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Brain Imaging Investigation of the Neural Correlates of Observing Virtual Social Interactions
Published on: July 6, 2011
Fusiform face area development correlates with development in higher-order social brain regions
Lorena Jiménez-Sánchez1, Melissa Thye1, Hilary Richardson1
1Department of Psychology, School of Philosophy, Psychology and Language Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.
Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience
|June 20, 2026
Summary
The fusiform face area (FFA) develops alongside other social brain regions, including the middle medial prefrontal cortex (MMPFC) and superior temporal sulcus (STS). This suggests interconnected development in early childhood for face processing.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Developmental Neuroscience
- Cognitive Neuroscience
Background:
- The fusiform face area (FFA) shows preferential responses to faces early in life.
- Two hypotheses exist: 1) higher-order social regions (middle medial prefrontal cortex - MMPFC, superior temporal sulcus - STS) drive FFA development, or 2) an innate amygdala template guides attention to faces.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the developmental relationship between the FFA and other social brain regions (MMPFC, STS, amygdala) in children.
- To test hypotheses about how face processing networks mature and interact during childhood.
Main Methods:
- Utilized a cross-sectional fMRI movie-viewing dataset of children (3-12 years) and adults.
- Measured functional maturity by comparing individual brain responses to an adult average timecourse.
- Assessed correlations between FFA maturity and functional connectivity/maturity of MMPFC, STS, and amygdala.
Main Results:
- Functional maturity increased with age across all studied regions (FFA, MMPFC, STS, amygdala).
- More mature right FFA responses correlated with stronger right FFA-right MMPFC functional connectivity.
- More mature FFA responses were associated with more mature bilateral STS responses.
Conclusions:
- Provides preliminary evidence for the co-development of the FFA with higher-order social brain regions.
- Suggests that FFA development is interconnected with the maturation of MMPFC and STS.
- Findings support the role of social brain network interactions in the development of face specialization.
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