Human brain potentials observed using the line-motion method: the neurophysiological correlates of visual illusory motion perception

This study shows the temporal dynamics of neurophysiological activities in illusory motion perception. Event-related brain potentials were recorded from 12 healthy subjects while they performed a two-alternative (motion/no motion), forced-choice task using the line motion method. Amplitudes of a late positive component at Fz, Cz, Pz, O1 and O2 increased as cue lead time (CLT) increased. At a CLT of 50 ms, the amplitudes of the late positive component (the peak latency at O1, O2: 310 ms; Fz, Cz, Pz: 360-390 ms) observed during illusory motion perception was larger than that observed during no motion perception, even though the physical stimuli were the same. These results suggest that the perception of illusory motion correlates to a relatively late stage of visual information processing.