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Perceptual plasticity is gated by localized training-induced changes in excitation/inhibition balance measured using scalp EEG

Poster Session E - Monday, March 9, 2026, 2:30 – 4:30 pm PDT, Fairview/Kitsilano Ballroom

Aaron Cochrane¹ (), Yuka Sasaki¹, Takeo Watanabe¹; ¹Brown University

Some experiences lead to learning (i.e., plasticity), while other experiences do not. How does the brain regulate plasticity and stability? One prominent hypothesis is that a balance between excitation and inhibition (E/I balance) modulates the extent of neuroplasticity. While evidence for this hypothesis has been found using magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS), it is still unclear whether E/I balance changes linked to learning occur in a localized cortical region involved in the type of learning, as MRS measurements are only possible from a limited cortical area. Here, using E/I balance estimated from scalp EEG in humans, we tested whether an E/I balance increase is localized to early visual areas after training in visual perceptual learning (VPL). One group of participants was trained with an orientation detection task (n=24), whereas a control group (n=19) was exposed to similar but easily-detectable and roving stimuli such that no learning occurred. When comparing trained participants to controls, post-training rest was associated with elevated E/I balance in posterior channels. EEG- based measures thus allowed us to identify two novel phenomena. First, the E/I balance of posterior channels was altered by training, with no reliable group differences in the E/I balance of frontal channels. Second, higher posterior E/I balance within the trained group was reliably associated with greater VPL improvements, indicating a functional role for elevated E/I balance in effective training and neuroplasticity. We thus find that localized E/I balance can be behaviorally regulated by training, and that the extent of these changes enables efficacious behavioral interventions.

Topic Area: PERCEPTION & ACTION: Vision