Repeated viewing of an image over days and weeks induces a marked reduction in the strength with which neurons in monkey inferotemporal cortex respond to it. The processing advantage that attaches to this reduction is unknown. One possibility is that truncation of the response to a familiar image leaves neurons in a state of readiness to respond to ensuing images and thus enhances their ability to track rapidly changing displays. We have explored this possibility by assessing neuronal responses to familiar and novel images in rapid serial visual displays. Inferotemporal neurons respond more strongly to familiar than to novel images in such displays. The effect is stronger among putative inhibitory neurons than among putative excitatory neurons. A comparable effect occurs at the level of the scalp potential in humans. We conclude that long-term familiarization sharpens the response dynamics of neurons in both monkey and human extrastriate visual cortex.
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