Does the brain's ventral visual pathway compute object shape?

A rich behavioral literature has shown that human object recognition is supported by a representation of shape that is tolerant to variations in an object's appearance. Such 'global' shape representations are achieved by describing objects via the spa-tial arrangement of their local features, or structure, rather than by the appearance of the features themselves. However, accumulating evidence suggests that the ventral visual pathway - the primary substrate underlying object recognition - may not represent global shape. Instead, ventral representations may be better described as a basis set of local image features. We suggest that this evidence forces a reevaluation of the role of the ventral pathway in object perception and posits a broader network for shape perception that encompasses contributions from the dorsal pathway.

Automated summary

The recognition of human objects is supported by a representation of shape that can tolerate variations in the appearance of objects. This representation is achieved by describing objects based on the spatial arrangement of their local features, rather than the appearance of the features themselves. Recent evidence suggests that the ventral visual pathway, which is responsible for object recognition, may not represent global shape but instead represents a set of local image features. This calls for a reevaluation of the role of the ventral pathway in object perception and suggests a broader network for shape perception that includes contributions from the dorsal pathway.