Abstract
Using an fMRI adaptation paradigm, we investigated the cortical representation of pictorial occlusions at different points in time (100 and 250 ms). These time points were chosen to correspond to pre- and post-completion representations, respectively, as determined by behavioral studies (cf. Rauschenberger & Yantis, 2001; Sekuler & Palmer, 1992). Repetition-induced adaptation effects were assessed in independently localized early visual areas and in lateral occipital complex (LOC). Our data revealed a time-dependency in the representation of the pictorial occlusion. Moreover, the pictorial occlusion appeared to receive characteristically different representations in early visual areas and in LOC. These results indicate that different cortical areas may be engaged in different aspects of processing partially occluded objects. Furthermore, they suggest that the cortical representation of pictorial occlusions is not static, but rather evolves over time.