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Updated: Aug 18, 2026

Stimulus-specific Cortical Visual Evoked Potential Morphological Patterns
Published on: May 12, 2019
Circles are different: the perception of Glass patterns modulates early event-related potentials
Kathrin Ohla1, Niko A Busch, Markus A Dahlem
1Institute of General Psychology, University of Leipzig, Seeburgstr. 14-20, 04103 Leipzig, Germany. ohla@rz.uni-leipzig.de
Abstract:
Glass patterns are randomized dot arrays that generate the perception of a global structure. They consist of correlated dot pairs which are generated by geometric transformations. The present study employed behavioral and event-related brain potential (ERP) measures to characterize the underlying neuronal processing when such patterns are perceived. Stimuli were circular, parallel, and randomized Glass patterns presented in two isoluminant colors using a choice reaction paradigm. Sixteen subjects were instructed to differentiate between colors with a button-press response. The N170 component increased in amplitude for circular patterns, and this effect was most pronounced bilaterally over occipito-temporal areas. The results suggest that the global perception of form generated by Glass patterns occurs at a stage of visual processing past area V1.
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