Resting-state neural activity across face-selective cortical regions is behaviorally relevant

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Cognitive Neuroscience
• Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI)

Background:

• Resting-state functional connectivity (FC) in blood oxygen level-dependent (BOLD) responses across brain regions is gaining interest.
• The functional significance of these correlations, particularly in face processing, remains largely unknown.
• Key face-selective regions include the occipital face area (OFA) and the fusiform face area (FFA).

Purpose of the Study:

• To directly investigate the behavioral relevance of resting-state FC between the OFA and FFA in humans.
• To determine if OFA-FFA FC correlates with performance on face-processing tasks.

Main Methods:

• Measured resting-state fMRI BOLD signals to calculate FC between OFA and FFA.
• Assessed individual performance on various face-processing and non-face-processing behavioral tasks.
• Correlated OFA-FFA FC magnitude with task performance.
• Examined the independence of OFA/FFA FC from individual region activation and anatomical size.

Main Results:

• The magnitude of resting-state FC between OFA and FFA significantly correlated with performance on face-processing tasks.
• This correlation was specific to face tasks and not observed for non-face tasks.
• The behavioral relevance of OFA/FFA FC was independent of the functional activation and anatomical size of the OFA or FFA.

Conclusions:

• Resting-state functional connectivity between OFA and FFA reflects functionally significant properties of cortical processing.
• Effective face processing relies on synchronized spontaneous neural activity between face-selective regions, not just individual region function.
• Resting-state FC provides insights into the neural mechanisms underlying cognitive functions like face recognition.