Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jan 16, 2026
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Conscious and Non-conscious Representations of Emotional Faces in Asperger's Syndrome
Published on: July 31, 2016
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Dynamic developmental signatures of facial expression processing differ by emotion
Hua Bai1,2, Jake J Son1,2,3, Nathan M Petro1,2
1Institute for Human Neuroscience, Boys Town National Research Hospital, Boys Town, NE, USA.
Communications Biology
|October 1, 2025
Summary
Brain activity during face processing changes significantly from childhood to adolescence. Neural oscillations shift towards posterior regions and show increased specialization for threat detection, impacting social cognition development.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Developmental Psychology
- Social Cognition
Background:
- Facial expressions are vital social cues for understanding emotions and intentions.
- Neural basis of emotional face processing is known, but developmental changes in brain oscillations are less understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the developmental trajectory of neural oscillatory dynamics during facial expression processing in children and adolescents.
- To examine age-related changes in alpha/beta and gamma oscillations in response to different facial expressions.
Main Methods:
- Magnetoencephalography (MEG) was used on a large sample of typically developing individuals aged 6-17 years.
- Participants performed gender judgments on angry, happy, and neutral faces.
- Neural oscillations (alpha, beta, gamma) were quantified and analyzed for age-related changes.
Main Results:
- Alpha/beta responses to neutral faces shifted towards posterior processing with age (increased in posterior superior temporal cortex, decreased in prefrontal cortex).
- Gamma oscillations increased with age for angry and neutral faces in the temporoparietal junction and fusiform, indicating enhanced threat/ambiguity processing.
- Happy faces showed age-related gamma decreases in attention cortices, suggesting reduced attentional demands.
Conclusions:
- This study provides the most comprehensive assessment of developmental changes in neural dynamics of facial expression processing.
- Findings reveal age-related shifts in neural processing and specialization, offering insights into mechanisms relevant to psychopathology.
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