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Updated: Sep 28, 2025

Investigating Object Representations in the Macaque Dorsal Visual Stream Using Single-unit Recordings

Investigating Object Representations in the Macaque Dorsal Visual Stream Using Single-unit Recordings

Published on: August 1, 2018

Face neurons encode nonsemantic features.

Alexandra Bardon¹, Will Xiao^2,3, Carlos R Ponce²

¹Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA91125.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America

|April 4, 2022

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

So-called "face neurons" in the primate brain respond to visual features, not the semantic category of faces. Evolved stimuli activated these neurons but were not perceived as faces, challenging prior assumptions.

Keywords:

face neurons neural coding semantic tuning visual cortex

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Area of Science:

Neuroscience
Cognitive Science
Computer Vision

Background:

The primate inferior temporal cortex has neurons selectively responsive to faces.
These neurons, termed "face neurons," are traditionally considered category-selective for faces.
However, their response to non-face objects like clocks and fruits suggests potential feature-based tuning.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate whether "face neurons" are selective for the semantic category of faces or for specific visual features.
To challenge the prevailing view of face neurons as purely category-selective.

Main Methods:

Utilized the XDream algorithm, a generative neural network, to evolve artificial stimuli designed to maximally activate face neurons.
Conducted human participant studies to rate the perceived similarity and "faceness" of evolved images compared to natural images.
Correlated neural activity with subjective ratings for both natural and evolved stimuli.

Main Results:

Stimuli evolved for face neurons strongly activated these neurons but were consistently rated as distinct from real faces by human observers.
Evolved images for face neurons showed slightly higher similarity ratings to faces than images evolved for non-face neurons.
The correlation between neural activity and subjective "faceness" observed in natural images did not hold for evolved images.

Conclusions:

"Face neurons" are likely tuned to specific visual features rather than the semantic category of faces.
The findings suggest a feature-based representation of visual information in the inferior temporal cortex.
Rethinking the functional role of face-selective neurons based on visual feature tuning is warranted.