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Abstract

What is the ‘neural representation’ of an object? There is no single answer to this question. Depending on the task and the methods, many different answers are possible. A more generally applicable problem definition is ‘What sort of mental structures do observers use both to perceive and recognize visual objects and how are such structures realized in the primate brain?’ In this article three different approaches are considered in an attempt to address this question: neurophysiological recordings of the activity of small numbers of neurons (see Perception and Cognition, Single-/Multi-neuronal Recording Studies of); neuroimaging of the activity of brain regions encompassing large numbers of neurons and behavioral analysis of brain-injured patients with damage to one or more brain regions likewise encompassing large numbers of neurons (see Cognitive Neuropsychology, Methodology of; Agnosia; Prosopagnosia).