The roles of edge-based and surface-based information in the dynamic neural representation of objects

• Published in: NeuroImage (Orlando, Fla.) Fla.), 2023-12, Vol.283, p.120425, Article 120425
• Main Authors: Yao, Liansheng, Fu, Qiufang, Liu, Chang Hong
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Accuracy; Animals; Color; Edge-based information; EEG; Electroencephalography; Humans; Image processing; MVPA; Neural coding; Neural representation of objects; Pattern Recognition, Visual; Photic Stimulation - methods; Surface-based information; Visual Perception
• ISSN: 1053-8119; 1095-9572; 1095-9572
• DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2023.120425

•Similar neural representation for line drawings, grayscale, and color photographs.•Neural activity pattern could be generalized from grayscale images to line drawings.•Neural activity pattern could be generalized from grayscale to color photographs.•Other surface information rather than color affected the speed of object processing. We combined multivariate pattern analysis (MVPA) and electroencephalogram (EEG) to investigate the role of edge, color, and other surface information in the neural representation of visual objects. Participants completed a one-back task in which they were presented with color photographs, grayscale images, and line drawings of animals, tools, and fruits. Our results provide the first neural evidence that line drawings elicit similar neural activities as color photographs and grayscale images during the 175–305 ms window after the stimulus onset. Furthermore, we found that other surface information, rather than color information, facilitates decoding accuracy in the early stages of object representations and affects the speed of this. These results provide new insights into the role of edge-based and surface-based information in the dynamic process of neural representations of visual objects.