Change in Event-Related Potential accompanying View-invariant Object Discrimination Learning

To understand the underlying neuronal representation for object recognition, we designed this study to investigate the changes in N1, the first negative event-related potential component, accompanied by object discrimination learning. Subjects were asked to train themselves to recognize novel computer-made objects by performing an object discrimination task, in which an object had to be discriminated from others regardless of the change in viewing angle. Such object discrimination did not cause any significant change in either the averaged N1 amplitude or the averaged amplitude delay over the subjects. However, the dipole source analysis for N1 found statistically significant displacement of estimated dipole location caused by object discrimination training in the right hemisphere. The source obtained after training located significantly laterally than that obtained before training. The finding demonstrates the difference in neuronal representations of the experienced objects before and after view-invariant object discrimination learning, and suggests the different neuronal representations for object recognition with novel objects and familiar objects.