The presence of occlusion affects electroencephalogram activity patterns when the target is occluded and immediately before occlusion

Abstract

The objective of this study was to clarify the differences in electroencephalogram (EEG) activity patterns during the eye movements required to trace visible and occluded moving targets with millisecond temporal resolution. To achieve this objective, we simultaneously measured EEG and eye-tracking during a task that required tracking moving targets that were partially occluded. These EEG and eye tracker parameters were compared with those of a nonoccluded task, a control task in which the moving target was fully visible. Differences in EEG activity patterns in the parietal eye field and posterior parietal lobe were observed during the occluded sections in the occluded task compared with the nonoccluded task. Under the same conditions, differences in EEG activity patterns in the middle temporal visual area, posterior parietal lobe, premotor, primary motor cortex, and temporal lobe were observed during visible sections in the occluded task compared with the nonoccluded task. These results indicate that the presence of occlusion affects EEG activity patterns not only when the target is occluded but also immediately before occlusion.