2007 volume 36(5) pages 639 – 649
doi:10.1068/p5695

Cite as:
Essock E A, Hansen B C, Haun A M, 2007, "Illusory bands in orientation and spatial frequency: A cortical analog to Mach bands" Perception 36(5) 639 – 649
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Illusory bands in orientation and spatial frequency: A cortical analog to Mach bands

Edward A Essock, Bruce C Hansen, Andrew M Haun

Received 25 April 2006, in revised form 6 July 2006; published online 11 May 2007

Abstract. Illusory bands at a luminance transition in space (ie an edge) are well known. Here we demonstrate illusory bands of enhanced orientations or spatial frequencies at transitions between higher-contrast and lower-contrast image content along the orientation and spatial-frequency dimensions—the dimensions of cortical spatial coding. We conclude that this illusion is a consequence of cortical-level suppression of units of similar orientations and spatial frequencies and serves to aid texture segmentation while providing efficient neural coding.

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