Subjects discriminated whether two sequentially presented human face pictures (S1 and S2) were identical while event-related potentials were recorded to explore the neural basis of visual completion for occluded objects. Four kinds of stimulus trials were employed: S2 and S1 were identical (match-complete); S2 and S1 were identical, but S2 was partially occluded (match-incomplete); S2 was a different face from S1 (mismatch-complete); S2 was different from S1, and was partially occluded (mismatch-incomplete). Incomplete faces enhanced the amplitude of N1 compared with complete faces. The peak latency of N2 elicited by incomplete faces was delayed about 20 ms compared with complete faces. The enhancement of N1 is related to visual completion processing that requires additional time.
KellmanPJYinC.A common mechanism for illusory and occluded object completion. J Exper Psychol1998;24:859–869.
2.
GregoryRLVision with isoluminant color contrast: A projection technique and observation. Perception1977;6:113–119.
3.
BakinJSNakayamaKGilbertCDVisual responses in monkey area V1 and V2 to three-dimensional surface configurations. J Neurosci2000;20:8188–8198.
4.
LernerYHendlerTMalachR.Object-completion effects in the human lateral occipital complex. Cereb Cortex2002;12:163–177.
5.
SekulerABPalmerSEPerception of partly occluded objects: A microgenetic analysis. J Exp Psychol Gen1992; 121: 95–111.
6.
AllisonTGinterHMcCarthyGNobreAPuceALubyMSpencerDDFace recognition in human extrastriate cortex. J Neurophysiol1994, 71: 821–825.
7.
AllisonTPuceASpencerDDMcCarthyG.Electrophysiological studies of human face perception: Potentials generated in occipitotemporal cortex by face and non-face stimuli. Cereb Cortex1999;9: 415–430.
8.
DesimoneR.Face-selective cells in the temporal cortex of monkeys. J Cogn Neurosci1991;3:1–8.
9.
EimerM.The face-specific N170 component reflects late stages in the structural encoding of faces. NeuroReport2000;11:2319–2324.
10.
BentinSAllisonTPuceAPerezEMcCarthyG.Electrophysiological studies of face perception in humans. J Cogn Neurosci1996;8:551–565.
11.
EimerM.Effects of face inversion on the structural encoding and recognition of faces evidence from event-related brain potentials. Cogn Brain Res2000;10:145–158.
12.
EimerM.Event-related brain potentials distinguish processing stages involved in face perception and recognition. Clin Neurophysiol2000;111:694–705.
13.
RossionBGauthierI.How does the brain process upright and inverted faces?Behav Cogn Neurosci2000;11:67–74.
14.
RossionBDelvenneJFDebatisseDGoffauxVBruyerRCrommelinckMGuéritJMSpatio-temporal localization of the face inversion effect: An event-related potentials study. Bio Psychol1999;50:173–189.
15.
WangYZhangYWangHCuiLTianS.Brain potentials elicited by matching global and occluded 3-dimensional contours. Brain Cogn2003;53:28–33.
16.
SagivNBentinS.Structural encoding of human and schematic faces: Holistic and part-based processes. J Cogn Neurosci2001;13:937–951.
17.
Grand LeRMondlochCJMaurerDBrentHPImpairment in holistic face processing following early visual deprivation. Psychol Sci2004;15:762–768.
18.
DonigerGMFoxeJJMurrayMMHigginsBASnodgrassJGSchroederCEJavittDCActivation timecourse of ventral visual stream object-recognition areas: High density electrical mapping of perceptual closure processes. J Cogn Neurosci2000;14:615–621.
19.
LernerYHendlerTBen-BashatDHarelMMalachR.A hierarchical axis of object processing stages in the human visual cortex. Cereb Cortex2001;11:287–297.
20.
Grill-SpectorKKushnirTHendlerTEdelmanSItzchakYMalachR.A sequence of object-processing stages revealed by fMRI in the human occipital lobe. Hum Brain Map1998;6:316–328.
21.
HalgrenEDaleASerenoMTootellRMarinkovicKRosenB.Location of human face-selective cortex with respect to retinotopic areas. Hum Brain Map1999;7:29–37.
22.
KanwisherNMcDermottJChunM.The fusiform face area: A module in human extrastriate cortex specialized for face perception. J Neurosci1997;17:4302–4311.
23.
ProverbioAMZaniA.Electrophysiological indexes of illusory contours perception in humans. Neuropsychologia2002;40:479–491.
24.
LewisRSKamptnerLNSex differences in spatial task performance of patients with and without unilateral cerebral lesion. Brain Cogn1987;6:142–152.
25.
PuceAAllisonTAsgariMGoreJCMcCarthyG.Differential sensitivity of human visual cortex to faces, letter-strings, and textures: A functional magnetic resonance imaging study. J Neurosci1996;16:5205–5215.
26.
Grand LeRMondlochCJMaurerDBrentHPExpert face processing requires visual input to the right hemisphere during infancy. Nat Neurosci2003;6:462–474.
27.
RossionBDelvenneJFDebatisseDGoffauxVBruyerRCrommelinckMGuéritJMSpatio-temporal localization of the face inversion effect: An event-related potentials study. Bio Psychol1999;50:173–189.
