大多數知覺專家相關研究，所聚焦討論的腦區多集中於下枕顳葉的物體類別選擇區(尤其是臉孔選擇區，FFA)，對初級視覺皮層(Early Visual Cortex, 或EVC)的探討是較少的。而且，文獻中對知覺專家看專家物體，如車專家看車，在EVC 的反應，也有不一致的結論。經由文獻回顧，我們假設刺激呈現是否符合視網膜拓譜特性，為一影響知覺專家效應是否出現在EVC 的重要因素。因此本研究第一部分針對自然界的專家— 賞鳥專家，藉由操弄刺激呈現方式(中央呈現與周邊跳動呈現)，發現唯有刺激呈現於視野中央，即符合視網膜拓譜特性時，EVC 的反應才會與行為專家指標呈顯著正相關。本研究第二部分探討人造物體古力寶(Greeble)的專家訓練過程中，EVC 是否也會出現專家效應。結果發現，古力寶訓練會改變EVC 神經反應模式。且在作業屬性更需要專家的自動化處理情形下，EVC 的BOLD 反應會在訓練後顯著提高。
本研究的結論為：專家的知覺處裡效應並非侷限於物體選擇區。當刺激呈現符合視網膜拓譜特性以及作業需要專家的自動化處理時，EVC 的顯著相關(研究一)或顯著差異(研究二)就可被觀察到。綜合上述兩個研究結果，本研究對知覺專家處理的動態歷程，以及與大腦視覺皮層處理階段的相關性，提供更深一層的省思。

Most of the neuroimaging studies on perceptual expertise exclusively put their focus on the category-selective areas of inferior occipitotemperal cortex, especially Fusiform Face Area, or FFA. Few studies addressed the engagement of Early Visual Cortex (EVC) in expertise processing. In addition, whether real-world experts (such as car experts viewing cars) could induce neural changes of EVC remains controversial. By reviewing the extant literature, we hypothesized that the retinotopic properties of EVC as a crucial factor to determine engagement of EVC. Therefore, in the first part of this study, we focused on a real-world expertise – bird, and altered stimulus location presented on the visual field to modulate the retinotopic properties.
The result showed that expertise-related neural changes were observed only when stimuli were always presented on the center of the visual field (that is, follow the rule of the retinotopic property) but not at the context when stimuli appeared randomly on the four quadrats. In the second part, we focused on a different expertise category called Greeble, to ask whether the expertise effect of EVC could generalize into artificial objects. The result can be inferred that, training could induce changes of neural pattern for Greeble. In addition, with task demand which enhance experts’ automaticity involvement into expertise objects, BOLD response of EVC would significantly increase after training.
The conclusion of this study is that the expertise effect is not limited to the category-selective areas. A significant correlation (Study 1) or a significant difference (Study 2) of EVC can be observed when the stimulus presentation meets the retinotopic properties and when task demand enhances experts’ automaticity involvement. Combining the results of the above two studies, this study provides a deeper reflection on the dynamic processing of expertise as well as on the necessity of existence of visual hierarchy.

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