Electrical stimulation of the macaque ventral tegmental area drives category-selective learning without attention

Perception improves by repeated practice with visual stimuli, a phenomenon known as perceptual learning (VPL). The interplay of attentional and neuromodulatory reward signals is hypothesized to cause these behavioral associated neuronal changes, although VPL can occur without attention (i.e., task-irrelevant VPL). In addition, task-relevant be category-selective for simple attended oriented stimuli. Yet, it unclear whether occurs which brain centers mediate underlying forms adult cortical plasticity. Here, we show that pairing subliminal complex stimuli (faces bodies) electrical microstimulation the ventral tegmental area (VTA-EM) causes VPL. These improvements are accompanied fMRI signal changes in early late frontal areas, well cerebellum, hippocampus, claustrum, putamen. conclusion, Pavlovian unattended VTA-EM subcortical neural representations macaques.