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Visual Spatial Frequency Modulates the Polarity of Early ERP Components

Poster Session D - Monday, March 9, 2026, 8:00 – 10:00 am PDT, Fairview/Kitsilano Ballroom

Liam Doherty^1,3 (), Julian Keil^1,2,3, Martin Fischer³; ¹University of Potsdam, ²Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, ³Nuuron GmbH

The spatial frequency of visual stimuli is known to modulate various aspects of early visual processing. However, stimulation protocols do not typically account for the fact that visual stimulation results in early ERPs with a reversed polarity between the upper and lower visual field. Intermixing spatial frequency and spatial field can lead to ambiguity when reporting ERP polarities. Here, we used a rapid-serial presentation experiment while recording EEG from 12 participants who were presented with 42 unique checker-board stimuli that varied in the number of their radial and angular cycles. By designing stimuli with radial and angular cycles, we were able to account for the influence of spatial frequency and spatial field on early ERP components. Our results show that the polarity of the P1/N1 ERP components in early visual cortex is modulated by spatial frequency, with higher spatial frequencies exhibiting stronger positive ERP responses around 100ms post-stimulus onset, while lower spatial frequencies elicited a stronger negative response at 100ms. In addition, we were able to accurately decode the spatial frequency of stimuli using time-resolved EEG decoding analysis, suggesting that early ERPs represent the specific spatial frequencies of stimuli. These findings highlight the potential for utilising the appropriate spatial frequency of stimuli to elicit stronger responses in early visual cortex.

Topic Area: PERCEPTION & ACTION: Vision