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Functional development of the brain's face-processing system
Frank Haist1,2,3, Gizelle Anzures2
1Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, CA, USA.
Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews. Cognitive Science
|December 2, 2016
Summary
The human brain
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Developmental Psychology
- Cognitive Science
Background:
- The human brain undergoes significant development in size, weight, and synaptic connections during the first 20 years of life.
- This period is characterized by remarkable transformations in perception, thought, and behavior, including the maturation of face processing abilities crucial for social interaction.
Purpose of the Study:
- To demonstrate how neuroimaging techniques have advanced the understanding of face processing development.
- To illustrate that face processing skills mature gradually over the first two decades of life.
Main Methods:
- Utilizing modern neuroimaging to correlate brain development with behavioral and intellectual changes.
- Analyzing the maturation of face processing as a model system for complex cognitive development.
Main Results:
- Neuroimaging has revolutionized the study of brain development and its link to cognitive functions.
- Face processing ability matures consistently and slowly throughout the first 20 years of life.
Conclusions:
- Face processing serves as a valuable model for understanding broader cognitive development.
- The study highlights the slow, consistent maturation of essential perceptual and cognitive skills during early life.
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