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Developmental shifts in cortical loci for face and object recognition
A D Gathers1, R Bhatt, C R Corbly
1Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Chandler Medical Center, Department of Psychology, University of Kentucky, 800 Rose Street, Davis-Mills 308, Lexington, KY 40536, USA.
Neuroreport
|July 3, 2004
Summary
Brain development in children shows how faces and objects are recognized. Younger children (5-8) process faces in the back of the brain, while older children and adults do so in a more specific area.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Developmental Psychology
- Cognitive Science
Background:
- Limited information exists on the functional organization and development of the ventral processing stream in children aged 5-11.
- Understanding neural mechanisms of face and object recognition in developing brains is crucial.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify neural correlates of face and object processing in children aged 5-8 and 9-11 years.
- To compare developmental changes in visual recognition with adult data.
Main Methods:
- Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) was used to study brain activity.
- Participants included children aged 5-8, 9-11, and adults.
Main Results:
- All age groups exhibited face-preferential activation in the ventral processing stream.
- Children aged 5-8 showed face-preferential activation in the posterior ventral stream, unlike older children and adults who showed it near the fusiform face area.
- Category-selectivity in other brain regions increased with age.
Conclusions:
- Developmental changes in the ventral processing stream suggest a refinement of visual recognition processes.
- Learning and experience likely contribute to the fine-tuning of face and object recognition abilities in children.