Is it a baby? Perceived age affects brain processing of faces differently in women and men

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Cognitive Psychology
• Evolutionary Psychology

Background:

• Infant faces activate specific brain regions, including the mesocorticolimbic system and fusiform gyrus, suggesting a 'baby schema' response.
• Previous research indicates preferential processing of infant stimuli, but sex-based differences in neural responses remain less understood.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate sex differences in brain activity when viewing faces of infants, children, and adults.
• To explore the neural correlates of the preferential response to infant faces, particularly within the mesocorticolimbic system.

Main Methods:

• Electroencephalography (EEG) recorded from 128 scalp sites in 40 university students (male and female).
• Participants viewed images of infant, child, and adult faces mixed with technological objects.
• Low-resolution electromagnetic tomography (LORETA) used to identify intracranial brain sources of EEG responses.

Main Results:

• Both sexes showed a larger N1 response to infant faces compared to adult faces.
• The N1 response to infant faces was significantly greater in women than in men, especially in the left hemisphere.
• Women exhibited a greater N2 response to infants than children, while men showed a larger response to children than adults.
• LORETA identified greater activation in women than men in the left fusiform gyrus, limbic, and orbito-frontal cortices in response to infant faces.

Conclusions:

• The study reveals significant sex differences in the neural processing of infant faces, particularly in the activation of the mesocorticolimbic system.
• Women demonstrate a more pronounced preferential neural response to infant cues compared to men.
• These findings contribute to understanding the neurobiological underpinnings of parental care and sex-specific responses to infants.