Voxelwise encoding models of body stimuli reveal a representational gradient from low-level visual features to postural features in extrastriate body area

Previous research has focused on the role of the extrastriate body area (EBA) in category-specific body representation, but the specific features that are represented in this area are not well understood. This study used ultra-high field fMRI and banded ridge regression to investigate the coding of body images by comparing the performance of three encoding models in predicting brain activity in ventral visual cortex and specifically the EBA. Our results suggest that EBA represents body stimuli based on a combination of low-level visual features and postural features. Author Summary Historically, research on body representation in the brain has focused on category-specific representation, using fMRI to investigate the most posterior body selective region, the extrastriate body area (EBA). However, the role of this area in body perception is still not well understood. This study aims to clarify the role of EBA, in coding information about body images. Using ultra-high field neuroimaging (fMRI) and advanced encoding techniques we tested different computational hypotheses to understand how body images are represented in EBA. Our results suggest that EBA represents bodies using a combination of low-level properties and postural information extracted from the stimulus.