fMRI data of early visual cortex while viewing 24 occluded scenes

This dataset is from the 24-scene occlusion project, in which subjects viewed 24 partially occluded scenes. The data consists of 3T fMRI data from 18 subjects recorded at 3 mm isotropic resolution, and anatomical at 1 mm isotropic resolution. These data were compared to behaviorally-collected line drawings of the occluded portions of scenes, which are also included in this data release. Here human fMRI data were recorded while presenting partially occluded visual scenes. Visual occlusion allows to experimentally control sensory input to subregions of visual cortex while internal models continue to influence activity in these regions. Since the observed activity is dependent on internal models, but not on sensory input, there was the opportunity to map visual features conveyed by the brain’s internal models. The results show that activity related to internal models in early visual cortex are more related to scene-specific features than to categorical or depth features. It is further demonstrated that behavioral line drawings provide a good description of internal model structure representing scene-specific features.