Faster, stronger, lateralized: low spatial frequency information supports face processing
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Updated: May 29, 2026

Analyzing Neural Activity and Connectivity Using Intracranial EEG Data with SPM Software
Published on: October 30, 2018
Bhuvanesh Awasthi1, Jason Friedman, Mark A Williams
1Centre for Cognition and its Disorders (CCD), Macquarie University, NSW 2109, Australia. bhuvanesh.awasthi@mq.edu.au
Abstract:
Distinct visual pathways are selectively tuned for processing specific spatial frequencies. Recently, Awasthi, Friedman, and Williams (2011) reported fast categorisation of faces at periphery, arguing for primacy of low spatial frequency (LSF) information in face processing. However, previous studies have also documented rapid categorization of places and natural scenes. Here, we tested if the LSF advantage is face specific or also involved in place perception. We used visually guided reaching as a continuous behavioral measure to examine the processing of LSF and high spatial frequency (HSF) hybrids, presented at the periphery. Subjects reached out and touched targets and their movements were recorded. The trajectories revealed that LSF interference was both 95 ms earlier and stronger for faces than places and was lateralized to the left visual field. The early processing of LSF information supports the assumption that faces are prioritised and provides a (neural) framework for such specialised processing.
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