Efficient Prestimulus Network Integration of Fusiform Face Area Biases Face Perception during Binocular Rivalry

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Cognitive Science
• Visual Perception

Background:

• Neural excitability and connectivity influence stimulus detection.
• The role of these neural states in determining *which* stimulus is perceived remains less understood, particularly in ambiguous visual conditions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate whether ongoing neural network states, specifically prestimulus connectivity, influence the content of visual perception.
• To examine the neural substrates and timing of perceptual disambiguation during binocular rivalry.

Main Methods:

• Magnetoencephalography (MEG) recorded neural activity in 21 human participants.
• Participants viewed face and house stimuli under monocular and binocular rivalry conditions.
• Multivariate pattern analysis (MVPA) and source localization were used to analyze brain activity, focusing on the alpha frequency band (8-13 Hz).

Main Results:

• Common neural substrates were identified for rivalrous and non-rivalrous stimuli, with bistable stimuli showing a ~36 ms delay.
• The fusiform face area (FFA) was implicated in processing these stimuli.
• Increased prestimulus functional connectivity between the FFA, primary visual cortex, and broader cortical areas in the alpha band predicted accurate stimulus decoding and rivalry resolution, without changes in local alpha power.

Conclusions:

• Ongoing neural network states, particularly alpha-band connectivity patterns originating in the FFA, significantly shape visual perceptual content.
• These prestimulus network dynamics are crucial for both stimulus identification and resolving perceptual ambiguity during binocular rivalry.