Form analysis system: An EEG study of object, word, and Greeble recognition

Objectives: The form analysis system efficiently conceptualizes how object recognition is encoded in a frame-and-fill model. However, little is known about the neural basis of the form system. The present study aimed to narrow this gap using EEG. Methods: Participants were instructed to passively view six types of images: geometric shapes, animal headless bodies, plants, Chinese words, English words, and Greebles. Result: Shared negativity waves in the occipital lobe from 100 ms to 200 ms were observed across the three object domains, including geometric figures, animal bodies, and plants, but not observed in Chinese characters, English words, or Greebles. Conclusion: The form analysis system was engaged with geometries, bodies, and plants, but not with words or faces. These results suggest that stimuli holding the medial axis structure can induce similar negativity waves in the human brain. Our study sheds new light into the human visual system, revealing a form analysis system existed. Understanding the neural patterns of the form analysis system enhances our comprehension of visual object recognition. It could inform advancements not only in human visual cognition research but also in machine visual fields.