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Being BOLD: The neural dynamics of face perception
Francesco Gentile1,2,3, Justin Ales4, Bruno Rossion2,3,5
1Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience (NIN), Amsterdam, The Netherland.
Human Brain Mapping
|September 2, 2016
Summary
Face processing in the brain may not be strictly hierarchical. The fusiform face area (FFA) shows earlier face selectivity than the occipital face area (OFA), supporting a non-hierarchical model of human cortical face recognition.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Cognitive Neuroscience
- Visual Perception
Background:
- The traditional view posits a hierarchical model for human cortical face processing.
- An alternative non-hierarchical view suggests face selectivity can emerge in higher-order areas like the fusiform face area (FFA) independently of lower-order areas like the occipital face area (OFA).
Purpose of the Study:
- To rigorously test the non-hierarchical hypothesis of face processing.
- To investigate the temporal dynamics of face-selective responses in the FFA and OFA.
Main Methods:
- Utilized functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) with a rapid sampling rate (500 ms).
- Employed single-subject statistical analysis on gradually revealed segmented face stimuli through linear descrambling of phase information.
- Compared responses to upright and inverted faces.
Main Results:
- Face-selective responses emerged earlier in the FFA compared to the OFA, indicating earlier emergence at lower levels of structural (phase) information.
- Both FFA and OFA showed earlier face detection for upright compared to inverted faces.
- Findings align with behavioral data and previous neural recordings.
Conclusions:
- Results support a non-hierarchical model of human cortical face processing.
- Suggests that face selectivity can arise earlier in higher-order areas.
- Highlights the utility of time-resolved fMRI analysis for continuously evolving visual stimuli at the single-subject level.
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