Sequence Information ◽

Sequential Behavior ◽

Model Animal ◽

Action Sequences ◽

Serial Reaction ◽

Sequence Execution

The execution of action sequences is the basis of most behavior. However, little is known about the neural foundation of visuomotor sequence execution in birds, although pigeons are a classic model animal to study sequence learning and production. Recently, we identified two structures in the pigeon brain, the nidopallium intermedium medialis pars laterale (NIML) and the nidopallium caudolaterale (NCL), that are involved in the execution of a serial reaction time task (SRTT). In the SRTT sequence execution is always cue guided. Thus the previous study could not unambiguously clarify whether NCL and NIML contribute to a memory-based execution of sequential behavior. In addition, a possibly differential role of these two structures could not be identified. Therefore, the present study was conducted to further elucidate the role of NCL and NIML in sequence execution in a task where pigeons performed a memorized four-item sequence. Transient inactivation of each NIML and NCL severely impaired sequence execution. The results confirm and extend our previous findings. NIML and NCL seem to store sequence information in parallel. However, the results support the hypothesis that NCL, in contrast to NIML, is especially required for sequence initiation.

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