Decrease in signal-related activity by visual training and repetitive visual stimulation

While principles governing encoding mechanisms in visual perceptual learning (VPL) are well-known, findings regarding posttraining processing are still unrelated in terms of their underlying mechanisms. Here, we examined the effect of repetitive high-frequency visual stimulation (H-RVS) on VPL in an orientation detection task. Application of H-RVS after a single task session led to enhanced orientation detection performance (n = 12), but not in a sham condition (n = 12). If prior training-based VPL had been established by seven sessions in the detection task, H-RVS instead led to a performance impairment (n = 12). Both sham (n = 8) and low-frequency stimulation (L-RVS, n = 12) did not lead to a significant impairment. These findings may suggest reversal dynamics in which conditions of elevated network excitation lead to a decrease in a signal-related activity instead of a further increase. These reversal dynamics may represent a means to link various findings regarding posttraining processing.