Coherent illusory contours reduce microsaccade frequency

Synchronized high-frequency gamma band oscillations (30-100 Hz) are thought to mediate the binding of single visual features into whole-object representations. For example, induced gamma band oscillations (iGBRs) have been recorded ∼280 ms after the onset of a coherent Kanizsa triangle, but not after an incoherent equivalent shape. However, several recent studies have provided evidence that the EEG-recorded iGBR may be a by-product of small saccadic eye movements (microsaccades). Considering these two previous findings, one would hypothesis that there should be more microsaccades following the onset of a coherent Kanizsa triangle. However, we found that microsaccade rebound rate was significantly higher after an incoherent triangle was presented. This result suggests that microsaccades are not a reliable indicator of perceptual binding, and, more importantly, implies that iGBR cannot be universally produced by ocular artefacts.