How does the representation modification model explain visual perceptual learning?

The representation modification model explains visual perceptual learning by positing that practice leads to fundamental changes in the properties of neurons during the early stages of visual processing.1

Unlike models that focus on how the brain interprets existing signals, this approach suggests that the sensory representations themselves are physically altered through experience. This modification allows the visual system to become more efficient or precise in encoding specific stimuli, such as those encountered during tasks like vernier acuity training.1

While other models, such as reweighting, emphasize changes in the connections between sensory representations and higher-level brain areas, the representation modification model specifically highlights the plasticity of low-level cortical areas that first receive sensory input. These changes in neural properties are part of the broader phenomenon of neuroplasticity, which enables the adult brain to adapt its sensory systems based on environmental interaction and task-specific practice.1